The Pavilion, Union Park

This is "The Pavilion" or the dance hall. It was the first building to the right as visitors walked into the park and down The Promenade. The creek actually ran under the corner of the dance hall. This is a charming postcard; I have seen it tinted with a green roof in other collections. Note the 2 girls on the veranda and the man seated on the bench. You will see him again in an upcoming post.

Under magnification, you can see electric lines and hanging lights. Also, there is faint writing in pencil visible on the roof. It is difficult to decipher and I can not make out the second word. It says, " Dance _______ hall floor"

All that remains of the site today is the tree with 3 trunks on the left and the triangle garden in the center of the sidewalk. To this day purple Irises and Bleeding Hearts still bloom in the garden even though it is overgrown with weeds. It would be a great restoration project for someone interested in historical gardening. Also, the portion of sidewalk in the bottom center of the image leads to the Waiting Area.

When the park was dismantled, the fountain on the left ended up at the Ryan House in Dubuque where customers could see it first hand. However, now it may be residing at the Dubuque Arboretum. According to Encyclopedia Dubuque, the other fountain, went to the former home of Joseph A. Rhomberg.

The Recreation Grounds

This is an early shot of The Recreation Grounds of Union Park. This main sidewalk in this area was later renamed The Promenade. The vast number of benches reflects the popularity of the park. Also, it illustrates the function of this area later nicknamed The Waiting Area.

There are 2 distinct styles of handwriting on this postcard. The first hand is written by the sender. The second hand is responsible for the notes on the postcard image directly. Written in pencil, the writer noted the function of the buildings. The Pavilion is labeled "dance hall". There are also notations for "ice cream hall," "pool hall," and "bowling alleys."

This image has a notation: Copyright 1906 by F.L. EGELHOF. He is the same photographer who took the black and white image of 4 trolleys posted earlier. The two images could have been taken on the same day.

It is interesting to note that there are no fountains in front of Pavilion. Also, you can still see the old style wooden electric poles; therefore, photo was probably taken between 1901 and 1904. This card was postally used in 1907.

The Promenade, Union Park, postcard 2

This postcard is entitled "Union Park Scene, Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.A." It was produced by the Acme Art Store. The viewpoint for this black and white postcard was taken from the right of the Waiting Station and looks towards the front lawn of The Pavilion and an area know as The Waiting Area on the left in the background. You can see benches in this area for people to wait and meet their family and friends. You can just make out the stairs to the original Rustic Bandstand.

The sidewalk in front leads to the restrooms. At the time of this photo, there was a merry-go-round for children to play on. It was located on the lawn of the Pavilion along with large planters. You can also see the creek cutting through the lawn. The sidewalk off to the left was known as The Promenade; you can see people strolling down it. The building on the right is the Ice Cream Stand. In the background center there is a large sign advertising "Chatauqua Opens Today".

The card in my collection was not postally used. However, based on the clothing in the image I'm going to estimate that it was taken around 1910.

Union Park Now: The Promenade

This is how the Promenade looks today. The sidewalk is in very good condition. It's very well shaded and actually cool in the summer. If you look closely, you can see the triangle garden to the right. The triangle garden marks the entrance to The Pavilion area.

The Promenade, Union Park, postcard 1

This postcard, entitled "Scene in Union Park, Dubuque, Iowa" shows the entrance to the promenade as it appeared almost 90 years ago. Imagine stepping off the trolley and leaving the waiting station. Immediately to the right are a drinking fountain and a bridge/sidewalk leading to the restrooms. The first building on the right was known as "The Pavilion"; it served as a dance hall. One of the fountains and several planters are visible through the trees. Behind the greeters, you can see the bowling alley and refreshment/ice cream stand. The picnic pavilion curves off to the left. The crude light poles have been replaced by fancy iron work.

The cement work in this postcard looks new. I would guess this image was taken around 1910. Most of the sidewalks are still there today in fairly good condition.

Union Park Now: The Roller Coaster area

Union Park was once home to a roller coaster. It was torn down a long time ago, when the park was closed. According to The Roller Coaster Database, the Union Park ride operated from 1908 - 1934. It was constructed by C. O. Breinig. It was a wooden, sit-down type of coaster in the classic figure eight pattern; it used side friction. My research is ongoing; however, the park's roller coaster may have been Iowa's first. Wood from the ride was later used to build a barn in Asbury, IA.

The top photo above shows the valley where the coaster once resided. It rested south of the fishpond. In fact, you can see the fishpond in the lower right-hand corner of the photo. The second photo shows the creek that runs through that same valley. It's difficult to imagine a roller coaster in this area, but it is possible if you simply picture it without all the trees and forest undergrowth. One of these days, I'll have to go searching for the cement post holes that are supposedly still there marking the site of the Dubuque's only roller coaster.