Why are there black squirrels in the Quad Cities?
National Squirrel Day had us curious so we looked into the local folklore that suggests the Palmer family is the reason black squirrels populate the Quad City area.
Dr. Dave Palmer, in his book “The Palmers,” claims their origins in the area lie with his grandfather, D.D. Palmer.
According to Dr. Dave’s account, “A pair of black squirrels were presented to D.D. by a grateful patient from Cambridge, Massachusetts. D.D. felt it inhumane to leave them caged up and made arrangements with the commander of the Rock Island Arsenal to have them released on Arsenal Island,” says Dr. Hynes, author of “Chiropractic History”.
Local folklore describes the black squirrels as escapees from Arsenal Island and a web search under black squirrels also gives Dr. Dave’s story credence.
Most websites credit black squirrels as being native to the United States, especially in the North East.
Although we can’t confirm that the Palmers are the reason for black squirrels in the QCA, we can confirm that Palmer has the best college squirrels.
Source: Hynes RJR. Selected shorts and chiropractic tall tales. Chiropractic History. 2006;26(2):49-53.
More: Read more about Palmer and Chiropractic History
