Julian Dubuque

East Dubuque Local Area History Project

	by A. L and N. S 3/17/00

	Julien Dubuque was the last of 13 in his family, born on January 10,1762 along the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec. He was the last born of 13 children. Julien's father's family came to Canada from France almost 100 years before. His mother's family had Canadian army officers and a member of the Parliament. He was a constant reader, and was well educated and intelligent. Julien was also polite, cultured, and played the violin at social gatherings.

	In 1783 when Julien was 21, his father died. Soon after that, Julien headed for Prairie du Chin following the Marquette Joliet path down St. Lawrence and Great Lakes to Green Bay. Next, he went down the Fox River and had to carry his canoe to the Wisconsin River. Finally, he traveled down the Wisconsin River to the Mississippi.

	Julien met the Fox Indians on his Mississippi travels as a fur trader. They had 2 villages in the Dubuque area, one near Eagle Point Park, and one at the mouth of Catfish Creek. Julien made friends with the Fox and earned their respect. They called him " La Petite Nuit" or in English " Little Night" or “Little Cloud.” Julien asked permission to mine lead on their land in 1788, and on September 22 of that year, they gave written permission for Julien to mine their territory.

	Julien set up a trading and mining outpost with 10 countrymen. Dubuque built houses and roads, and cleared a large farm where he traded for furs that he carried to St. Louis.

	Julien sent Indians to search for lead deposits in Iowa and Illinois. The Indians worked the mines. Julien Dubuque loaded pelts and ore into his shallow draft keelboats and ventured to St. Louis twice a year. Julien made 25,000 dollars a year by estimate. Julien controlled all aspects of prospecting, mining, processing and shipping lead ore.

	Julien was a rather smart frontiersman. He was a small, dark man, about 5’6”, and there are many legends told about him. One story is told of when he tried to impress the Indians by putting oil in the creek and setting it on fire. He had them convinced he was really powerful. He also told the Indians that he was immune to rattlesnake bites. Some people think that he was married to the daughter of the Indian chief Peosta. Her name was probably Petosa.

	According to the inventory of Dubuque’s possessions after his death, Julien lived like an upper class gentleman even with the Indians. He had a library or at least 58 books, and lived in a cabin furnished with furniture, china, and other things he brought back from St. Louis. He played the violin. Once he got up at a party in St. Louis, picked up a violin, and played for the dancing.

	Although he had permission from the Fox to mine their land, the land was also claimed by Spain, so he wrote a letter to the Spanish governor asking permission of the Spanish governor to mine the land. He got the permission, and the land became known as the Mines of Spain.

	Because Julien Dubuque was so popular with the Indians, the United States Government asked him to be the Indian agent. This meant more work, and a lot of trips back and forth to Prairie Du Chien. On March 24, 1810 when Julien was 48 years old he got pneumonia died, although some people think he may have died of lead poisoning. It was a terrible loss for the Fox Indians.

	They buried him over the bluff overlooking the settlement on the north shore of Catfish Creek. After his death they built a monument and on his birthday, they all visited his grave. The building they put on his grave had a shiny tin roof that could be seen from the river. This building was replaced in 1897 by the castle tower monument that is there now.

	Without Julien Dubuque the Fox Indians couldn't stop whites from coming, and it drove the Fox Indians off their land.

	Bibliography Dubuque Folklore: A Contribution from American Trust and Savings Bank to Dubuqueland in Celebration of Our Nations’ Bicentennial 1776-1976. Dubuque, Iowa: American Trust and Savings Bank, 1976. Field trip to the Dubuque River Museum, 3/10/00. Lyon, Randolph W. Dubuque: The Encyclopedia. Dubuque, Iowa: First National Bank of Dubuque, 1991. Wilke, William E. Dubuque on the Mississippi 1788 - 1988. Dubuque, Iowa: Union-Hoerrmann Press, 1987. Picture Courtesy of Center for Dubuque History. Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa.