| East Dubuque Local Area History Project | |
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by
C.L. |
| One of the prettiest spots in Dubuque is Eagle Point Park. This park is a large park on the high bluffs of the north end of Dubuque. The park has lots of trees, tennis courts, a fish pond, a wading pool, shelters, and amphitheater, and lots of great places to picnic. It has a spectacular view of the lock and dams 11 and the Mississippi river. It is one of the nicest parks in Dubuque. | |
| Judge Oliver Perry Shiras fell in love with Dubuque and wanted to do something for the city. He decided to build a park. He got some property in 1908 - 100 acres for $18,000. The park was paid for by gifts of money and also by some money from the city. It was designed by Charles Robinson and Charles Lowry. The park opened in the year of 1910. They had one pavilion, bushes, a pond, rest rooms, and a windmill. In 1912, the trolley service started to the park. The trolley stopped at the circular drive at the present park entrance. In 1920, the park also opened a bathing bench on the river. People could rent bathing suits there. Women were required to have a suit with a skirt. | |
| In 1935 the park was remodeled with the help of the WPA, or Work Progress Administration. It provided jobs during the great depression. The Eagle Point Park project got $200,000 for the improvements. The improvements included building ledge gardens, eating shelters, promenade bridge shelters, a restaurant, a concession building, an Indian room shelter, a river front shelter, two summer shelters, 6 indoor fireplaces, 49 outdoor fireplaces, 7 parking lots, tennis courts, and two reservoirs. The buildings were in the prairie style like Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings. They were designed by Alfred Caldwell, a landscape architect. The architect used local material- limestone from Dubuque. | |
| This beautiful park is still one of the most popular places in Dubuque. | |
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Biblography Dubuque Folklore : A Contribution from American Trust and Savings Bank to Dubuqueland in Celebrations of Our Nation’s Bicentennial 1776-1976. East Dubuque, Illinois: Tel Graphics, 1975. |
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