Julien Dubuque 10 Jan 1762 - 24 Mar 1810

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Julien Dubuque. He was 1 of the 1st white settlers in the area & Dubuque was named after him. Dubuque was born in the village of St. Pierre les Brecquets (? Becquets), County of Nicolet, on the south bank of the St. Lawrence, about twenty leagues above Quebec. In 1785 he arrived at Prairie du Chien. On 22 Sept 1788 at a council of chiefs and braves of the Meshkwahkihaki Indians (aka Meskwaki & Fox) he received a grant to mine in this area. Specificly, near Kettle Chief’s village a short distance south of the present city of Dubuque. Since the area was under Spanish control at the time he petitioned Baron Carondelet, governor of Lousiana for permission as well. This is why he named his mines The Mines of Spain. That area, including his burial site (l) & monument are now a state park. (& well worth a visit, esp to see the area with his monument which provides 1 of several scnic views of the Mississippi in the area.)

He was nicknamed La Petite Nuit (the Little Night) by the local Meskwakis. He is supposed to have married Potosa, the daughter of the local Meskwaki Chief Peosta. (He is buried near Dubuque's grave.) Although only circumstantial evidence is the only proof of that claim. When he died the Meskwakis buried him with all the honors befiting a chief. 1 source said he pneumonia caused by undue exposure. However, Judge Langworthy in 1854 declared that Julien Dubuque “died a victim of his vices.”

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Have to end with a joke that I was somewhat responsible for. "In 1810 Julien Dubuque gathered the town fathers together & told them not to do anything until he returned. he died on that trip & that is why nothing has gotten done here since."

Not true & not historically accurate, it was my statement about how things weren't being done as the should back in the 80s. DBQ is nae perfect, but it does have a lot going for it, esp the view of the river.