Union Park Now: The Waiting Area

The stairs in the Waiting Area are very well preserved. The cement is in excellent condition. The grounds in this area include Bleeding Hearts that bloom every Spring.

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.