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         for years until other markets superseded this largely.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.

1856

Almond--- from Ellis west on the Bluffs

Ann--- from Division to Peosta

Ash--- from the MISSISSIPPI RIVER to Peosta

Alta Vista--- from Third to Julien Avenue on the Bluffs

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

Air Hill--- from Eighth to Julien Avenue on the Bluffs

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

Broadway--- from Sanford to Diagonal

Clay--- from Levee to Eighteenth

Cedar--- from 10th to Nineteenth

Couler Ave.--- from 18th to Peru Road

Dodge--- from MISSISSIPPI RIVER to summit on the Bluffs

Diagonal--- from Couler Avenue to McCabe

Dock--- from Peosta to Division

Elm--- from 10th to 19th

East--- from Julien Avenue to 14th

Grove--- from 11th to Walnut

Hill--- from 5th to 8th

High--- from 11th to Walnut

Iowa--- from Mississippi River to 17th

Jones from Mississippi River to Bluff

Jackson from Mississippi River to Peru Road

Johnson Ave. from Lake to Sanford

Julien Ave. from 8th to Delhi

Lynn from 12th to Peosta

Locust from Dubuque's Grave to 15th

Main from Jones to Seminary

Mineral from Locust running west

Maple from 12th to 18th

Nevada from 15th to Julien Avenue

Orange from Mississippi River to 19th

Pine from Mississippi River to Lake

Peosta from Willow to Eagle Point Levee

Prairie from 11th to 14th on the Bluffs

Reed from Peosta to Division

Sanford Ave. from Couler Avenue to Johnson Ave.

Spring from Third to 14th on the Bluffs

Sycamore from 12th to 19th

Stafford from Lake to Division

Seminary from 18th running west

White from Levee to 19th

West Pine from Hill to Eighth on the Bluffs

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 Whisky 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 CARR, Ossian E., 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.