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.