Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
BOOSTERISM
BOOSTERISM. The Oxford Dictionary defines boosterism as "the keen promotion of a person, organization, or cause. (1) At many times in its history, Dubuque has been the focus of boosterism. In its earliest years, the city adopted the nickname "Key City" to express its belief in its future. A place that would unlock potential. (2) At times, boosterism was in response to positive economic news. More recently, it was used to counteract a bad economic forecast for the future of the city.
During the 1850s, Dubuque experienced a population surge of 300 percent in ten years. Such news caused civic boosters to announce,"Dubuque is certain to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, city in the United States within fifteen years." Even after the growth had slowed, Dubuque was described as "the centre of the richest lead mining region of the world...it is the very garden of the northwest." Railroad construction seemed to prove the claims were well-founded. In 1886 civic promoters boomed:
Dubuque is the first, and from its more fortunate
position, will continue to be the chief city of
the state...From that lake (Michigan) to that
river (Mississippi) the system of the through
lines will concentrate from the west at Dubuque
than at any other point within the borders of
Iowa and Minnesota. (3)
Boosterism was harder to find between 1910 and 1940. The city's population grew only twenty percent and manufacturing firms fell from an estimated 200 to 90. As the twentieth century came to an end, the city lost its passenger train connection to Chicago, Ozark Airlines, and was faced with the steep decline of the DUBUQUE PACKING COMPANY.
The bleak conditions spurred a revival of boosterism. Dubuque JAYCEES responded with a T-shirt reading "Dubuque Jaycees--making sure the (lights) of Dubuque are never turned off." MERCY HEALTH CENTER developed another T-shirt reading "Now hear this Chicken Little--Dubuque's sky is not falling." It also began a Positive Attitude Level (PAL) program to focus on positive outlooks. CYCARE SYSTEMS, INC. ended its radio commercials with.."Doing our part to keep the lights of Dubuque burning." (4) In 1980 the DUBUQUE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and the United Labor Participation Committee launched its "Let's Hear It For Dubuque Campaign" encouraging citizens that thousands of local works were still producing products daily. (5)
In 2019 the city motto, adopted over twenty years previously,--Dubuque: Masterpiece on the Mississippi--seemed appropriate with the growth of many new industries in the community and civic recognition nationally.
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Source:
1. "Boosterism," Oxford Dictionary, Online: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/boosterism
2. Claflin, Bruce, "Masterpiece on the Mississippi," Scuttlebutt Magazine, April 2, 2018, Online: https://www.scuttlebutt.com/2018/04/02/maste
3. Darlin, Damon, "Conspiracy Afoot to Spread Positive Attitude Around Dubuque," Telegraph Herald, October 18, 1981, p. 2
4. Ibid.
5. Freund, Bob, "Chamber Launches 'Let's Hear it for Dubuque!' Campaign," Telegraph Herald, October 1, 1980, p. 12