LAKE PEOSTA

LAKE PEOSTA. Located in the northeast corner of this map, the area around Lake Peosta was once a hideout for criminals.

The Gantenbein property on Lake Peosta. Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

For Bev Wagner of Dubuque, however, the area was a childhood home of wonder and charm. Located on the eastern side of the railroad tracks, her family's property included the former home of her grandparents, her home, and a collection of out buildings.

Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

Access to the property, there was no road, was achieved by climbing over a hill from Garfield Street where their car was parked and then down a wooden ramp. Her father also built a series of wooden steps along the path at intervals to ease the walk over hazardous inclines.

Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

Isolated from other families by fields of willows, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Gantenbein and their children Bev and Chuck lived a life that included the joys of fishing in the summer from their boat dock and skating in the winter.

Bev, his father, and her brother. Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

Lake Peosta was a popular skating site. Bev's mother is the second from the right. Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

Bev's father had one rule,"If you were going to skate, you had to help shovel the snow off the ice." Lake Peosta was only several feet deep and anyone interested in using the quiet waters for water skiing in the summer were warned of the submerged stumps and metal barrels.

Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

High water in the spring was an annual occurrence. A flood wall was constructed around the family house, but often with little effect. Bev's mother would row her family from the house to the ramp to get to school or work. Bev related that when the basement flooded, her mother would stand on the bottom step with a fishnet to catch floating vegetables for dinner.

In 1956 the family's property was purchased by the city. Plans were underway to fill Lake Peosta to establish the first of the city's INDUSTRIAL PARKS.

Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

The Gantenbein home with all its furnishings was lifted from its foundation and moved north along the railroad tracks to the corner near the present Point Restaurant.

Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

Several days later, it was pulled along Rhomberg Avenue to its current location.

Photo courtesy: Bev Wagner

The house that had once been located at 1810 Shiras was relocated to 1410 Garfield.