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
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