ICE HARBOR EMPORIUM

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

The original site of the Dubuque Seed Company, Inc. before it was converted into the Ice Harbor Emporium. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

ICE HARBOR EMPORIUM. The Ice Harbor Emporium was one of the first efforts to reintroduce business development into the area of the ICE HARBOR. The building to be used had a long history in the community. Constructed around 1890, it had been used as a wholesale grocery warehouse. In 1909 Augustin A. COOPER used it for storing wagon parts. DUBUQUE SEED COMPANY opened for business there in the 1930s. When the company moved to Key West, John "Jack" THOMPSON of Dubuque used the building as a storehouse.

In 1981 Joe Kucera of Dubuque was looking for a small shop for his furniture-making business. Seeing the potential of the huge building as the home of many small businesses, he mentioned to Jack Thompson the potential leasing small stalls leading to a type of mini-mall. Similar cooperative markets had worked in other historical cities like Boston and St. Louis. Jack Thompson and his wife Mary Virginia "Winnie" THOMPSON had years of experience franchising convenience stores in Dubuque. Recognizing the potential; the Ice Harbor Emporium was started.

The first and second floors were the first to be opened for business. Each shop owner rented a 10' by 20' space as a shop. The rest of the building remained open. Rent would be about twenty dollars per month with common expenses shared. Originally the thought was that the Emporium would be opened around the schedules of large civic events. If this worked, there was the potential of then remaining open all year. (1)

The building was demolished in 1989 as part of the expansion of US 151/61.

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Source:

1. Freund, Bob,"Ice Harbor Mall to Offer Unique Wares," Telegraph Herald, Apr. 21, 1982, p. 6. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HclFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YAUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6733,2567852&dq=ice+harbor+dubuque&hl=en