Encyclopedia
Dubuque is a city in
Dubuque County,
Iowa,
United States. It is the principal city of the Dubuque Metropolitan Area which encompasses all of Dubuque County. As of the
2000 census, the city had a population of 57,686. It is the county seat of
Dubuque County. Dubuque is located on the Mississippi River. The city is the center of a small metro area known locally as "The Tri-State Area." It is located at the point where
Iowa,
Wisconsin and
Illinois meet. Adjacent towns include Asbury, Sageville, Key West and Peosta, Iowa, and East Dubuque, Illinois.
The city is located at the junction of
U.S. Highways 20,
61 ,
52 and
151, and Iowa Highway 3. It is served by the
Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad , the
BNSF Railway, and the
Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad.
American Airlines provides service between Dubuque and
O'Hare International Airport in
Chicago from the Dubuque Regional Airport, located about seven miles south of Dubuque along
U.S. Highway 61.
Dubuque is often called "The Key City." It is also known as the City of Five Flags for the five different flags English, Spanish, Royal French, Republican French, and American which since the 1600s have flown over the land on which Dubuque now sits.
Two ships of the
US Navy have been named USS
Dubuque after the city; the most recent incarnation is still on active duty.
Government
The city of Dubuque uses the council-manager form of government. The mayor and the council members are all part time, with a full time city manager. The city is divided into four wards, with a person from each ward elected to the council. There are also two council members and a mayor that are at-large members of the council.
Roy Buol is the current Mayor of Dubuque. He followed local
realtor Terry Duggan - who had decided not to seek reelection. Buol - who retired from the John Deere after 30 years - has served on the city council for the past several years. On November 8, 2005 Roy Buol was elected Mayor, defeating challenger John Markham. Buol took office in January of 2006.
City Council of Dubuque, Iowa
|
| Area | Name |
| At-Large | Ann E. Michalski. |
| At-Large | Ric Jones |
| First Ward | Kevin Lynch |
| Second Ward | Karla Braig |
| Third Ward | Joyce E. Connors |
| Fourth Ward | Patricia A. Cline |
|
History
Julien Dubuque was one of the first Europeans to settle in the Dubuque area. He mined lead at what would become called the Mines of Spain, which is about three miles south of the current city of Dubuque. The area would soon become the location of the first
European settlement in what would become the state of
Iowa. It would also become the headquarters of a
Roman Catholic diocese named after the city in 1837. Since that time, the Catholic Church has been a major force in the history of the city. A large number of German and Irish immigrants helped contribute to the culture of Dubuque. Recently, the face of the city has changed as redevelopment efforts are made. Many Catholic religious orders maintain
monasteries and motherhouses in Dubuque and the surrounding countryside. These include New Melleray Abbey , Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey , Sinsinawa Mound Motherhouse , Mount St. Francis Motherhouse , Mount Carmel Motherhouse and Mount Loretto Motherhouse .
Culture and Institutions
Dubuque is home to four colleges.
Loras College and
Clarke College are both Catholic Colleges. The
University of Dubuque is associated with the Presbyterian Church.
Emmaus Bible College is associated with the Protestant Plymouth Brethren movement. Dubuque also houses two seminaries: the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and Wartburg Theological Seminary . Northeast Iowa Community College has one of two main campuses approximately 20 minutes from Dubuque in
Peosta, Iowa. NICC also has a satellite campus in downtown Dubuque.
Dubuque has several buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places. The
Fourth Street Elevator is located in downtown Dubuque. This elevator, which is the shortest and steepest railroad in existence, takes passengers up and down one of the large bluffs that dominate the city. Also, the
Dubuque County Courthouse, with its Beaux Arts architecture, is on the register. The
Julien Dubuque Bridge is a
National Historic Landmark, as is the
Shot Tower, which was used to produce lead shot and is one the few such towers left in existence. Dubuque's Linwood Cemetery is noted for a number of famous people buried there, and the Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens have won a number of awards. There are a number of notable parks, particularly Eagle Point City Park and the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area.
Dubuque's waterfront features the Ice Harbor, where the Diamond Jo Casino and William M. Black are based. Recently the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, the Grand Harbor Hotel and Waterpark, and the Grand River Events Center have been built just north of the Ice Harbor. Land for this project was acquired from several businesses through condemnation of their properties under eminent domain.
Dubuque is also the home of the
Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. The Colts are a
Drum Corps International Division I ensemble and tour the country each summer to attend drum corps competitions. Each summer the Colts and Dubuque host Music on the March, a Drum Corps International-sanctioned marching competition at Dubuque Senior High School. Dubuque is the smallest city in the nation to support a Division I drum corps.
The Dubuque Thunderbirds are a MJHL Junior B
Hockey team that play at the
Five Flags Center. The team replaced the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the
USHL.
The movies
F.I.S.T. and Take This Job and Shove It were filmed in Dubuque. About 25 miles west of the city is the town of
Dyersville, Iowa. Dyersville is the home of the
Basilica of St. Francis Xavier and of the
Field of Dreams movie site.
Industry
Deere and Company has a large manufacturing plant just north of Dubuque. The plant - which is called Dubuque Works - is over one mile long. Dubuque Works is still a major employer in the area. This manufacturing plant concentrates mainly on building construction equipment.
The
A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Company's headquarters is located in Dubuque, along with its main manufacturing plant, in the Dubuque Industrial Center, a fast-growing industrial area west of Dubuque.
Nordstrom and
McGraw-Hill operate distribution centers in the area as well.
Eagle Window & Door, recently purchased by Andersen Windows has its headquarters in Dubuque, along with a manufacturing facility.
Other major employers include the Dubuque Community School District, Finley Hospital, Mercy Hospital, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Flexsteel, and
McKesson.
Education
Dubuque is served by the
Dubuque Community School District.
Three public high schools are located in Dubuque: Dubuque Senior High School, Hempstead High School, and Central Alternative High School.
The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque also operates a high school, Wahlert High School.
Political Climate
For most of its history, the people in Dubuque have been solidly
Democratic. This was due to the large numbers of working-class people and Catholics living in the city. Nevertheless, some notable Republicans have come from the city, including House Speaker
William Boyd Allison.
At times, Dubuque was called "The State of Dubuque" because the political climate in Dubuque was very different from the rest of Iowa.
For the most part, Dubuque has maintained itself as a Democratic stronghold even in recent years, even as Republicans have made serious inroads into other areas of the country that have traditionally voted Democratic. Even so, the Republican presence is more visible and pronounced than in the past.
Retail Environment
Main Article: Retail environment of Dubuque, IowaThe city of Dubuque is also home to a thriving retail environment that has been an important part of Dubuque history for over a century. In some ways, Dubuque was at the forefront of retail trends in the state of Iowa. The local K-Mart was the first to be built in Iowa, and
Kennedy Mall was the first climate controlled indoor
shopping mall in
Iowa.
Geography
Dubuque is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 71.8 kmē . 68.6 kmē of it is land and 3.2 kmē of it is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 57,686 people, 22,560 households, and 14,303 families residing in the city. The
population density was 841.1/kmē . There were 23,819 housing units at an average density of 347.3/kmē . The racial makeup of the city was 96.15%
White, 1.21%
Black or
African American, 0.19%
Native American, 0.68%
Asian, 0.11%
Pacific Islander, 0.69% from
other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.58% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 22,560 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,785, and the median income for a family was $46,564. Males had a median income of $31,543 versus $22,565 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,616. About 5.5% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Dubuque itself is part of the 563 area code, as are surrounding areas in Iowa. Surrounding areas in Illinois are part of the 815 area code, and surrounding areas in Wisconsin are part of the 608 area code
Notable natives
- Jay Berwanger, first Heisman Trophy winner
- Richard Pike Bissell, author
- Tom Churchill, TV and radio meteorologist ABC, NBC, PBS
- Margaret Lindsay, actress
- Kate Mulgrew, actress
- David Rabe, playwright
- Mark Steines, TV reporter on Entertainment Tonight
- Lyle Flick, World War Two fighter pilot
Notables who attended Dubuque colleges
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. Ameche is buried in nearby
Asbury, Iowa.
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Other notables with Dubuque associations
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in the 1920s.
External links
