Then and Now

Car Then: The Elk’s Club building, at the corner of 7th Street and Locust Street, was built in 1904. The building is across from Washington Park.

Car Now: The building was torn down in 1975 and reconstructed to also house a bank and later a natural gas company office. The Dubuque Museum of Art bought the building in 2008 and has occupied it since.

Clock Tower Then: The original Town Clock was built in 1872. However, the tower fell off, killing three people and destroying the clock and the building. The second Clock Tower, shown here, was built in 1873 in the same location.

Clock Tower Now: In 1970 the clock was removed from the building and put on a pedestal in the center of Main & 7th Streets. The Clock Tower now stands two feet higher.

Grand Then: The Grand Opera House, on 8th Street, served Dubuque as a movie theater. In the mid-1940‘s, the Grand showed “The Lady Eve,” starring Barbara Streisand and Henry Fonda.

Grand Now: The Grand’s exterior was renovated in 2005, and although it is no longer a movie theater, the Grand is used for stage productions.

Herald Then: The Telegraph Herald offices were once at Main Street and 5th Street, going down the hill toward the river.

Herald Now: The Holiday Inn—Downtown now occupies the entire block from 4th Street to 5th Street.

Hotel Julien then, when it burned down in 1913, and now.

The Fourth Street Elevator, also known as the Fenelon Place Elevator, then and now.

River Then: Eagle Point Bathing Beach opened in the 1920s and was a popular place to swim because the entrance fee was free. Swimmers could rent swimming trunks for a small fee.

River Now: In 1936 the city built a Municipal Swimming Pool near this area. The bathing beach was located along the Mississippi River below Eagle Point Park.

Street Then: The corner of 13th Street and Clay Street, now Central Avenue, in 1919, with trolley tracks and gas lamps hanging over the street.

Street Now: The street is now home to the Dubuque Bank & Trust, which has been restored. Dubuque Bank & Trust is one of the largest agricultural banks in the U.S.

Train Then: Opened in 1868, the old railroad bridge ran from East Dubuque, called Dunleith, to Dubuque. The bridge, 1,760 feet long with seven spans, was constructed by the Keystone Bridge Co. of Philadelphia, costing $1 million to build. A 360-foot draw span allowed river traffic to pass under the bridge.

Train Now : Today, the same bridge is in use, although it has undergone numerous modifications over the years. In 1898 it was shortened to five spans and the length was reduced by 225 feet.