This Iowa Town Is Older Than the State Itself

Few towns can claim to be older than the state they reside in, and any town that can already has a special place in the history of the United States. Dubuque, Iowa, is one such town/small city that feels out of place with its Iowan neighbors, not because it is out of a far-flung foreign country, but because the seedlings of the town were. Through trial and tribulation, Dubuque has managed not only to stay alive since the 18th century but also to thrive and carve out an identity, cementing its place as possibly the heart of Iowa.

The Early Period

At one time, under the control of the Spaniards after the pushback of the French in 1763, the area that would come to be Dubuque was rich in natural resources and had been inhabited by natives (specifically the Mesquakie) for thousands of years. With a prime location west of the Mississippi River, it wouldn't be long before the permanent discovery of the area by settlers.

In 1785, a pioneer fur-trader by the name of Julien Dubuque immigrated to the land from Canada with a vision. At first, the native Mesquakie were rightfully suspicious of Julien, but after trading and building trust with them, the Mesquakie let him know about the area's rich deposits of lead ore. The mines, long since kept a native secret, were secret no more. But Julien Dubuque could be trusted, and in a rare scene of colonial times harmony, the natives and Julien worked together to mine, in a power move that would see both Julien and the natives prosper. There were even whispers that Julien married the daughter of the Mesquakie chief, Chief Peosta.

Alas, the feel-good times would eventually come to an end. Julien Dubuque died in 1810 and was mourned greatly. The Mesquakie even went out of their way to build Julien a log crypt, which was eventually replaced by a stone monument years later. With Julien's death came the deterioration of the European settlers' relationship with the Mesquakie, and because of the success of the mines, the attention drew many. The U.S. government had noticed, and although the Mesquakie had continued to manage the mines with full cooperation from the state, they were pushed out by the greed of American prospectors in the 1830s.

The land, under the Black Hawk Purchase Treaty, would officially open the region for settlement in 1833. Soon after, the settlement and town that had grown under the supervision of the natives and Julien would be chartered in 1837, officially becoming the town of Dubuque. And while Julien Dubuque was never forgotten, for a long time, the natives with whom he made peace were mostly forgotten.

Modernization and the 20th Century

The 19th century treated the newly founded town of Dubuque well. While Dubuque saw a state grow around itself (Iowa became a state in 1846 under James K. Polk), the town grew into a hub for transportation among the new states of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The century seemed promising, so promising in fact that Dubuque earned itself the nickname of the "Key City". There were, of course, issues and a whole Civil War to get through before the century ended, but the real problems would emerge in the 20th century.

The 1980s saw record unemployment, and many former town citizens had to leave in search of opportunity. Public infrastructure was in a detrimental state, and the small local businesses were on the verge of closure—the town was on its last legs. However, both public and private entities worked together to ensure the town wasn't abandoned. In the early 90s, the Dubuque County Historical Society raised $25 million to redevelop the waterfront, and with an additional $40 million from the state, Dubuque received a new face, along with a riverwalk, museum, aquarium, and a resort.

Dubuque Today

The town's history is not finished, and while it's difficult to say if it will ever be completely removed from the problems it faced in the 1980s and 90s, things are looking up. If there is any merit to it, Dubuque has been listed as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People and has been named a five-time All-America City.

And the fruits from the reconstruction and revitalization projects of the 90s? They are celebrated today as wonderful spots for both the tourist and Iowan alike. Among them are standouts like the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, which prides itself on being 14 acres of "part aquarium, part museum, part science center." One of its claims to fame is that it has over 200 species of animals and thousands of relics at the museum. Another staple is the historic mines that started it all, the Mines of Spain Recreation Area (Mines of Spain being what Julien dubbed the mines when he managed them). The locale is now part of a wonderful, preserved system of trails and landmarks, one of which is actually the monument to Julien that marks where he is buried and where the wooden crypt built by the Mesquakie was.

For yet another scenic point, the striking flora of the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens have achieved recognition of their own with 51 acres of land once donated by Mac Marshall in 1975, with the stipulation that the land always be used as a park. Finally, the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark have been instrumental in elevating the town economically and helping spread the name of Dubuque far beyond the state's borders.

A Town Shaped by History

Though the origins of Dubuque and the origins of other towns in Iowa are worlds apart, the legacy left by ye olde Dubuque is a perfect complement to the state, while also not losing its cultural identity. If there were no Iowa, perhaps there would still be a Dubuque, and as the Key City, it might have served well under any other territory or state by location and natural resources alone. But the tale of Dubuque is still not over; there are plenty of pages left in its history, and where it will go or what it will become is unknown. However, looking at the past will reveal it's come pretty far.