STREETS

STREETS. The congressional act of July 2, 1836 provided for surveying the lots and streets of several area cities including Dubuque. A total of $3,000 was appropriated to cover the expense. On March 3, 1837, an amendatory act was passed by which three commissioners were appointed to hear all evidence under the claims. These commissioners were to be paid six dollars per day.

Surveying streets did not suggest the early settlers wanted to quickly improve this means of transportation.

         Indian trails and miners' paths there were through 
         Dirty Hollow,over Whisky and Hamilton hills, through 
         the tortuous windings of Madden hollow, over the 
         rugged ascent of Lorimier Hollow, now Julien Avenue, 
         and through several other wild ravines and over the
         craggy steeps of the bluffs around the city. The only
         unobstructed approach to the city was by way of what 
         is called the Couler at the upper end of town. Farmers, 
         of course, complained, but their complaints were for 
         some time unheeded. They had to watch the opportunity 
         of fair weather to come to town and wait for each other 
         at the foot of the hills to double and sometimes treble 
         teams to help each other through. This process went on 
         for years until other markets superseded this largely. 
         Galena enterprise put a ferry across the river at Tete 
         des Mortes and secured much of the trade of Jackson and
         southern Dubuque counties. Other points — Bellevue,
         Muscatine and Davenport — drew from the county west. 
         It was then realized that Dubuque would have to improve its  
         Indian trails and miners' paths." 
                (Express and Herald, October 24, 1855.)

The following are the names and locations of streets listed in the local directory.

Air Hill

1856--1859---from 8th to Julien Avenue on the Bluffs

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Almond

1856--1859---from Ellis west on the Bluffs

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Alpine

1856--1859---from 3rd to Julien Avenue on the Bluffs

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Alta Vista

1856---from Third to Julien Avenue on the Bluffs

1857--1859---from Julien to Mineral

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Ann

1856--1859---from Division to Peosta

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Arch

1857--1859---from Centre No. 1 each way; West Dubuque

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Ash

1856--1859---from the MISSISSIPPI RIVER to Peosta

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Aspen

1858--1859---20th to Peosta

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Birch

1858--1859---20th to Peosta

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Bluff

1856---second street west of Main

1857--1859---from Dodge to Mineral at Fifteenth

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Broad

1856---from Julien Avenue to 14th on the Bluffs

1857---from Julien Avenue on the Bluffs to suburbs

1858--1859---Julien Avenue to 3rd on the Bluffs and onto suburbs

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Broadway

1856--1859---from Sanford to Diagonal

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Burlington

1857--1859---from Sabula N. W. to suburbs

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Byron

1857--1859---from Dubuque and Millville Road north

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Camanche

1857--1859---from Park Hill to Dubuque

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Camp

1858--1859---Harbor Company's levee to Locust

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Cariff

1857--1859---Cardiff---from 3rd on the Bluff south

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Cedar

1856--1859---from 10th to Nineteenth

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Centre No. 1

1857--1859---from Julien Avenue to Corporation Line; West Dubuque

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Centre No. 2

1857--1859---from Delhi south; West Dubuque

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Charles

1857--1859---from McCabe west

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Charter

1858--1859---from Harbor Company's levee to Locust

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Cherry

1857--1859---from Centre No. 1 each way; West Dubuque

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Clay

1856---from Levee to Eighteenth

1857--1858---from 7th to 18th

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Commercial

1857--1859---Commercial---from 7th Street bridge to main river

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Couler Avenue

1856--1859---from 18th to Peru Road

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Davenport

1857--1859---from Park Hill N.W. to suburbs

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Delhi

1857--1859---from Julien Avenue to Centre No. 1 to Corporation Line; West Dubuque

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Diagonal

1856--1859---from Couler Avenue to McCabe

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Division

1857--1859---from Johnson Avenue to Eagle Point

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Dock

1856--1859---from Peosta to Division

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Dodge

1856--1858---from MISSISSIPPI RIVER to summit on the Bluffs

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Dubuque

1857--1859---from Camanche N.W. to suburbs

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Eagle Point Avenue

1857--1858---from Couler Avenue east and west indefinitely

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Eagle Point Levee

1857--1859---lies along the river shore at Eagle Point, length undefined

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East

1856---from Julien Avenue to 14th

1857--1859---from Julien Avenue to suburbs

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Ellis

1857--1859---from Mineral north

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Elm

1856--1859---from 10th to 19th

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Fenelon

1857---Fenelon---from Prospect to Cardiff on the Bluffs between 3rd and 5th streets

1858--1859---Prospect to Old Corporation Line on the Bluffs between 3rd and 5th streets

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Finley

1857---first street west of Centre; West Dubuque

1858--1859---from Delhi across Green; West Dubuque

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Forest Lane

1857--1859---from Nevada west

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Gilliam

1857--1859---from Delhi south; West Dubuque

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Glen Oak

1857--1859---Forest Lane across 3rd

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Green

1857--1859---from Centre No. 1 each way; West Dubuque

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Grove

1856--1859---from 11th to Walnut

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Hazel

1857--1859---from Centre No. 1 each way; West Dubuque

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Hickory

1859---20th to Peosta

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High

1856--1859---from 11th to Walnut

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Hill

1856--1859---from 5th to 8th diagonally

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Iowa

1856--1859---from Mississippi River to 17th

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Inner Levee

1858--1859---from 1st to 6th and 10th to 18th

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Jackson

1856--1859---from Mississippi River to Peru Road

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James

1858--1859---from Camp north

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Jefferson

1857--1859---listed but not described

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Johnson Avenue

1856--1859---from Lake to Sanford

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Jones

1856--1859---from Mississippi River to Bluff

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Julien Avenue

1856---from 8th to Delhi

1857--1859---from 8th to city line

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Julien

1857--1859---from Davenport to Keokuk

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Keokuk

1857--1859---from Julien Street N. W. to suburbs

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Lake

1857--1859---20th to Eagle Point

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Lemon

1857--1859---27th N. W. to suburbs

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Levee

1857--1859---Barney Cut to 7th on main river

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Levee

1857--1859---from Waples Cut south on lower island

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Locust

1856---from Dubuque's Grave to 15th

1857---first street west of Main

1858--1859---15th to Southern Avenue

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Lorimier Avenue

1858---8th west to city line

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Lynn

1856--1859---from 12th to Peosta

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Madison

1859---head of Main N. W. to Locust

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Main

1856---from Jones to Seminary

1857--1859---from the slough to Valeria

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Maple

1856--1859---from 12th to 18th

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McCabe

1857--1859---from head of Diagonal, north to Park Hill Avenue

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Mineral

1856---from Locust running west

1857--1859---from Locust to 15th running west

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Mineral

1857--1859---from Washington to Corporate Line; West Dubuque

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Muscatine

1858--1859---from Park Hill N. W. to suburbs

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Nevada

1856--1859---from 5th to Julien Avenue

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Orange

1856--1857---from Mississippi River to 19th

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Park

1857--1859---from Centre No. 1 to Corporate Line; West Dubuque

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Park Hill

1857--1859---Muscatine to Couler

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Pearl

1857--1859---from Corporate Line across Washington; West Dubuque

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Pine

1856--1859---from Mississippi River to Lake

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Peosta

1856--1859---from Willow to Eagle Point Levee

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Prairie

1856--1859---from 11th to 14th on the Bluffs

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Railroad Avenue

1859---Harbor Company's levee to Locust

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Reed

1856--1859---from Peosta to Division

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Sabula

1857--1859---from Davenport to Burlington

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Salina

1858--1859---from Dodge to West Main

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Sanford Avenue

1856--1859---from Couler Avenue to Johnson Ave.

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Seminary

1856--1859---from 18th running west

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South

1857--1859---from Julien to Centre No. 2; West Dubuque

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Southern Avenue

1857--1859---from Locust to Pratt's Mills

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Spring

1856--1859---from Third to 14th on the Bluffs

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Stafford

1859---Lake to Division

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State

1857--1859---from Davenport to Keokuk

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Sycamore

1856--1859---from 12th to 19th

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Stafford

1856--1858---from Lake to Division

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Summit

1859---3rd to 5th on the Bluffs

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Tower

1857--1859---from Commercial to Barney Cut

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Valeria

1857--1859---from Main N. W.

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Walnut

1857--1859---from Prairie to Grove

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Warren

1857--1859---from McCabe west

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Warren

1858--1859---from Waples Cut levee to D & PRR grounds

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Washington

1858--1859---from Mississippi River to north city line

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Washington

1857--1859---from Julien No. 2 to Mineral; West Dubuque

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Water

1858--1859---Waples Cut to Dodge

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West Main

1858--1859---Main below 1st, south

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West Pine

1856--1859---from Hill to Eighth on the Bluffs

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White

1856---from Levee to 19th

1857--1859---from 7th to 19th

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Willow

1858--1859---from outlet of Lake Peosta to Peosta

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Windsor

1859---Lake to Division

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Wood

1857--1859---from Julien Avenue to the suburbs

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Windsor

1856--1858---from Lake to Division

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First

1856--1859---from the Mississippi River to Bluff

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Second

1856--1859---from the Mississippi River to Bluff

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Third

1856--1859---from the Mississippi River to Spring

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Fourth

1856--1859---from Levee to foot of the Bluffs

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Fifth

1856--1859---from inner levee to Spring

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Sixth

1856--1859---from inner levee to Bluff

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Seventh

1856--1859---from Levee to Bluff

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Eighth

1856---from Mississippi River to West Pine

1857--1859---from Pine to Old Corporation Line

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Ninth

1856---from Mississippi River to Bluff

1857--1859---from Maple to Bluff

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Tenth

1856---from Cedar to Bluff

1857--1859---from Levee to Bluff

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Eleventh

1856---from Mississippi River to summit of the Bluffs

1857--1859---inner levee to Old Corporate Line

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Twelfth

1856---from Mississippi River to Bluff

1857--1859---from inner levee to Bluff

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Thirteenth

1856---from Mississippi River to Bluff

1857--1859---from inner levee to Bluff

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Fourteenth

1856---from Mississippi River to Wood

1857--1859---from inner levee to Wood

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Fifteenth

1856---from Mississippi River to Locust

1857--1859---from inner levee to Locust

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Sixteenth

1856---from Mississippi River to Locust

1857--1859---from inner levee to Locust at Mineral

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Seventeenth

1856---from Mississippi River to summit of the Bluffs

1857--1859---from inner levee to Old Corporate Line

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Eighteenth

1856---from Mississippi River to Clay

1857--1859---from Lake Peosta to Clay

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Nineteenth

1856---from Mississippi River to Couler Ave.

1857--1859---from Lake Peosta to Couler

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Twentieth

1856---from Mississippi River to Lynn

1857--1859---from Lake Peosta to Jackson

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Twenty-First

1856---from Mississippi River to Willow

1857--1859---from Lake Peosta to Willow at Peosta

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Twenty-Second

1857--1859--from Couler Avenue east to suburbs

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Twenty-Third

1857--1859---from Couler Avenue east to suburbs

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Twenty-Fourth

1857--1859---from Couler Avenue east to suburbs

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Twenty-Fifth

1857--1859---from Couler Avenue east to suburbs

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Twenty-Sixth

1857--1859---from Couler Avenue east to suburbs

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Twenty-Seventh

1857--1859---from Couler Avenue east to suburbs

In 1865 John D. Bush proposed the laying out of Grand Avenue, commencing at Quigley lane opposite the brewery on Julien Avenue and extending along the ridge road until its intersection with the MILITARY ROAD on the top of Whiskey hill. In November, 1865, so unclean had the streets become, the citizens turned out en masse, formed a brigade, and cleaned them.

Over time, Dubuque, like other cities, changed street names. Many changes were made in 1921 at the suggestion of Ossian E. CARR, Dubuque's first City Manager. Among those that have been changed are the following:

Clay Street. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Photo courtesy: Cathy's Treasures, 156 Main, Dubuque

Road leading to Mt. Carmel. Photo courtesy: Cathy's Treasures, 156 Main, Dubuque

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Streets were cleaned by a horse-pulled vehicle in 1890. Photo courtesy: Center for Dubuque History

The Fluckiger Motor Company sold the City of Dubuque its first motorized street cleaner. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

A postcard with an interesting viewpoint of Main north from 9th

A postcard a viewpoint of Main south from 10th. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

1910 view of West 11th Street and its elevator.

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Rockdale Road circa 1930

South Locust. Undated photo. Library of Congress

300 block of Southern. Undated photo. Library of Congress

Southern side of Dodge in the 600 block. Undated photo. Library of Congress

Western side of Locust in the 0 block. Undated photo. Library of Congress.

Original Name	New Name	Date of Change
Adams Avenue	Prescott Street	1921
Adams Street	Sac Street	1921
Alma Street	Montrose
Altman Avenue	St. Joseph Street	1921
Anne Place	West 18th Street
Arch Street	Seminary Street	1921
Aspen	Linden
Audubon	Grandview
Austin Place	Raymond Place
Blocklinger Lane	West 24th Street	1921
Bluff Street	Providence
Bluff	High Bluff
Boundary Street	Grandview Avenue	1871
Brad Street	Booth
Broad Street	Mt. Pleasant
Brugh	Schiller
Cardiff Street	Summit Street	1921
Cascade Road	Fremont
Centre Street	Asbury
Center Street	Finley Street	1921
Church	6th
Clay Street	Central Avenue (1st to 18th)	1921
Clifford Street	Eighth Street	1921
Clifford	Foye Street
Clifton Street	Altman Avenue	1921
Columbia	Lexington
Cora Street	South Hill St.
Couler Street	Central Avenue (18th to city limits)	1921
Delhi Street	University Avenue	1921
Division	Lincoln
Dubuque Street	Sumner
Eagle Point Street	20th Street
Eagle Street Extension	Lindberg Terrace
East Street	McCormick Street	1921
East	Glen Oak
Eleanor Street	Indian Ridge
Edith Street	Roland Street	1921
Empley's Lane	Thomas Street	1921
Exchange Street	South Hill
Fink Street	Jansen Street	1921
Forrest Street	Florence
Franklin Street	West 16th Street	1921
Franklin	Fulton
Franklin	Edison
Fremont Avenue	Wartburg Avenue	circa 1889
Fremont Avenue	Wartburg Place	1921
Front Street	Peosta	1938
Grandview Heights	Plymouth Court
Grant Avenue	Wilson Street	1921
Grove Street	Greeley Street	1921
Hales Mill	Asbury
Hall Street	Auburn Street	1921
Harrison	Monroe
Hart Street	West 23rd	1921
Hazel Street	Sunnyview
Herron Street	South Locust Street	1921
High Street	Rhomberg
High Street	Highland Pl.
Iowa Street Extension	Shelby Street
James Street	Huff
Jefferson Avenue	Carter Road
John Street	Simpson
Julien Avenue	Lorimer Avenue	1858
Julien Avenue	University Avenue	1940
Julien	Primrose
Karrick Street	Finley Street	1921
Kerrigan Road		1956
Klingenberg Street	Hennepin Street	1921
Lake Street	Garfield
Leibnitz Street	Lowell Street	1921
Lemon	Viola
Lenox Avenue	Van Buren
Linden Boulevard	Logan Street	1921
Logan	Belmont
Lorimier Avenue	Julien Avenue	1859
Louisa Street	Algona Street	1921
Main Street	Front Street
Malady	South Booth
Maple Street	Morton Street	1921
Martha Ann	Martha
McCabe	Broadway
Middle Avenue	Farley Street	1921
Mineral Street	West Locust
Millville Street	32nd Street	1921
Military Street	Rockdale Road
Monroe	Harlan
Mount Carmel Avenue	South Locust Street	1921
National Street	Delhi
North Cascade Road	Fremont Avenue	1921
North Street	Hale	1921
North 1st Street	Kimball Street	1921
North Iowa Street	Shelby Street
North Main Street	Main Street	1921
O'Neill Street	Langworthy	1921
Orange	Washington	1921
Park Avenue	Randall Place	1921
Park Street	Asbury Road
Park Hill	West 28th	1921
Park Way Avenue	Park Street	1921
Peru Road	32nd Street	1921
Pine Street	Caledonia
Pine Street	Pinard
Pine Street	Poe Street	1921
Planke Road	Couler
Pleasant View Avenue	Lexington Street	1921
Rebecca Street	Fairview Place
Reed Avenue	Marshall Street	1921
Riga Street	Algona Street	1921
Rosedale Avenue	Auburn Street	1921
Russell Street	Rowan Street	1921
Sanford Street	East 24th	1921
Seminary Street	Clarke Drive	1955
Seminary Street (from 17th to 18th)	Heeb Street	1921
Shields	Pine
South Dodge Street	Bryant Street	1921
South Street	Lombard
Spring	North Booth
State	National
Stewart Street	Southern
Thomas Street	West 16th Street	1921
Union Avenue	Kirkwood Street	1921
Valley	Dillon Street
Vine Street	Burns Street	1921
Walnut	Karrick
Wall	Wallace
Wabash Avenue	Seward Street	1921
Warren	Putnam
Wartburg Avenue	Fremont Avenue	1920
Washington Street	O'Hagen Street
West Street	Needham Place
West 4th Street	Melrose Street	1921
West 14th Street	Loras Avenue	1940
West Main Street	Shields Street	1921
West Eagle Point Avenue	Kaufmann
West Seminary	Ungs Street
Whelan	Bradley
Wilde Street	Mt. Loretta
Willow	Rosedale Street	1921
1st Avenue	Decatur	1921
2nd Avenue	Hamilton	1921
3rd Avenue	Whittier	1921
4th Avenue	Emerson	1921
5th Avenue (west of Linwood Cemetery)	Edith Street	1921
5th Avenue (east of Linwood Cemetery)	Roosevelt Street	1921
6th Avenue	Stanton	1921
7th Avenue	Shiras Avenue	1921
8th Avenue	Farragut	1921
9th Avenue	Hawthorne	1921
10th Avenue	Sumner	1921

The name Whiskey Hill was used colloquially to refer to Southern Avenue through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but never appeared on any printed map or street sign. (1)

In 2014 Dubuque motorists noticed a new type of signal added to two traffic lights on Ninth Street as part of recent construction projects. The flashing yellow left-turn arrow signal was a new traffic management tool aimed at keeping traffic moving, increasing safety, and reducing fuel consumption. (2)

The new signals were installed at the intersections of Ninth and Locust and Ninth and White streets in Dubuque and were being added to intersections across Iowa. The new signal featured a flashing yellow left-turn arrow, in addition to a red, green and steady yellow arrow. The flashing yellow arrow replaced the circular green signal used in the traditional left-turn signal configuration to indicate the need for left-turning vehicles to yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. A flashing yellow arrow meant left turns were permitted, but motorists first had to yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, and then proceed with caution. The flashing yellow arrow did not replace the solid yellow arrow and its meaning; it did replace the green “ball” indication as a signal for a yielding left turn. (3)

In November 2014 a new traffic control pavement marking was announced in the redesign of two downtown Dubuque streets. Dubuque motorists were reminded to note the change and stop where directed by the signage at the four intersections featuring diagonal crosshatch markings. The purpose of the markings was to force traffic to stop at a red traffic signal at a distance before the intersection, which allows truck traffic adequate space to safely make turns on to that street from the right of the intersection. (4)

White “Do Not Block” diagonal crosshatch markings were added to two intersections on Ninth Street and two intersections on Eleventh Street as part of the conversion from one-way to two-way streets. The intersections were for westbound traffic at the intersections of Ninth Street and White Street, Ninth Street and Central Avenue, Eleventh Street and White Street, and Eleventh Street and Central Avenue. Each intersection featured signage stating “Stop Here on Red. (5)

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Source:

1. News Release. City of Dubuque. September 8, 2014. Online: http://www.cityofdubuque.org/newsreleases

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. News Release. City of Dubuque. November 25, 2014. Online: http://www.cityofdubuque.org/newsreleases

5. Ibid.

• Lorimer Avenue." Dubuque Times Journal. Dubuque, IA, May 4, 1858.

• Map of the City of Dubuque.Iowa Publishing Company. Davenport, Iowa, 1906.

• "Ordinance Changing Street Names is Passed by Council at Last Meeting." Dubuque Times Journal, Dubuque, IA, March 27, 1921.

• Oldt, Franklin T., History of Dubuque County, Iowa. Chicago: Goodspeed Historical Association

• Research by John Klauer; 1918 Dubuque City Directory

• Stessman, James T. "History of the Names of Streets of Dubuque." April 26, 1954. On file at Carnegie-Stout Public Library.

• "Folks on Seminary Street Have New Address; It's Clarke Drive." Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA, September 7, 1955.

• "Whiskey Label Sticks to Steep Hill." Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, IA, March 16, 1999.