Washington Square was leveled in 1848 to prepare for its&nbsp;conversion into a park. However, it was not fully developed for several decades. Finally, in 1877, it was officially declared Washington Park. Improvements were made including planting trees, putting&nbsp;in flowers beds, installing walkways, and building the original gazebo (the one there today is a replica). A fence with turnstiles was built as well to keep out livestock which liked to graze in the park (it seems that some cattle got in despite the turnstiles). A drinking fountain topped with a statue of dentist Dr. Henry Cogswell, who made strides in dentistry and became wealthy through investing in real estate, was installed in 1884. It is no longer there (vandals apparently tore it down) but it&nbsp;was one of several Cogswell had put up around the country. As a supporter of the Temperance Movement (the movement that called for the banning of alcohol), he wanted the public to enjoy free drinking water. As such, they were called Temperance Fountains. The one here was also dedicated to an Iowan Kate Shelley who, apparently, stopped the train&nbsp;Cogswell was riding on during a bad rain storm. Her actions&nbsp;saved many lives. Cogswell's detractors, including local brewers, criticized the fountain as being more a memorial to himself than Shelley.&nbsp; Over the years, the park was used for a variety of public events and gatherings including concerts. In 1896, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West was held in the park. In 1899, President William McKinley gave a speech from the gazebo. &nbsp;

Washington Park was officially established in 1877, though it was a public square since 1833 when the city was founded. 

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Washington Park has been a focal point for Dubuque since the city was founded. The park space was one of the original city blocks and was initially called Washington Square, a block notable for being the location where the first Methodist chapel in Iowa was built. A simple log building, the church was also used as a schoolhouse, courthouse, and community commons and meeting space. Among the many notable events that occurred here during those years was the meeting to incorporate the town Dubuque which occurred on March 25, 1837. Today, the park features walkways that lead to a gazebo in the center as well as a historical marker indicating the location of the chapel.

Washington Park

Admin

This walking tour starts at the Dubuque Courthouse and moves its way south to include some of the city's most fascinating buildings and leading attractions such as the Fenlon Place Elevator. The concludes with a walk around the Port of Dubuque and concludes at the iconic Shot Tour and historic Dubuque Star Brewery. Be sure to also visit the city's historic Old Main district. 

Soon after Dubuque was platted in 1836, the first building used to house county government functions was a log structure used as a church by Methodists. As stated above, the first purpose-built courthouse was erected in 1841; it is estimated that over 240,000 bricks were used. As the local population grew, the need for a new courthouse became apparent by the 1870s. However, construction for a new building was stymied by disagreements over where it would be built. By 1890, the 1841 courthouse was falling into disrepair and the need for a new courthouse was urgent. The building was becoming unusable. Controversy surrounding the location and construction cost of the building continued, but efforts to complete the project went forward. The local government set aside a budget of $125,000 to fund the construction of the building. Initial attempts at securing someone to do the actual work of building the courthouse were unsuccessful. All offers were too expensive, until the contract was eventually passed to Albert Ney. This in turn drew more controversy. It seemed as if much of the funds given ended up going to individuals outside of Dubuque. However, this was not enough to stop the project.&nbsp;The current courthouse was successfully completed&nbsp;three years later. The Dubuque County Courthouse is an example of Beaux Arts Architecture, a designation that helped eventually land it in the National Register of Historic Places. It was the first location in Dubuque to receive this designation. The architectural style of the building is widely agreed to be beautiful. The many bronze status that adorn the building add to its beauty. The largest of the statues is the fourteen foot tall statue of Lady Justice. The courthouse is missing four angel statues that were present at its initial construction. Those statues were sacrificed for the war effort during World War I, but the other statues remain. Since then, the building has undergone a few changes and renovations. It was threatened with demolition in the 1960s to make way for a highway but locals protested and the plan was dropped by 1970. A chance encounter contributed to this decision. In 1958, artist and&nbsp;retired executive director of the Chicago Arts Club,&nbsp;Isabel F. Jarvis, who happened to be in the city at the time, sketched the courthouse. The sketch was eventually accepted by the Smithsonian Institution. The courthouse underwent renovations in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Designed by architect firm Fridolin Heer & Son in the Beaux-Arts style, the Dubuque County Courthouse is one of the city's iconic landmarks. Still the seat of county government, it was built in 1891 to replace a large brick building constructed in 1841. It is most notable for its 190-foot high central tower that is capped with a 14-foot tall statue of Lady Justice. The building once had a number of other statues, but four of them—winged angels with trumpets—were melted down and turned into weapons during World War I. In the 1980s, gold leafing was added to the central dome, giving the building some of its distinctive look. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The adjacent building is the former county jail and is a National Historic Landmark (it is a separate Clio entry).

Dubuque County Courthouse 

“The Dubuque County Jail is an L-shaped, two-story edifice that consists of two enclosed masses.” <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> The northern enclosed mass used to house the sheriff’s and jailer’s offices and residence. The second mass consists of the jail. The building was designed in the Egyptian Revival style, exhibited in “…the overall massiveness and monumental effected, battered walls, columns, rope-like cornice moldings, sun disk symbols, and the window and door hoods.” <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a> The jail is one of the few structures left to exhibit this architectural style. The jail was designed by John F. Rague and was his only Egyptian Revival style design.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The northern and western sections contained the private dining hall for the sheriff and his family, the old kitchen area, the sheriff’s office, a visiting area for prisoners, a second office, and the sheriff’s private residence. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a> The eastern section consisted of three levels of twenty-four cells built around a large open area. “Eight additional cells were located in the basement…”, known as the dungeon because it was used for especially dangerous criminals. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[4 ]</a>In 1874, an addition was designed by architects T. Crawford and William Coates to house women and juvenile prisoners.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The building served as a jail until 1971 “when it was closed due to being substandard…” It was leased by the Dubuque Art Association from 1975-2003. It then became the Old Jail Museum&nbsp;operated by the Dubuque County Historical Society. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1] The county converted the building into offices in 2016.</a><div>





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&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. It was designed by famed architect John F. Rague, who also designed the Old Illinois State Capitol and other prominent buildings. Its Egyptian Revival architecture makes it one of Rague's more unique works.&nbsp;The building is also significant as a symbol of the penal reform movement before the Civil War, when the Egyptian Revival was the preferred architectural style of supporters of the movement. 

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Built in 1857, the Dubuque County Jail housed inmates until 1971. The building was designed by John F. Rague and is a rare example of Egyptian Revival architecture. The jail replaced three previous jails that had been inadequate and allowed prisoners to escape. The walls of the building were made of 18-inch thick limestone. Confederate soldiers were held in the basement during the Civil War. Today, it is the location of the County Medical Examiner, the County I.T. Department, and the Veteran's Affairs Office. 

Dubuque County Jail

The Grand Opera House is the last opera house of its kind
still standing in Dubuque. Plans for the construction of the opera house were
discussed by the community as early as 1873, but construction did not begin
until 1889. Disagreements inside the community caused the delay. Initially, the
various businesspeople that were pushing for the construction of the opera
house could not agree on terms for purchasing the land that the house would be
built on. William Bradley Jr. was the individual who eventually ended up
commissioning the construction of the Opera House.

The building was designed by renowned architect Willoughby
James Edbrooke. To this day, the Grand Opera House is Edbrooke's only remaining
opera house. Edbrooke is famous for his breadth of architectural work in
similar styles to the Grand Opera House. Notably, his work on the Grand Opera
House helped land him a position as Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury
Department.

As it was originally constructed, the Grand Opera House was
quite lavish. The theater could seat up to 1,356 individuals. The stage reached
an impressive 39 feet in length if measured from front to back. There also was
room for an in-house orchestra. Ironically, despite the ambitious proportions
of the interior, cast members of production were not able to change costumes
inside the building itself. Costume changes took place in a smaller house that
was connected to the opera house by a tunnel.

The Grand Opera House opened on August 14, 1890. Around 800
guests came to watch a performance of the opera Carmen by composer Georges Bizet. An orchestra accompanied the
large 65-member cast. Numerous large productions and other performances would
take place here for the next several decades—it estimated that 2,600
performances occurred between 1892-1928. One notable theatrical production was Ben Hur. The large stage was able to
accommodate the lavish production, which featured live horses and elephants as
well as carriages. Many top Hollywood performers would grace the stage as well,
including Jack Benny, Will Rogers, and Henry Fonda; other notable artists and
performers included famed pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the Boston Opera
Company, and the Strauss Orchestra from Vienna. 

Over the years, the Grand Opera House has undergone many
renovations. At one point in the 60s, the original sandstone was covered by
aluminum and tile, as part of a larger modernization project. The building was
restored to its original state later in 1998. After being added to the National
Register of Historic Places in 2001, a glass elevator was installed to provide
increased accessibility to disabled patrons. Most recently in 2014, the
previously unusable orchestra section was restored to a usable condition thanks
to grant funding. This section had previously not been used since 1928.

The Grand Opera House is one of Dubuque's key cultural landmarks. It was built in 1890 by a group of local businessmen who hired nationally known architect Willoughby Edbrooke, who designed the first immigration complex on Ellis Island (in New York City) the U.S. Treasury building in Washington D.C., among many others. The theater features the largest stage ever built in Dubuque and is the city's only surviving opera house. Edbrooke designed the building in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with the front facade featuring typical elements of this style including arched windows and doorways. There were originally 1,100 seats and stage was large enough for major theatrical productions. The Grand Opera House continues to be an important musical and theatrical venue. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. 

Grand Opera House

The original town clock was built in the 1860s. At 5:16 PM on&nbsp;May 25, 1872, both the clock and the John Bell store that housed the clock&nbsp;collapsed. The accident resulted in the death of&nbsp;a child and two women who were inside the store at the time.&nbsp;Dubuque residents soon decided to replace the clock which began operation on&nbsp;April 17, 1873.&nbsp;A century later,&nbsp;Dubuque residents raised money to have the clock moved to a new tower downtown where it continues to serve as one of the "faces" of Dubuque.&nbsp;

The Town Clock is a large clock that stands in downtown Dubuque, Iowa. The clock, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has stood over the city for over 130 years. The present clock is the second "Town Clock"; the first collapsed in the 1870s, killing three people.

Town Clock

The Dubuque Museum of
Art was originally known as the Dubuque Art Association. The association
began as a group of community leaders who had a strong interest in art and
culture. Their goal was to provide this to their surrounding community. The
first meeting of the Dubuque Art Association took place on February 24th, 1874,
making it one of the oldest organizations of its kind in Iowa. 

&nbsp;Soon after its establishment, membership of the association
was opened to the general public. Members paid a subscriber's fee to the
association. The funds made from subscription fees were then used by the association
to purchase and display new art pieces for all to enjoy. These exhibitions
helped the association gain more interest, which in turn allowed them to fund
more art purchases and expand the scope of the organization.

&nbsp;The Dubuque Art Association has evolved over the course of
its history. As membership and acquisition of art work grew, the group changed
permanent locations several times. Originally, they would meet in private
homes, until the organization grew so large that this was no longer sufficient.
Starting in 1904, the association had to find a more satisfactory home. The
association cycled through a few different notable Dubuque locations, such as
the Carnegie-Stout Public Library and the Old County Jail. It wasn't until 1999
that a permanent home was found at 701 Locust Street.

&nbsp;In 1996, the Association was renamed to its modern name, the
Dubuque Museum of Art. The collections that have been acquired throughout the
years now number around 2,200 distinct art pieces. One of the museum's claims
to fame is its substantial collection of art by Grant Wood, one of the largest
such collections in the world. Additionally, many works by Arthur Geisert can
be found displayed in the museum. While the museum boasts an impressive
collection of art, its various programs and outreaches are also commendable.
The museum offers programs that include art classes for both children and
adults as well as educational lectures. Furthermore, they offer many
opportunities to view temporary and permanent exhibitions that showcase the
collections of the Dubuque Museum of Art.

The museum strives to serve the community as a cultural institution that offers art and cultural education. Operating since 1874, the museum contains a robust collection of art pieces of various mediums. Their programs range from those that cater to children to those that would interest adults. The Dubuque Museum of Art was accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2005. 

Dubuque Museum of Art 

The Fenelon Place Elevator was originally constructed by J. K. Graves for personal use. He lived at the top of a bluff and was forced to deal with a half-hour drive via buggy from his house into town. This was incredibly inconvenient for him. He came up with the idea of building an elevator to ferry him up the bluff and back, but he had to petition for permission to build the car. His permission was finally granted on June 5th, 1882.Graves hired local engineer John Bell to design the cable car. Bell's original design was powered by a coal-burning steam engine with a rope being used to pull the cart up and down the hill. Graves used the cart several times a day as part of his daily schedule. He would go down for the day, return for lunch and his nap, then return to work again before going up one last time in the evening. Because of how regularly he used the cart, some of his neighbors took to waiting near the car and asking for rides up and back.Eventually, Graves' personal transportation system was destroyed by a fire, a result of the small fire that was regularly left burning in the boiler overnight spreading beyond its intended confines. One a particularly windy night, the gusts stoked the flames within the boiler and the small fire spread to the cart. Graves was able to rebuild the cart, but he soon decided to respond to the requests of his neighbors and he opened the elevator for public use following the reconstruction of his cart at a cost of five cents per ride. In 1893, the cart burned was again destroyed by fire and this time, Graves decided against investing the funds to rebuild. This would have spelled the end of the incline, but it was no longer just Graves who relied on the cart. His neighbors who also lived on top of the hill relied on the incline and they were determined to rebuild.&nbsp;&nbsp; With Graves' blessing, ten residents of the neighborhood overlooking Dubuque formed the Fenelon Place Elevator Company and constructed a more sturdy and modern elevator. Several of these men traveled to the 1893 Colombian Exposition to view many new engineering concepts and talk with designers. Some of the modern wonders on display at the exhibition utilized electricity, but this was still beyond the capacity of the local company as electricity was not yet put to commercial use in something as large as an inclined railroad system. The second iteration of the elevator's design was an upgrade in comparison to the first, using more advanced technology. A car motor replaced the old coal-burning engine. The Fenelon Place Elevator Company corrected a flaw in the design. Each fire had burned the hemp ropes used to anchor the car. The old hemp rope was replaced with steel cables that would not burn in the event of a fire. The use of a car engine over coal and steam made the likelihood of a fire much lower. The safety of the cart had been drastically improved. Additionally, the introduction of more rails and a bypass, a second car was able to run alongside the first. By 1912, most of the original owners of Fenelon Place Elevator Company had either passed away or moved away. C.B. Trewin was the only remaining member. Trewin went on to add many additional structures to the elevator, such as garages, and a small apartment atop one of the garages. The apartment was used for neighborhood men to meet and discuss management of the elevator, or simply goof around away from their families.&nbsp; There was another electrical fire, but the damage was limited. Trewin upped the fair to ten cents a ride in response, possibly to compensate for a&nbsp;more thorough maintenance regimen. Closer to the modern day, the elevator was again rebuilt from scratch, complete with modern safety features and an even more efficient engine. With the introduction of cars, the drive downhill to the rest of Dubuque is a non-issue, so the cart is more of a historical attraction, rather than holding any practical use. Today, the&nbsp;fare is $3 per ride.

This short elevated railway dates back to a private elevator that was established in the late 19th century for a Dubuque resident who wished to ease his daily commute. Today, the inclined railway takes passengers from Fourth Street to the top of this bluff overlooking the city. Fenelon Place Elevator claims to be the world's shortest and steepest railway. While the original owner's private railcar system was twice damaged by fires, local residents formed their own company in 1893 to operate the inclined railway. 

Fenelon Place Elevator

The Five Flags that have flown over the Dubuque are: <ul><li>The Fleur de Lis of France (1673–1763)</li><li>The Royal Flag of Spain (1763–1803)</li><li>The Union Jack of Great Britain (1780, during a brief interruption of Spanish rule)</li><li>The French Republic Flag of Napoleon (1803)</li><li>The United State's of America's Stars and Stripe</li></ul>Local businessmen&nbsp;Harker Brentnal Spensley, Sr. and C. H. Eighmey built Five Flags Theater after the previous theater located here burned down. It was converted into a movie house in 1920 called Spensley Theater and later Orpheum Theater. By&nbsp;the late 1960s, it had fallen into disrepair and was under threat of demolition. Fortunately, a group of concerned citizens came together&nbsp;to prevent this from happening. The theater became part of the Five Flags Center plans and was restored in 1976.&nbsp;

Constructed in 1910, Five Flags Theater remains an important cultural landmark and stands on the of the site of the first theater erected in Dubuque back in 1840. What is now Five Flags opened as the Majestic Theater and was designed in the Flemish Renaissance style. The theater was among the first creations of the architecture firm, Rapp & Rapp, owned by brothers George and Cornelius Rapp. The Rapp Brothers would go onto design many noteworthy theaters around the country including the Chicago Theatre. The theater is now part of a large entertainment complex called the Five Flags Center that features an arena and two rooms for small event gatherings. The Center's name refers to the five flags that have flower over the city (see below to learn more). It is also worth noting that this location is the oldest parcel of land in Iowa to be home to a theater owing to the previous structure that this building replaced. Five Flags Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is home to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and hosts a number of productions throughout the year.

Five Flags Theater

The Mississippi River Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate and has earned accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. Exhibits at the River Museum cover a broad range of subjects, from ecological to historical. Aquarium sections in the museum house many different kinds of river wildlife, while other sections are devoted to historical aspects of rivers, such as the ways that people have lived on them in the past.

Nascent plans for the museum were first revealed in 1998. Known at the time as the “Americas River Project,” the museum was originally limited to a collection of fourteen aquariums, all varying in size. The original designs were still ambitious, costing millions of dollars to construct before the museum’s first opening. In following years, the scope of the museum has greatly expanded to house much more wildlife than originally planned, as well as the addition of historical exhibits.

Historical aspects of rivers and river life are one of the important areas of focus at the Mississippi River Museum. The Iowa Marine Engine and Launch Works is an example of an exhibit that focuses on river history. This exhibit showcases informational displays and remnants of a factory that produced parts for marine engines back in the early 20th century. Another such exhibit is the “Rivers are Roads” display. Rivers are Roads shows details on the ways that rivers have been used by different people for different reasons over the course of history.

Other exhibits focus on the natural processes of rivers. One example is the Mississippi River Watershed Map, which can be viewed in the museum. The map details an enormous range of land, where all water is eventually drained into the Gulf of Mexico. Another interesting information exhibit is the Mississippi Floor Map. The Mississippi Floor map provides information on the width and depth of the river throughout its length, with the titular map acting as a visual aid.

The museum includes many different attractions based around the types of wildlife that inhabit rivers, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. One such exhibit is the “Backwater Marsh” exhibit, which focuses on wildlife found in wetlands that form around rivers. Visitors can learn about the ecological function of wetlands, as well as the animals that inhabit them, such as toads and waterfowl. Another key feature of the River Museum is the Gulf of Mexico Aquarium. The Gulf of Mexico Aquarium is the largest saltwater aquarium in the entire museum. It showcases the biodiversity that can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, including many kinds of fish and a green sea turtle.

The museum also plays a role in various conservation efforts. From 2016 to 2017, the museum partnered with students in the area to help breed freshwater mussels, for the purpose of releasing the adult mussels into the Mississippi River. In the two year span of this conservation effort, over 60,000 mussels were bred and released. The museum also helps with conservation efforts with a rare species, the Wyoming toad. The population of the toad has decreased drastically, starting back in the 1970s. The species is still threatened today, but the museum’s participation in conservation efforts has helped prevent the species from disappearing.

This museum opened in 2003 and has grown to become an affiliate of the Smithsonian. The museum offers a variety of exhibits, ranging from river maps, informational displays on historical types of boats, and aquariums filled with aquatic wildlife. The museum focusses on the human history of the region as well as the diverse wildlife that inhabit rivers and wetlands complete with an aquarium and numerous programs dedicated to science. Additionally, there are seasonal exhibits that change throughout the year.  Part of the museum is located in the historic Dubuque Freight House, which was built in 1901 by the Chicago, Burlington and Northern Railroad. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

During the late
1700s, immigrants reached the west through river transportation and, as more
people began traveling west, larger boats were needed. The first steamboat was
built in 1811 by Robert Fulton and revolutionized river transportation <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>.
Steam power was inexpensive and allowed goods to be transported easily. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>

Dredges developed as
a means to “…deepen and widen navigable waterways”. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>
Dredges used open-ended pipes to suction sediment from the bottom of the river
and deposit it elsewhere. The William B. Black is one of only three surviving
“dustpan dredges”. Dustpan dredges, “named for the shape of their suctionhead,
used a wide suction head to pick up sediment…” <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>

The U. S. Army Corps
of Engineers was responsible for improving irrigation, flooding, and navigation
on the Western Rivers. In the 1930s “the Corps began an ambitious project to
control the mighty Missouri River by lengthening and improving the navigable
water route to the Mississippi… by creating a nine-foot deep main channel.” <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[5]</a>
The William B. Black was one of four “super dredges” designed to make the
Missouri River more navigable.

In 1934, the Marietta
Manufacturing Company of Point Pleasant, West Virginia won the bid to build two
dredges for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The William B. Black was launched
on September 1, 1934. It was named after Major General William Murray Black,
Chief of Engineers during World War 1. Before being delivered to the Corps, the
William B. Black was used to pump water into a fire at the Point Pleasant
Transportation Company. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[6]</a>

The William B. Black
was a hydraulic powered dredge that used a “…vacuum-cleaner like dustpan head
on the end of a 34 inch intake pipe that was lowered to the river bottom”. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[7]</a>
&nbsp;The water and sediment was piped
through a 500-foot pipe held up by barges and deposited on the riverbanks. The
pump was powered by a “triple expansion steam engine”. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[8]</a>

Sixty crewmembers
operated and lived on the William B. Black. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[9]</a>
The William B. Black set a world record in 1935 for most material dredged in 29
days. <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[10]</a>
&nbsp;The William B. Black continued to
dredge the Missouri, contributing to it’s completion fifteen years after it
began. The William B. Dredge survived thunderstorms, hurricanes, collisions,
and damage from ice throughout her career. 

The William B. Black
was decommissioned in 1973 and was given to the historical society in Dubuque,
Iowa. Then in 1979, “…the General Services Administration deeded the dredge to
the Dubuque County Historical Society for use as a museum ship…” <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[11]</a>
The dredge was moved to Ice Harbor and opened as a museum in 1980.” <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[12]</a>

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Permanently docked in Ice Harbor in Dubuque Iowa, the William B. Black dredge provides a glimpse into 19th and 20th century river navigation and culture. The William B. Black was designed to dredge waterways (to clear out sediment and mud) to make it more navigable. The William B. Black was built in 1934 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia and was used to clear waters until 1973. It was added to the Register of Historic Places in 1982 and today, it serves as a museum to educate visitors on river navigation.   

William B. Black (Dredge)

The Dubuque Star Brewery was originally opened in 1898 by Joseph Rhomberg. At the time, it was known simply as the Dubuque Star. Before prohibition, the brewery was known for the production of its signature beer, the Dubuque Star Beer. Like most other breweries, the Dubuque Star was forced to close because of prohibition. Later, it was one of the few breweries in Iowa to reopen post-prohibition. The Dubuque Star had some rough patches after this point. Due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, there was always a risk of flooding. Precautions were taken, and physical protections were put in place, but later flooding still overcame these. After a very turbulent flooding season in 1965, the brewery sustained considerable flooding damage. The going was tough from that point onwards. Ownership of the brewery changed many times, but none of its new owners were able to successfully sustain their business for more than a handful of years. Eventually, Dubuque leveraged eminent domain to acquire the building for the city's purposes as part of a larger project to renovate the riverfront. The plan was to lease parts of the building to tenants. For some time, the city was unable to draw tenants to the building, as had been their hope. The Dubuque Star Brewery was empty for some years. This finally&nbsp;changed in 2006, when Stone Cliff Winery agreed to accept the city's offer and lease a significant portion of the building's ground floor. At the opening of Stone Cliffy Winery in 2007, this area was used as a winery and wine tasting center. In the present day, the Dubuque Star is still used by Stone Cliff Winery. The upper floors are occupied by various other businesses.

Located on the Mississippi riverfront, the Dubuque Star Brewery has been operating since 1898. Today, the City of Dubuque leases the building out to various businesses. One of its current main attractions is the Stone Cliff Winery, which operates on its ground floor. The brewery was built in 1898 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places




Dubuque Star Brewery

At the time of its construction, Dubuque's Shot Tower was one of many shot towers standing in the United States. Prior to new construction methods&nbsp;that were used in the 1860s, these towers were central to manufacturing lead bullets in the United States. While shot towers are large in comparison to their very limited and specific function, the actual process behind making the ammunition was very simple. Molten lead would be poured from a sieve placed at the top of the tower. On the way down, the lead would cool and harden into a rough sphere. Water would be placed at the bottom of the tower, to catch and cool the falling lead into the final product. Through happenstance, this particular shot tower was never actually used for its intended purpose. In 1856, the shot tower in Dubuque finished construction. However, a local economic recession and low demand, compounded with the invention of a more accurate way of cooling the lead, meant that this shot tower was never actually pressed into service. This remained true even during the Civil War. The shot tower was left unused for many years until it was eventually picked up for a purpose completely unrelated to the manufacture of ammunition. Standard Lumber Company, a lumber company that historically operated in Dubuque, purchased the building to use as a fire watch tower. Ironically, the lumberyard was destroyed and the tower was damaged in a fire that is thought to have been an arson. The community of Dubuque values the shot tower as a historical building. In modern times, there are very few shot towers left standing, making Dubuque's shot tower a rare building of great historical value. The 1970s&nbsp;"Save Our Shot-Tower" fundraising campaign was successful in raising funds to renovate the tower, including renovating the top floor. Additional repairs were undertaken in 2004 as part of a larger effort by the city of Dubuque to renovate structures along the Mississippi Riverfront.&nbsp;

Completed in 1856 but never utilized, Dubuque's shot tower was intended to facilitate the manufacture of lead balls which were fired from muskets. Today, this tower is one of few remaining structures left standing in the United States. This individual shot tower has a complicated history, changing ownership and function many times over the years before attaining its current status as a historical building.

Downtown Dubuque, Iowa Walking Tour

Washington Park

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources