The Depot, Union Park, postcard 1

An early shot of the new depot, A.K.A. The Waiting Station, in a postcard entitled "The Loop and Station in Union Park, Dubuque, IA." It has a 1909 postmark, and the image was obviously taken after 1904. Notice that the configuration of the flowers in the center of the loop has changed. Also, there are flower beds along the tracks as the trolley enters and leaves the Loop.

By this time the ugly electric poles have disappeared and we start to see hanging light fixtures (like the one in the center of the upper third of this postcard). From the center of the Waiting Station and veering off to the left, the sidewalk to the Fish Pond is visible. Also, the Bowling Alley and The Pavilion are visible through the Waiting Station and the trees.

Union Park Random Facts

From time to time I will post trivia related to Union Park as part of a series of random facts. Try these out for starters:

1. The area that Union Park was located in is now known as Union Park Hollow.
2. It is geographically classified as a valley*.
3. The valley has an elevation of 633 feet* (or 193 meters).
4. The time zone for that part of the world is Central Time (CT) which is UTC-6 during Standard Time and UTC-5 during Daylight Saving Time.
5. The Latitude* is 42-32'26" N and the Longitude* is 090-41'38" W

More trivia will be posted in the future, so visit often!

Note: The asterisk (*) indicates information available at Lat-Long.com Also, for more information on time zones, click here.

The Loop, Union Park, postcard 4

Very similar to upcoming post, The Depot, Union Park, Postcard 2, this card is postmarked 1908. The image was most likely taken from the porch of The Lodge. The electric poles and wires from the earlier images are no longer there. The rustic railing from the loading dock has been removed. New cement work is visible in the sidewalks and stairs.

The Loop, Union Park, postcard 3

This is a color postcard from an era similar to the previous post. This postcard was postally used in 1907, but again the image was most likely taken between 1900 - 1904 due to the style of the loading docks and railings. The Bowling Alley is visible in the background behind the trolley. Picnic tables are visible on the hillside to the right. Also, note the crude electric poles which will change over time. The flower beds again feature cannas. The garden in the center has changed configuration.

The Loop, Union Park, postcard 2

This postcard is entitled Loop of the Union Electric Co. Union Park, Dubuque, Iowa. This image appears to have been taken from the Lodge. It has a copyright date of 1906 by F. L. EGELHOF. However, with no Waiting Station present, I would guess that the image was taken prior to 1904.

Once again the Loop is featured as it appeared in the early days. Notice the 4 trolleys lined up with people boarding. The building behind the 2nd trolley appears to be the Bowling Alley. The Pavilion is just visible behind the 3rd and 4th trolley cars. Flowering cannas are often featured in the gardens. The flowers and plants pictured in the center of the loop have a very similar configuration to the next post.

The Loop, Union Park, postcard 1

In the early days of Union Park, the Loop was simply that, a loop of tracks with a dock-like platform for letting passengers on and off. If you look closely, you can just make out the railing on the platform (to the right). If you look closely, the Bowling Alley is just barely visible to the right of the railing. Since there is no Waiting Station in this image, I'm going to estimate that this was one of the earlier images of Union Park probably taken between 1900 - 1904.

Over the following series of postcards, pay attention to the flower beds inside the Loop. Notice how the beds change from year to year with the flowers and bulbs being reused in different patterns.

The Trolleys to Union Park

During the 1900s & 1910s, the only mode of transportation in and out of Union Park was the trolleys. Above is an image of the trolleys in downtown Dubuque circa 1909. The trolleys in this postcard are enclosed. Usually the trolleys to Union Park were summer open-air trolleys as you will see over the next few posts. None of the trolley numbers are visible. Before cars became commonplace, trolleys served as an alternate form of transportation to the horse and buggy.

According to Michael M. Boge's book, Union Park: A Place of Memories, the trolley line to Union Park began at 6th and Iowa streets. The line continued out Couler on what is now Central or Highway 52 and curved into the valley to the entrance of Union Park. The trip cost 15 cents each way. I have not been able to obtain an image of the trolleys in that location. The postcard above is the closest I could find to illustrate what Dubuque looked like in that era. I'm hoping to visit Dubuque this fall for the University of Dubuque Homecoming celebration. Then I will take photos of this same image as well as the location at 6th & Iowa. The department store on the right is Willners. The sign in the top floor windows say J.W.? Law Offices. I will try to do more research to discover who the attorney was. I am also in search of newspaper articles and maps to illustrate the trolley routes. Also, the time on the clock is 11:55 (we'll assume a.m.)

Below is an approximation of the trolley line to Union Park. It is by no means accurate, but it is a start. The map is interactive and you can drag the image around to follow the blue line to Union Park.

CommunityWalk Map - Trolley to Union Park, Dubuque, IA

Share Your Photos

Do you have more information or insights about Union Park? Do you possess historical family photos taken in Union Park? Would you would like to share your information and images with the world? Consider sharing them here at Union Park: Then & Now. Full credit will be given to your contribution.

I'm particularly interested in photos of the roller coaster or the fish pond as well as the interior of the Mammoth Theatre. Family photos of the dance hall or the wading pool would be a great addition as well. If you are interested in sharing, please email me.

Stewart Park

In the early days of the electric business, it was difficult to convince people to patronize the electric trolley system. Thus the Dubuque Electric Railway, Light & Power Company sought a way to showcase the service and purchased approximately 40 acres of land from the Stewart Property to create a park. The trolley line, operated by the Allen & Swiney Motor Line, was extended out to the proposed park, which was to be called Stewart Park. The only way to gain entrance to the new park was by trolley, thereby increasing patronage.

The park was named for William Graham (W.G.) Stewart, a prosperous Dubuqueland resident. W.G. Stewart settled in Dubuque in 1834 where he pursued mining, smelting, and farming. He also had many other interest that served Dubuque County well. For example, he was elected the county's first sheriff and served on the Board of Supervisors. Additionally, he was a state senator and the county treasurer. Over the years he accumulated 900 acres of land. In 1890 at the age of 77, he "donated" some of his farmland, then known as Stewart's Grove, for the proposed park. Stewart park operated from 1890 to 1900. It was known as Union Park from 1901 until it closed in 1934.

Book Review: Union Park: a place of memories

I first heard of Union Park when I was a freshman at Wahlert High School, Dubuque. The topic was part of a unit on Dubuque History in Mr. Bill Rhomberg's social studies class. Almost two decades later, my interest was re-ignited, and I was fortunate enough to come across a copy of Union Park: a place of memories written by Michael A. Boge. I found my copy in the gift shop of the Dubuque Arboretum. It was printed in 1983 and offered my first glimpse of Union Park as it used to be.

The book is 118 pages and includes 6 chapters: In The Beginning, Stewart Park, Union Park, The Flood, The Revival, and A New Beginning. The book includes a history of the park as well as a first hand account of the day of the flood as told by Arletta Mitchley. There are photo images of the aftermath of the flood. The book also includes a hand-drawn map of Union Park Hollow. While there is a bibliography, many of the images are uncredited.

The book is currently out of print; however, copies are available at a few libraries. To find out if one is available at your local library, search the Worldcat database. If your library doesn't own a copy, stop by the Reference Desk and ask about doing an Inter-library loan. To find a library near you, search the Library Locator.

Visiting Union Park

The land that once was known as Union Park now belongs to the Dubuque YMCA. It still hosts hundreds of children each summer as the YMCA Union Park Day Camp. It is private property. No trespassing is allowed.

While I have hiked the grounds many times, I have always requested and received permission first. If you are ever in the Dubuqueland area and wish to see the hollow for yourself, stop by the Dubuque Y building. Talk to the people at the Reception Desk and get permission before entering the campgrounds. You can also contact them for more information, just click here.

Union Park Map

This is my conceptualized layout of Union Park as it may have appeared at the time of the flood in 1919. Labels are coming soon. The locations of the buildings and attractions are only estimates. Expect this entry to change as future renderings will replace this original drawing. Hopefully, the map will become more accurate as I gather more information and photos.

Union Park Timeline

This timeline is based on information found in Michael A. Boge's book, Union Park: A Place of Memories, 1983. Additionally, the timeline was supplemented with information from Encyclopedia Dubuque.

• 1890 - William Graham (W.G.) Stewart donates several acres of farmland to Dubuque for a family outing place.

• 1891 - March 6 - Dubuque Electric Railway, Light, and Power Co. (known locally as the Allen and Swiney Motor Line Co.) purchases 40 acres of land from Stewart. April 24 - Dubuque's dignitaries take the first trolleys out to Stewart Park. April 26 - Stewart Park officially opens.

• 1893 - The Company's holdings are sold to the Old Colony Trust Co. Later that same year, control goes to the Dubuque Light and Traction Co.

• 1899 - The deed is transferred to the General Electric Co. and later to the Home Electric Co.

• 1900 - Control is transferred to the Union Electric Co. Stewart Park is renamed Union Park. L. D. Mathes is hired as the Park Manager.

• 1904 - The Waiting Station is built. Other improvements include a new pavilion and cement sidewalks.

• 1905 - The first Rustic Bandstand is built across from The Pavilion.

• 1907 - The second Rustic Bandstand is build with a plaza area.

• 1908 - Additional land is purchased to develop The Children's Playground; park additions include a new rustic picnic pavilion (which would later become known as "The Death Pavilion") and a roller coaster. Wonder Cave is improved with electric lighting and a walkway.

• 1909 - The Mammoth Theatre is built at a cost of $30,000.

• 1910 - The theatre has trouble attracting patrons resulting in a new amusement policy. The Children's Wading Pool is constructed. The park beautification project occurs.

• 1916 - The Dubuque Electric Co. takes over. Park Manager L. D. Mathes is replaced.

• 1919 - July 9 - The infamous day of the flood. 5 people die at Union Park. Damages = ~ $15,000. July 13 - The park reopens.

• 1921 - People are allowed to drive to Union Park.

• 1923 - The new ballroom opens replacing Mammoth Theatre. The Swimming Pool is built.

• 1927 - The Interstate Power Co. takes over.

• 1934 - The Interstate Power Co. announces that Union Park is to be closed.

• 1935 - Union Park is dismantled.

• 1946 - The Y.M.C.A. and The Boy Scouts of America buy the land that was once Union Park.

• The Present Day - The Y.M.C.A. Union Park Day Camp still operates during the summer months.

Union Park: 90 Years Ago Today

It was exactly 90 years ago today at that a storm descended upon what is now Union Park Hollow (formerly known as Horseshoe Hollow). The forecast called for cloudy skies, but nothing could foresee the devastation that was to arrive that day. The storm unleashed over 2" of rain in just a few hours leaving a path of death and destruction in its' wake. A total of 7 people died in the Dubuqueland area including 5 in Union Park. Damages to the park totaled around $15,000 or $184,890.17* today. Total damages to the surrounding area reached between $75,000 - $100,000 or between $924,450.87 - $1,232,601.16* today.

Although the park reopened a few days later, it never quite recovered from the financial loss of that fateful day. Other factors contributing to its' demise included the popularity of automobiles and competition with another popular Dubuque attraction called Eagle Point Park (which is still in operation today).

This blog features entries with postcards and photographs of the park as it once was and as it is now. The images are arranged in the same order as they would appear if you were walking down the Union Park Promenade yourself. So take a stroll through these images and visualize a carefree yesteryear where the distractions of cell phones, leaf blowers, and lawn mowers were non-existent. Enjoy your trip!

*Today's prices calculated on 6/9/09 using the Inflation Calculator at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.