The Promenade, Union Park, postcard 5

This card was mailed in 1908. It takes the visitor down The Promenade past the original Rustic Bandstand on the left. Coming up on the right is the triangle garden in front of The Pavilion. Keep walking and you would pass the The Refreshment Stand and The Bowling Alley. The Miner's Hut from the Nov. 21 post, Entrance to Union Park, is gone and replaced by a Pavilion. Since there are no people in the image, I am guessing that it was taken in the early morning before the park opened. Notice that as in the previous post, there are no benches in The Waiting Area.

The Promenade, Union Park, postcard 4

This image was taken from The Waiting Area. On the right from the nearest building to the farthest you can see The Refreshment Stand, The Bowling Alley, and another pavilion area (probably used for picnics). On the left you can see the stairs to the original Rustic Bandstand. Beyond that you can see a crowd of people in the plaza area around the second bandstand.

An interesting feature of this postcard is the lack of park benches in The Waiting Area. Where have they gone? I would guess this image was taken between 1909-1910 because of the clothing style and also the cement work looks rather new. The planters also seem to be a new feature in this image.

Visitors would continue down The Promenade to get to other areas of the park including the children's playground and in later years the Mammoth Theater. This postcard was mailed in 1912.

Union Park Now: The Bowling Alley

This area is the Bowling Alley as it appears today. The Dubuque YMCA Summer Camp uses this area for archery target practice.

The Promenade, Union Park, postcard 3

The image "Center View of Union Park, Dubuque" was taken across from the Pavilion overlooking the Promenade and Waiting Area. The Rustic Bandstand is just out of sight, but music would have flooded the area on a day like the one depicted here. The buildings from the left are another pavilion, the Bowling Alley, and the refreshment (or ice cream) stand. The little building in the upper left-hand corner of the postcard is described as toadstool shaped pagoda in Michael A. Boge's book "Union Park: A Place of Memories. The park had many more so-called pagodas (which were originally miner's huts) when it was known as Stewart Park.

Take note of the fountain in front of the tree with 3 trunks that still grows today. Also, there were many planters on the grounds. The park was well-known for its beautiful flowers. The postcard in my collection was used in 1922; however, the straw hats worn by the men were typical of the 1910s.

Union Park Now: Looking Back at the Entrance 2

Again the same image as in the last 2 posts, but taken a few feet closer to the Loop area.

Union Park Now: Looking Back at the Entrance 1

This photo was taken from the same location as the image in the previous post. We are standing in front of the Pavilion area looking back at the Entrance & Loop areas.