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Dubuque, Iowa was settled in 1788 by Julien Dubuque, a French Canadian fur trader and early entrepreneur. |
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Julien Dubuque befriended the Mesquakie Indians who occupied the region and worked with them to mine the plentiful lead mines, which he later named the Mines of Spain. |
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Lead mining was a major part of this area’s history, first by the Native Americans, and in later years (late 1830s through the 1850s) by European miners and farmers. The Civil War caused renewed lead mining activity, which waned after the war, but continued until 1914. |
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The city of Dubuque was officially opened for settlement in 1833. |
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The Shot Tower was erected in 1855 for molding lead shot. |
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The first and only railroad bridge across the Mississippi was built in 1868. |
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The Fenelon Place Elevator, know as the world’s shortest, and steepest scenic railway, was erected in 1882 and elevates passengers 189 feet from 4th Street to Fenelon Place. |
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The first Iowa-Wisconsin Bridge was built in 1889. |
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The city boasts of two historic theaters- the Grand Opera House built in 1889 and the Five Flags Theater built in 1910. |
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The Five Flags Theater was named for the five separate sovereign flags the city has flown under: England, Spain, two of France and the United States. |
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The Five Flags Theater is a replica of the Majestic Theater in Paris, France. |
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The city received a Presidential Award in 1973 for the development of the Town Clock Plaza which included the restoration and exhibition of the famous Town Clock. |
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Dubuque, Iowa is the seventh largest city in the state of Iowa and is known for its steep hills and river bluffs. |
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Dubuque is located at the tri-states of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin and is just 15 minutes west of historic Galena, Illinois. |
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Dubuque ranks number 62 on the list of “Best Cities to Do Business in America”*. The ranking measures job growth and diversity of industry using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
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Today the city has a population of nearly 62,000. |
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More than a million tourists visit Dubuque annually. |
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| *Source: Inc. Magazine – May 2005 |
