The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-12-20
Correspondence of the Kenosha Telegraph.
DUBUQUE Iowa.
Dec. 9TH 1866

those here, the popular ''Julian House" main
tains its place at the head of the list The
good order and quiet which reigns through
out, aud the prompt and careful attention
to every want of their guests-attest that
Messrs Russ & Jones, with their obIiging
assistants johnson & Flynn, can keep
HOTEL
Dubuque has been significantly called the
Key City from the fact that its position
(Equi- distant from St Louis and st. Paul
is such'as to command the trade of north
ern Iowa and southern Minnesota, and
with daily, line of first class steamers on
the River, aud her Ra;roads-the chief of
which, the Dubuque and Sioux City in OPP
GRAFTON as far as Iowa Falls, $50 miles due
west, she is beginning to realize the bene-
fits of her commanding position in the rapid
increase of business, and growth in wealth
and population.
This is the first place permanently occu-
pied by white men 10 this State. The
white men who first saw the spot on which
the city now stands, wereFather Marquette
and his companions in the summer of 1878,
then on voyage of exploration down the
Mississippi.
II was nearly century afterwards that
trading posts were established by the French
at St. Louis and Prairie du Chen, and in
1888 Julian Dubuque Frenchman obtain
ed permission Of the Sac and Fox Indians to
explore and work the lead mines then
known to exist here
He commenced his Colony with only 10
persons, carried on his mining, and by an
exchange Of lead at st. Louis for articles OF
necessity for the colony, and blankets trim
kets Sc, for the Indians. he kept up "a prof.
liable trade, and lived at peace with the ma
tives for over 20 years, when he died in
1910, and was buried on the point of the
bluff below the city.
The Indians considered his mining privi-
lege only a life lease, and refused to permi t
his followers to remain in the neigh borhood
aud the mines were not worked again for
many years after
In 1882 Immediately after the Black
Hawk War, treaty was made with the
Sacs and Foxes and the whites returned,
and the first permanent settlement was
made in the territory, west of the Mississippi
| above the State of Missouri In 1888 Iowa
was organized as Territory, and in 1847
it was admitted into the Union as State
since that time the progress of Dubuque
has been rapid.
In 1857 the assessed valuation of the
property of the city was $14, 900, 000-witt
a population of IA, 959, and which is now
about 10 600.
Previous to the year 1853 but little atten
ton was paid to the subject of popular ed
ucation, but in that year building for d
Female College was erected at cost Of
800, 900. This is now known as the Lee
Female Seminary,
The present free school system of Du-
buque was inaugurated in 1856, and an ap
preparation of $780, 900 was made for erect
ing school buildings, and the city now
boasts three public school houses, each Of
which with its furniture cost $25, 900, be
sides two or three smaller buildings to &C
commodate the suburban districts. The
board of education may justly take pride ii
the results of their official iabors, and the
people of Dubuque have every reason tt
say ''Well done thou good aud faithful ser
wants y
The interests of religion are not neglect
ed as evidenced by IA churches comprising
all the leading protestant denominations to.
gether with the Roman Catholics, who by
the way have two or three hourishing
schools. an orphan asylum, etc.
Dubuque now supports two daily, five
weekly aud two semi weekly newspapers
one religious periodical and temperance
Journal. The wholesale trade of the city il
large, and rapidly growing, and all kinds o
staple goods can be bought here by the
merchants of the interior as low as at Chi
cago or st. Louis-freights added. Among
the wholesale establishments are two crock
cry houses that import wares from the Eng
lish Potteries direct, paying duties at tn,
custom house here,
There are large number of important
manufactures, among them are those fol
making shot, white lead, steam engines
mill machinery, agricultural implements
wagons &c, besides several foundries, ma
chine shops, steam saw and Touring mills
&C., &c
Dubuque having been made ''port Of
entry the Government has erected {
splendid stone building for custom house
post office, U. S. court rooms and surveyo,
generals office. The building was finished
the past season, and is source of pride, al
well as OF great convenience to the com
munity.
One Of the greatest sources of wealth tc
the city is the inexhaustable mines OF lead
in the vicinity, which yield an annual
product of half million OF dollars On
every hand is seen the evidences of solid
prosperity, III the great demand for residen-
ces, and business houses for new corners
who wish to locate at this point, and in the
crowd and hustle of tue streets, hotels and
R. r Depots.
In politics too, Dubuque is making prog
ress in the right direction, having formerly
been regarded as the strong hold of the
Democracy Of Iowa but at the last election
giving for the first time, a Republican
majority.
The statistics given above are derived