The Founding: 1788
Dubuque’s origins are industrial, rooted in the area’s rich lead deposits.
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- Julien Dubuque: In 1788, a French-Canadian trader named Julien Dubuque received permission from the Meskwaki tribe to mine lead in the area. He subsequently secured a land grant from the Spanish governor of Louisiana in 1796, naming his claim the “Mines of Spain.”
- The First Settlement: Dubuque lived among the Meskwaki, operating a large-scale trading and mining enterprise until he died in 1810. Although the settlement thinned out after his death, his presence established a permanent European footprint that would later become the city.