| East Dubuque Local Area History Project | |
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New Melleray Abbey by D.W. |
| Six Trappist monks came up the Mississippi to begin a monastery in Dubuque. They came from Mount Melleray Ireland. Some of the monks died on the way here. On July 16,1845 Dom Bruno Fitzpatrick, Lord Abbot, presided over the cornerstone of New Melleray Abby. It was built on 1,000 acres of land southwest of Dubuque and it was purchased for $14. The Lord Abbot pointed his cane to where the it should be. Then three big Irish brothers put a large oak on the spot to get it started. | |
| The construction of the temporary wooden buildings came first. By 1875 it was half completed. The wild life helped to slow down the building plants and birds covered the project. | |
| Finally in 1976 the Abby was completed. They had followed the old plans of the abbey in Ireland. This Abbey is very medieval. It still exists today and they make a living by selling bread, caskets and other things. | |
| Information
came from New Melleray's Web page. http://www.newmelleray.org/
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