South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1878-05-17
Letter from Iowa.
DYERsyILLE. Dubuque Co.. Iowa. 4
May 9Th, 1873. {

OhC 10 luG fOWS vi u8Dic trees
which adorn the streets Of this town. and
the other is the old South Branch Intel.
H9eacer, though old, always welcome,
and especially so here thousand miles
from home, where all things are new.
In your last weeks issue l found some
extracts from my letter, which by the
by were not intended for publication.
1 have now been here two weeks. have
made some pleasant acquain.ances, from
whom have obtained some OF the early
history Of this county as we'll as some
statistics which will give some idea Of
its growth and present condition being
aware that what may write may not be
interesting to many Of your readers,
will condense as much as possible, and
leave the propriety Of its publication to
your Judgment. imagine, to you, who
now have three children here, it may
not be uninteresting.
DUBUQUE COUNTY
Is situated on the Mississippi River. in
the third tier of counties South from tue
Minnesota line, area 6l2 miles square
or 39l $50 acres. the county is watered
10y two streams and their numerous
branches. called the big and tie little
Moquoketa Rivers, both streams afford
considerable water power. This county
composes the principal lead mining Sec
ton OF Iowa; the area of the lead re-
gion in the Northwest is about four thou
sand square miles, and includes the city
OF Dubuque and Galena, with other
smaller towns which have grown up
from the wealth derived from mining.
1t is divided by the Mississippi River,
part OF it being in Iowa. Illinois and
Wisconsin this region is said to con-
tain mineral enough to supply the world
with lead for ages. The first mention
Of the discovery of lead in this portion
OF the country is in an account Of the
expedition Of Nicholas Parrot in 1859,
who took formal possession Of the North
west in the name of the King Of France.
The second discovery was by Lesuev, a
French explorer in 100. In 1888 ia.
liam Dubuque, 81 French Indian trader,
commenced with colony Of miners to
work the lead mines on the site of the
flourishing city which now bears his
name, and continued there until his
death i'll 1910 Soon after Wisconsin
became territory, July 4th 1886, that
part of its domain lying West Of tho
Mississippi River was divided into two
counties, Dubuque and Desmoincs; Du-
buque county then embraced all the
Northern half Of the State. The first C..
lection was held Oct. 10th, 1886.
COUNTY BRIDGES.
The old county commissioner re-
cords under Wisconsin Territory shows
that a Courthouse Of hewed logs" was
ordered to be built. twenty-six by twen-
ty feet in. size. walls to be seven inches
thick, first story nine feet high, second
story five feet to the beginning Of the
roof; 2nd story to be divided into three
rooms, lower story to have FIVE seven
light windows. and upper story 2 eight
light windows. Said Courthouse to.
have good stout lock, and thumb.latch
on the lower door, to be furnished with
circular pine table, two aiIfp half feet
wide, and to be finished ~ Oct. LIST,
1886. This was the first Courthouse Of
Dubuque county, AZ years since.
CITY OF DUBUQUE.
The City of Dubuque is situated on
the West bank of the Mississippi River,
40 miles above st. Louis, and is the
seat of. justice 4of Dubuque county. 1t
is the oldest, and in point OF business
and population, if not to say commercial
Importance, the chief city Of Iowa. The
site on which Dubuque is built combines
many points of beauty and desirable
ness OF location, being on o plateau or
table land which rises gradually from
the river and at the average distance of
half n mile, swells into an almost semi
circular range Of bluffs which rise about
2j0 feet above the river level. The low
lands near the river have been raised at
considerable cost, q large portion Of
which has been borne by the different
railroad companies in making room for
suitable location for their business &
buildings. Dubuque contains popu-
lation claimed now at about thirty thou
sand. The growth and progress OF such
city from its humble beginning by a
few lead miners scarcely more than 40
years ago, to its present status among
The houtishing commercial centers Of the
West, must be q matter of interest, not
only to the present population, number
ing, as 1T does, many survivors and de-
scendants Of the early settlers, but to
! the people generally. History says Ju-
liam Dubuque lived on good terms with
the Indians, acquired great influence o.
yer them, was q sort OF Patriarchal Chief
in his colony, built furnace for smclt-
ing lead, horse mill, and carried on
some trade with the Indians, in the sale
of goods obtained i'm exchange for lead
at st Loufs. lie was buried on a high
bluff near The Indian village at the mouth
of Catfish Creek in stone vault. and q
red cedar cross was erected near by, on
which was the following inscription in
French: "Julian Dubuque, miner of
the mines Of Spain, died oath Of March
1910. aged a. years and six months"
A few years after this the settlement
made by Dubuque and his French mi.
ners was broken up by the fierce Indian
wars between the rival tribes Of the
North West, but the Indian owners fin.
ally gained strength enough to maintain
their position and carried on mining TO
some extent, they claiming that Du-
hfrf l..