Dubuque is a city on the Mississippi River in the US state of Iowa. Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River is East Dubuque, Illinois and the state border with Wisconsin.
By plane
Dubuque Regional Airport, 10965 Aviation Drive, Dubuque,
IA 52003. Tel: +1 563-589-4128. American Airlines has 2 daily flights to
and from Chicago.
By train
The tracks in the city are
currently only used for freight traffic.
By bus
Greyhound, 950
Elm Street, Dubuque, IA 52001. Tel: +1 563-583-3397.
In the
street
Four highways lead through the city. US Highway H20 comes from
the west of Sioux City and Waterloo, US Highway H52 comes from the north
of Minneapolis and Rochester in Minnesota and from the east of Illinois
respectively, US Highway H61 from the south of Davenport and the US
-Highway H151 from Madison, Wisconsin or from Cedar Rapids.
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, 350 East 3rd Street,
Dubuque, IA 52001. Tel: +1 563-557-9545, email: info@rivermuseum.com.
The museum displays exhibits from the time when the region was settled
and from shipping on the Mississippi. The aquarium to the wildlife of
the Mississippi. Various ships can be visited outside, including a
paddle wheel steamer. Open: March through Memorial Day, daily from 10:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
daily; Labor Day through October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; November to
February, Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Price: Adults
US$16, children US$11.
Dubuque Museum of Art, 701 Locust Street,
Dubuque, IA 52001. Tel: +1 563-557-1851, Email: info@dbqart.com . Art
museum. Open: Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and
Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Price: Adults US$ 6, children have free
admission.
Mathias Ham House, 2241 Lincoln Avenue, Dubuque, IA
52001. Tel: +1 563-589-4100. Within the grounds is a log cabin from 1833
and the Mathias Ham House from 1857. Inside the property there is some
Civil War-era furniture and some dating back to before the First World
War. Open: Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesday through Sunday,
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Price: Adults US$5, children US$3.50.
Fenelon Place Elevator, 512 Fenelon Place, Dubuque, IA 52001. Tel: +1
563-582-6496. The cable car has been in use since 1893 and climbs around
60 meters over a distance of 90 meters. Open: From April to November
daily from 08:00 to 20:00. Price: One way adults US$1.50 and children
US$0.75.
The Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens (Dubuque Botanical Garden
and Arboretum) also known as the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
at Marshall Park, is a 21-hectare, (52 acres) arboretum and botanical
garden located in Dubuque, Iowa. The identification code of the Dubuque
Arboretum and Botanical Gardens as a member of "Botanic Gardens
Conservation International" (BGCI), as well as the acronyms of its
herbarium is DMP.
Field of Dreams, located in Dyersville, Dubuque County, Iowa, United
States, is a baseball stadium and pop culture tour built for the filming
of the 1989 film "Dreams Come True" of the same name sights. Starting in
2021, the Major League Baseball will build a new stadium next to this
stadium that meets professional baseball standards, and will hold a
regular game called "MLB Battle of Dreamland" to pay tribute to this
movie.
Five Flags Center, formerly the Orpheum Theater and the Majestic
Theatre, is an indoor arena in the American city of Dubuque in the state
of Iowa and has an audience capacity of between 2,500 and 5,200
spectators. The indoor arena was completed in 1910 and is owned by the
city and maintained by SMG. It has been the home arena for the Dubuque
Fighting Saints ice hockey team between 1980 and 2001. On November 14,
1972, it was placed on the US official National Register of Historic
Places.
Park Mines of Spain State Park in the United States. Mines of Spain
State Park is located in the county of Dubuque County and the state of
Iowa, in the eastern part of the country, 1,200 km west of the capital
city Washington, D.C. Mines of Spain State Park is located 229 meters
above sea level. The land around Mines of Spain State Park is flat. The
highest point in the area has a height of 312 meters and is 3.2 km
southwest of the Mines of Spain State Park. There are about 42 people
per square kilometer around the Mines of Spain State Park is relatively
sparsely populated. The nearest larger town is Dubuque, 4.2 km north of
Mines of Spain State Park. Mines of Spain State Park is almost covered
in fields. In the region around the Mines of Spain State Park, valleys
are remarkably common. The climate is continental. The average
temperature is 8 °C. The warmest month is June, at 23 °C, and the
coldest is January, at −8 °C. The average rainfall is 1,040 millimeters
per year. The wettest month is June, with 167 millimeters of rain, and
the driest is December, with 47 millimeters.
Dubuque, Iowa, nestled along the Mississippi River, boasts a storied
past as one of the state's oldest settlements, dating back to the 1780s
when Julien Dubuque became the first European settler in the area. This
rich history, marked by river trade, mining booms, and tragic events,
has given rise to numerous haunted legends. Many stories revolve around
restless spirits tied to violent deaths, unfulfilled promises, or
lingering attachments to their former lives. Local folklore often blends
Native American influences, pioneer hardships, and Prohibition-era
intrigue, with ghosts manifesting as apparitions, unexplained sounds, or
eerie phenomena. These tales are perpetuated through ghost tours,
paranormal investigations, and oral histories, drawing visitors to sites
like Linwood Cemetery, one of Iowa's oldest burial grounds, where
haunted history walks reveal tales of famous residents and unexplained
occurrences.
One pervasive legend is that of "Satan's Tunnel," a
disused railway tunnel near an old bridge. In the 1960s, it was
allegedly the site of kidnappings and murders committed by a local man
who later hanged himself there after evidence was discovered. The
chilling myth instructs thrill-seekers to drive into the tunnel, turn
off their car, and sit in darkness for 10 minutes. Upon trying to leave,
the vehicle reportedly won't start immediately, and when the lights
flicker on, the windows are said to be covered in tiny handprints from
ghostly children or victims. Another broader myth ties into the city's
topography: the "7 Hills" or "Bluffs" legend, portraying Dubuque as
built on seven mystical hills akin to Rome, earning nicknames like "Rome
of the Midwest." In reality, these are steep ridgelines, but the tale
fuels stories of hidden underground passages and spirits wandering the
valleys below. Heritage Pond, a former gravel pit that flooded suddenly,
trapping machinery like a crane, adds to the eerie lore—fishermen report
snagging lines on submerged relics, whispering of drowned workers'
unrest.
Paranormal activity is often linked to tragic fires and
suicides. At Mt. Carmel, a nunnery established in 1889, two devastating
fires claimed lives, including schoolchildren trapped in one blaze.
Rebuilt sections still echo with cries of children, crackling flames on
quiet nights, rattling windows, and slamming doors. Ghostly sisters are
said to roam, moving objects and toggling lights, perhaps guardians or
remnants of the past.
Key Haunted Locations in Dubuque
Mathias
Ham House
This 23-room Gothic mansion, constructed in the mid-19th
century by shipping magnate Mathias Ham, stands as one of Dubuque's most
infamous haunted sites. Built around 1840-1856 on a bluff overlooking
the river, it served as Ham's family home until his death. The primary
legend stems from the 1890s when Ham's daughter Sarah, alone upstairs,
confronted an intruder—believed to be a river pirate—who broke in. Shots
were fired, and the wounded man fled, leaving a bloody trail to the
Mississippi where his body was found. Since then, footsteps are heard
racing from the fourth floor to the basement, and a mysterious bobbing
light appears at dusk, tracing the pirate's path from the river to the
house. Mathias Ham himself is thought to linger, overseeing his estate.
The fourth floor, now blocked off, reportedly has blood seeping through
fresh paint where the dying intruder leaned. Workers and visitors
describe cold spots, apparitions in period attire, and an overwhelming
sense of being watched, making it a staple on haunted tours.
Hotel Julien
Dubuque's oldest operating hotel, located at 200 Main
Street, has roots in the 1800s and was reportedly frequented—and
possibly owned—by notorious gangster Al Capone during Prohibition.
Renovated multiple times, it's now a luxurious spot, but its upper
floors harbor dark secrets. Guests report apparitions of a man in period
clothing, believed to be Capone, accompanied by cigar smoke and unease
on the eighth floor. Other sightings include a naked man in a fedora
floating above beds, a woman's figure in a 1920s-1940s black dress and
pearls vanishing around corners, and an arm reaching out in the pool.
Elevator malfunctions are common—it descends to the basement unbidden,
opens and closes erratically, or traps riders. Bathrooms feature
flickering lights, self-operating fixtures, and a rotten egg stench
signaling spirits. Female voices whisper or sing harmonious choirs in
unknown languages on the sixth and eighth floors, while slamming doors
in the spa and ballrooms add to the dread. Paranormal investigators note
feelings of being watched and soft, cloth-like touches on skin.
Grand Opera House
Opened in 1890, this ornate theater has hosted
legends like Sarah Bernhardt and George M. Cohan. It's haunted by
"Zelda," a spectral actress, and her entourage. Reports date back to the
1930s when cleaning staff heard voices from empty stages, prompting
police calls. Modern accounts include footsteps, singing, phantom piano
music, blasts of cold air, self-operating lights and doors, and cameras
capturing strange glows or zooming inexplicably. During performances,
props move on their own, and apparitions appear in recordings. The attic
harbors a more violent spirit, known for aggressive encounters.
Redstone Inn
Erected in 1894 by wagon magnate Augustin A. Cooper as a
wedding gift for his daughter, this Victorian bed-and-breakfast exudes
elegance but harbors Cooper's spirit. Guests spot a well-dressed
gentleman wandering halls, hear shuffling feet, knocking on doors, and
muffled noises without source. Some believe Cooper returns to check on
his legacy, adding a benign yet unsettling presence.
Educational
Haunts: Clarke University, University of Dubuque, and Loras College
College campuses in Dubuque are rife with spectral activity. At Clarke
University's Mary Frances Hall (built 1924), founder Mary Frances
Clarke's ghost causes footsteps, watchful presences, and shadowy figures
near the chapel. The fourth-floor storage area features a nun who hanged
herself, etching "Help Me" on a window that reappears. Activity wanes
with more occupants. A Clarke dorm room holds the spirit of a
22-year-old nursing student who hanged herself, now tampering with
electronics and breathing coldly on necks. University of Dubuque's
Cassatt Hall fourth floor unnerves staff with eerie rushes of cold air.
Loras College features a priest ghost conducting midnight masses after
an accidental death; benefactors Harry and Flora Wahlert in the chapel
crypt, with organ music and a wheelchair apparition; and Keane Hall's
suicide victim, whose face emerges on doors under black light,
resembling tears or blood.
Old Dubuque Jail
Constructed in
1857, this Egyptian Revival building housed rowdy criminals and now
operates as a museum. Its basement dungeon evokes dread, with legends of
tormented spirits from hangings and harsh conditions lingering in the
shadows.
Abandoned Places in Dubuque
Dubuque's industrial and
rural decline has left behind intriguing abandoned sites, some
overlapping with haunted lore due to their isolation and decay. Urban
explorers caution against trespassing, as many are unsafe or private
property.
The abandoned cabin at Swiss Valley Nature Preserve, about
0.5-0.75 miles from the main parking lot, is a boarded-up structure
filled with graffiti. Once possibly a schoolhouse or ranger outpost,
it's now a magnet for thrill-seekers, with reports of eerie vibes in the
surrounding woods.
Other spots include the half-abandoned building
across from the Copper Kettle on the north side, at risk of collapse and
occupied by a trucking company—entry is discouraged. The structure at
31st and Jackson streets contains leftover items, working lights, and
graffiti, but police may respond to intruders. An abandoned Queen Anne
Victorian at 509 Loras Boulevard in the historic district sits
uninhabited and deteriorating, its ornate details fading. The old
Diamond Joe boat, discovered while fishing along the river, evokes
maritime abandonment.
Tunnels and woods near Highway 20 behind the
University of Dubuque offer hidden exploration, as do bike trails behind
the YMCA from the 1990s era. An old broken asphalt road at the bottom of
Dodge Street by Locust, accessible from Cleveland Park over fencing,
poses slip risks in summer. A white building, formerly a casket company
off Dodge, includes a small abandoned cabin nearby. The "cancer
building" downtown remains vaguely referenced as an eerie spot.
More
recent abandonments include the former Pizza Hut at 2075 John F. Kennedy
Road, a blast-from-the-past relic adjacent to a Kwik Star, and forgotten
fast-food sites like Hardee's highlighted in local explorations. The
Millwork District, once a cluster of derelict factories, has been
revitalized but retains echoes of its abandoned era. An abandoned house
near Dubuque, detailed in historical videos, adds to the rural decay
narrative.
Prehistory and Native American Period
The area that would become
Dubuque, Iowa, has a rich prehistoric background tied to the Mississippi
River Valley. Archaeological evidence suggests human habitation in the
region dating back thousands of years, with Native American tribes such
as the Meskwaki (Fox) and Sauk peoples occupying the land. The Meskwaki,
in particular, were known for their lead mining activities, which drew
early European interest. The earliest recorded European involvement in
the area dates to 1690, when French trader Nicholas Perrot documented
lead mining by Native Americans. The region was part of the broader
French-Indian fur trading network, with the Mississippi River serving as
a vital trade route.
Early European Settlement (1788–1833)
The
formal European settlement of Dubuque began in 1788 when French-Canadian
fur trader Julien Dubuque arrived in the area. Born in Quebec in 1762,
Julien Dubuque gained the trust of the Meskwaki tribe through his
trading activities. On September 22, 1788, he signed an agreement with
the Meskwaki, granting him permission to mine lead in their territory
near the mouth of Catfish Creek. This marked the beginning of organized
lead extraction, which became a cornerstone of the local economy. Julien
Dubuque's operations made him wealthy, as he traded lead along the
Mississippi River.
In 1796, Julien Dubuque secured a formal land
grant from the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, encompassing a
189-square-mile area known as the "Mines of Spain." This grant was
exclusive, requiring him to work the mines solely for Spain, which
controlled the Louisiana Territory at the time. The territory changed
hands in 1801 when Spain ceded it to France, and in 1803, the United
States acquired it through the Louisiana Purchase under President Thomas
Jefferson. Despite these shifts, Julien Dubuque maintained strong
relations with the Meskwaki until his death on March 24, 1810. He was
buried with tribal honors on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi, and
his tomb remains a local landmark today. Following his death, the area
became known as the "Dubuque Mines," and the Meskwaki briefly regained
control.
Settlement remained limited until the 1820s due to U.S.
government restrictions on white encroachment into Native lands. Around
1827, French-Canadian trader Louis Arriandeaux built a large log cabin
at what is now Second and Locust Streets, which is believed to be Iowa's
oldest surviving structure. In 1833, Arriandeaux sold it to William
Newman, and it hosted the first Catholic Mass in Dubuque. The Black Hawk
Purchase of 1832, following the Black Hawk War, opened the land east of
the Mississippi to white settlers on June 1, 1833. This led to a rapid
influx of miners and homesteaders, transforming the area into a bustling
settlement. The first prayer meeting in Iowa was held on April 24, 1834,
in Dubuque County by Elder John Johnson.
Dubuque was officially
founded in 1833, 13 years before Iowa became a state in 1846, making it
the oldest city in Iowa. Julien Dubuque is credited as the founder, and
the city was named in his honor.
19th Century Growth and
Incorporation (1833–1900)
By 1837, Dubuque was chartered as a city,
solidifying its place as one of the oldest white settlements west of the
Mississippi. Early religious institutions emerged quickly: A small
Catholic parish was established in 1833, evolving into Saint Raphael's
Cathedral. In 1837, the Diocese of Dubuque was created, with Bishop
Mathias Loras appointed to oversee a vast territory. Loras actively
encouraged immigration from the eastern U.S., attracting Irish and
German settlers who sought cheap land and mining opportunities. Irish
families settled in "Little Dublin," while Germans became one of the
city's dominant ethnic groups.
Lead mining drove the early economy,
but by the mid-19th century, it declined as deposits depleted. Dubuque
shifted to become a transportation hub on the Mississippi River and a
center for the lumber industry, processing timber floated down from
northern forests. The arrival of railroads, such as the Milwaukee
Railroad Shops, spurred a population boom, particularly among German
immigrants. The city also saw the establishment of key cultural
institutions, including the first brewery and place of worship in Iowa.
During the Civil War (1861–1865), Dubuque contributed soldiers to the
Union cause, including notable figures like David Bremner Henderson, who
lost a leg in battle and later became Speaker of the U.S. House, and
William Boyd Allison, a long-serving congressman. However, the city had
internal divisions: Many Catholics and immigrants opposed the Republican
Party due to anti-immigrant sentiments from groups like the Know
Nothings. Figures like George Wallace Jones and newspaper editor Dennis
Mahony faced imprisonment for perceived disloyalty. This cemented
Dubuque as a Democratic stronghold.
Post-war, the city experienced
rapid industrialization. The lumber boom peaked in the late 19th
century, with mills and related industries employing thousands. Ethnic
communities flourished, with Germans and Irish dominating, while smaller
groups like Hispanics and African Americans began to arrive.
Early 20th Century and Interwar Period (1900–1945)
The early 20th
century brought challenges and changes. Lead mining's decline was offset
by diversification into manufacturing and commerce. The Ku Klux Klan
gained influence in the 1920s, holding rallies and cross-burnings,
including a massive "Konklave" in 1925 attended by up to 50,000 people.
Internal scandals and local opposition weakened the Klan by the late
1920s.
Dubuque's riverfront position made it prone to floods, but
infrastructure improvements, like early floodwalls, began. The Great
Depression hit hard, but the city rebounded with federal projects. World
War II boosted manufacturing, with factories producing war materials.
Post-World War II Era and Modern Developments (1945–Present)
After World War II, Dubuque modernized rapidly. In 1947, Deere & Company
opened a plant north of the city, becoming a major employer in
construction equipment. The 1950s saw the development of one of the
nation's early cable TV systems due to poor over-the-air reception. The
baby boom led to westward expansion, with new schools like Wahlert High
(Catholic) and Hempstead High (public) opening in the 1960s and 1970s.
Retail shifted west too, with Kennedy Mall (Iowa's first indoor mall,
1970) drawing stores like Kmart and Target.
Flooding remained a
threat: The 1965 flood prompted a permanent floodwall, which proved
effective during the 1993 Great Flood. The 1999 flood led to projects
like "daylighting" Bee Branch Creek. Racial tensions emerged in the late
20th century, including cross-burnings in 1989 and 1992 linked to the
KKK's brief resurgence. Efforts to recruit African American
professionals in the 1990s caused community polarization, but by 2020,
about 3,000 African Americans resided in the city.
Downtown
revitalization began in the late 20th century, with projects like the
America's River initiative in the 2000s, expanding the National
Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, building resorts, and renovating
historic buildings like the Dubuque Star Brewery. Films such as F.I.S.T.
(1978), Take This Job and Shove It (1981), and Field of Dreams (1989)
were shot in Dubuque, boosting its cultural profile. Author George R.R.
Martin taught at Clarke University from 1976 to 1979, drawing
inspiration from local landmarks like the Fenelon Place Elevator—the
world's shortest, steepest railway—for his writings.
Today, with a
population of around 59,229, Dubuque blends its industrial heritage with
tourism, focusing on the Mississippi River, historic sites like the
Mines of Spain State Recreation Area, and seasonal events. Key employers
include John Deere, medical centers, and schools. The city's
architecture, including the 1857 Dubuque County Jail (a National
Historic Landmark in Egyptian Revival style), reflects its layered
history. Dubuque remains a vibrant community, offering outdoor
activities year-round, from hiking and boating in summer to skiing in
winter, while preserving its status as "where Iowa started."
Dubuque, Iowa, is the county seat of Dubuque County and serves as the principal city in the Dubuque metropolitan area. It is strategically positioned in northeastern Iowa along the western bank of the Mississippi River, at the tri-state junction where Iowa meets Illinois and Wisconsin, forming what is known as the Tri-State Area. This location has historically made it a key transportation and economic hub, situated roughly halfway between major cities like Milwaukee and Chicago to the east, and accessible via bridges to East Dubuque, Illinois. The city spans a total area of approximately 31.22 square miles (80.86 km²), with about 29.97 square miles of land and 1.25 square miles of water, primarily from the Mississippi River. As Iowa's oldest city, founded in 1788 by Julien Dubuque on a Spanish land grant, its geography is deeply influenced by the river and surrounding bluffs, contributing to its nickname "Masterpiece on the Mississippi."
Dubuque's topography is characterized by its location within the
Driftless Area, a region that escaped the flattening effects of the
Wisconsin Glaciation during the last Ice Age. This has resulted in a
rugged, hilly landscape atypical of the broader Midwest, featuring steep
bluffs, deep valleys, and ravines. The city's elevation varies
significantly, with a maximum relief of about 390 feet across the
Dubuque North Quadrangle. The downtown area lies on a relatively flat
plain along the river, but the surrounding neighborhoods rise into hilly
terrain. For instance, the North End includes industrial sites and
features like Eagle Point Park, perched on high bluffs overlooking the
Mississippi, while the South End encompasses recreational areas such as
the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area with its trails and
archaeological sites. The West End is more suburban, with parks and
industrial zones extending into gentler slopes.
Local relief is
pronounced near watercourses: up to 330 feet along the Mississippi
River, 250 feet along the Little Maquoketa and Platte Rivers, and 230
feet in smaller tributaries and features like Couler Valley—an abandoned
channel of the Little Maquoketa River that was captured by the
Mississippi through stream piracy. The eastern portion of Dubuque
County, adjacent to the river, is particularly dramatic with steep hills
and bluffs, while the western areas transition to more rolling terrain.
Drainage patterns are primarily dendritic, with some control by
geological joints, leading to a youthful bedrock topography in most
areas, maturing in the southwest. Overall, the landscape is in an early
maturity stage of erosion, with steep-walled valleys dominating.
The geological foundation of Dubuque is rooted in Ordovician-age
rocks, with underlying Cambrian and Precambrian formations. The area
lies within the Wisconsin-Illinois-Iowa zinc-lead district, known for
historical mining. Exposed bedrock includes the Middle Ordovician St.
Peter Sandstone (45-200 feet thick, quartz-rich), Platteville Formation
(52-61 feet, with shale, dolomite, and limestone members), Decorah
Formation (29-48 feet, shale and limestone prone to leaching), and
Galena Dolomite (224-235 feet, cherty and noncherty units, host to
zinc-lead deposits in gash veins). The Late Ordovician Maquoketa Shale
(up to 110 feet preserved) caps the sequence, with brownish-black
dolomitic shale and unfossiliferous upper layers.
Deeper strata,
accessed via wells, include Late Cambrian sandstones (e.g., Mt. Simon,
Eau Claire), Early Ordovician Prairie du Chien Group (arenaceous
dolomite), and Precambrian granitic rocks. Structural features include a
gentle southwestward regional dip (<1°), low folds like the Meekers
Grove anticline, and joint systems influencing drainage and
mineralization. Faults are minor, with clastic dikes possibly from
ancient earthquakes. Surficial deposits consist of Pleistocene till,
loess on hilltops, and glacial outwash in valleys, overlaid by alluvial
terraces. Geological processes like solution leaching in soluble rocks
have caused thinning and compaction, contributing to the area's
karst-like features and stream captures.
The Mississippi River is the defining water feature, forming the eastern boundary and providing a vital waterway for commerce and recreation. It separates Dubuque from Illinois and features islands like Chaplain Schmitt Island, isolated by the Lake Peosta Channel—a backwater arm. Tributaries include the Little Maquoketa River, which flows through the north, and smaller streams like Bee Branch Creek in the urban area. Couler Valley, now a dry valley, represents an ancient river channel redirected by glacial and erosional forces. The river's presence influences local hydrology, with floodplains in the downtown area and higher bluffs offering scenic overlooks, such as from the Fenelon Place Elevator—the world's shortest and steepest railway—affording views of all three states.
Dubuque experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), marked by four distinct seasons: warm, sunny summers; wet, rainy springs; mild autumns; and cold, cloudy, snowy winters. Average annual temperature is around 9.4°C (49.0°F), with extremes ranging from -32°F to 110°F since records began in 1873. Summers can exceed 30°C (86°F), while winters often see snow and glazed frost. Annual precipitation averages 38.20 inches (981 mm), with June being the wettest (5.19 inches) and January the driest (1.32 inches). Snowfall totals about 42.5 inches per year.
sons and daughters of the town
Kayla Banwarth (born 1989),
volleyball player and coach
Carol Barnett (born 1949), composer and
flautist
Lansing Hoskins Beach (1860–1945), Major General, United
States Army
Jay Berwanger (1914–2002), first Heisman Trophy winner
Richard Pike Bissell (1913–1977), writer
Rodney Leland Blum (born
1955), politician, Iowa representative in the US House of
Representatives
LeRoy E. Cain (born 1964), NASA engineer
Tom
Churchill (born 1961), television and radio meteorologist (ABC, NBC)
Carl DeMaio (born 1974), politician
Justin Albert Driscoll
(1920–1984), Bishop of Fargo
Abby Finkenauer (born 1988), politician,
Iowa MP in the US House of Representatives
Luke Flynn (born 1988),
composer
Thomas Gifford (1937–2000), writer
John Graas
(1924–1962), jazz horn player, arranger and composer
Fred Kaltenbach
(1895–1945), teacher and propagandist
Steve Klink (born 1977), jazz
pianist
Dan Koppen (born 1979), offensive lineman for the New England
Patriots
Margaret Lindsay (1910–1981), actress
Kate Mulgrew (born
1955), US television (Star Trek: Voyager) actress
Tucker Poolman
(born 1993), ice hockey player
David Rabe (born 1940), novelist,
playwright and screenwriter
Armin Rhomberg (1901–1985), Austrian
politician (ÖVP)
Kevin Rhomberg (born 1955), professional baseball
Alexander Rummler (1867–1959), painter
Norman Shetler (born 1931),
pianist, puppeteer and university teacher
Mark Steines (born 1964),
television journalist (Entertainment Tonight)
Jessie Taft
(1882–1960), sociologist and social worker
Tom Tauke (born 1950),
politician
Sara Taylor (b. 1974), former Deputy Assistant to the
President and Director of Political Affairs to George W. Bush
James
A. Westphal (1930–2004), astronomer, geologist and inventor
Joseph
Clement Willging (1884–1959), Bishop of Pueblo
Don Ameche (1908–1993), actor
Moritz Bräuninger (1836–1860),
missionary and martyr, Wartburg Theological Seminary
Tony Danza (born
1951), actor
Red Faber (1888–1976), major league baseball player,
Hall of Famer
George O'Leary (born 1946), football coach
John
Joseph Paul (1918–2006), Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse
Adam Rapp (born 1968), author
Raymond Roseliep (1917–1983), haiku
writer, Loras College
Edward Albee (1928–2016), writer The Lady from Dubuque ('The Lady
from Dubuque')
William B. Allison (1829–1908), politician, US Senator
Leo Binz (1900–1979), Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
Alfred
von Görtz-Wrisberg (1814–1868), German officer and politician, 1848
revolutionary and émigré (forty-eighter)
Wilhelm Hoffbauer
(1812–1892), German physician and political émigré
David B. Henderson
(1840–1906), Member of the US House of Representatives
Mary Kenneth
Keller (1913–1985), Catholic nun who helped develop the BASIC
programming language and was most likely the first woman in the United
States to earn a PhD in computer science
Elmer Layden (1903–1973),
one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame and later commissioner of the NFL
Paul Leo (1893–1958), German emigrant, professor of New Testament at
Wartburg Theological Seminary
Oran Pape (1904–1936), American
football player, police officer
Johnny Orr (1927–2013), basketball
coach at Iowa State University and University of Michigan, teacher at
Dubuque Senior High in the 1950s
Norman Shetler, born 1931, pianist
and song accompanist