The first phase of hotel construction in Davenport lasted from 1836, when the city was founded, until just before the Civil War.

Most of these hotels were small and were located near the Mississippi River to take advantage of the passengers disembarking from the riverboats.

[4] The second phase marked the arrival of the railroad when the first bridge to cross the Mississippi was opened between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport in 1856.

Future US President Ronald Reagan lived in the building when he worked for radio station WOC from 1932–1933.

Mark Twain spoke to a sold-out house on his "The American Vandal Abroad" tour in 1869.

[11] Al Jolson performed on the stage years after he worked as a singing waiter at Brick Munro's Pavilion in Bucktown.

A projecting pavilion with its own mansard roof contained the building's main entrance in the center of the façade.

Zimmerman worked nationally for Cusack, the world's largest outdoor ad firm at the time.

The building stands on its own next to the raised railroad tracks since the Kimball House/Vale Apartments and the rail station have been torn down.

Tri-City Electric occupied the building for several years before the United States Department of Veteran Affairs.