Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
CONLON CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
CONLON CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. Conlon Construction, one of Dubuque's premier builders, dates from 1903 and its founding in the Cuba City, Wisconsin area. Work was throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul (Minn.), the Diocese of Madison (Wis.) and the Archdiocese of Dubuque with an emphasis on schools, churches and hospitals. The company provided all building services and even operated its own quarry. The company moved to Dubuque in 1922. (1)
Richard died in 1935, and company management became the responsibility of his three sons. Vincent moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota, leaving the Dubuque operation to O. M. and Orlin Conlon. The company at this time was named R.F. Conlon Sons Construction. One of the construction projects around this time was the CENTENNIAL CROSS erected by the company in 1937. In 2023 the firm was hired to construction a new cross on the site. (2)
In 1948, the firm formally became Conlon Construction Company and expanded into seven states with fifty employees. More subcontracting was done as the company gradually built larger buildings. By 1989 the firm had commercial, industrial and institutional projects in seventeen states.
By 2010 Conlon operated in all fifty states. Counted among its commercial customers were Best Buy, Kmart, J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart, and Target Corporation. Since 1979 when Target hired Conlon to construct its Dubuque store, the construction company has worked on more than 400 projects for Target throughout the United States. (3)
The physical imprint Conlon Construction by 2023 left on Dubuque included more than 30 buildings at LORAS COLLEGE and all but three buildings at CLARKE UNIVERSITY. The company also completed work on more than 30 buildings at UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE including McCormick Gymnasium since 1980. (4) In Dubuque, Conlon Construction has been involved with the JOHN DEERE DUBUQUE WORKS, Medical Arts Plaza at Mercy, FIVE FLAGS CIVIC CENTER, CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION, FROMMELT INDUSTRIES INC. office and plant, ECUMENICAL TOWER, the addition to the CARNEGIE-STOUT PUBLIC LIBRARY, renovation at KENNEDY MALL, and the construction of the NATIONAL MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM for which the company received the Master Builders of Iowa Masters Award for the building's complexity and uniqueness. (5)
In December, 2023 it was announced that Tim CONLON was the recipient of FIRST CITIZEN AWARD presented by the Telegraph Herald.
The 1951 through 1993 Dubuque City Directory listed 240 Railroad.
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Source:
1. Gloss, Megan. "Century-Old Business in the Making," Telegraph Herald, November 10, 2008, p. 35
2. London, Michelle, "What's the Status of the Key West Cross Project?" Telegraph Herald, January 2, 2024 p. 2A
3. Hogstrom, Erik, "Conlon Constructing a Legacy, Telegraph Herald, December 31, 2023, p. 1
4. Gloss
5. Hogstrom