Dubuque Sites

An inventory of WPA project photographs compiled by Becky Jordan at Iowa State University includes reference to numerous public works projects undertaken by the agency in Iowa between 1935 and 1940. The collection of 1,271 photographs documents the variety and extent of New Deal related efforts undertaken in the Hawkeye State. The Comiskey Field Clubhouse in Dubuque (Project 430) is included among the many WPA projects described in the collection. Living New Deal believes this structure to have been demolished.

The public swimming pool at Rafferty Slough in Dubuque, IA was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937. Measuring 75 x 225 feet, the Dubuque pool was the largest and most expensive of a number of publicly constructed swimming pools in Iowa during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Over the course of its construction, the pool project secured employment for sixty-one laborers. The dedication of the pool culminated a total expenditure of $17,000 by the city of Dubuque with the rest of the funding coming from the WPA. The opening ceremony included public speeches, diving exhibitions, and swimmers performing...

"The park took on a new look in the 1930s when the City hired Park Superintendent Alfred Caldwell. A $200,000 Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant was received and the gifted landscape architect began work. His love of Frank Lloyd Wright prairie architecture is very recognizable in the buildings and gardens. Caldwell's exceptional use of native construction materials, craftsmanship, and unique designs make the park one of the most beautiful in the Midwest."   (https://www.dbq.com) "Architect Alfred Caldwell directed the building of many of the structures at the park, which made use of the limestone found in the area. These include the pavilions,...

From the National Register of Historic Places nomination file: "The 114.24-acre Lock and Dam No. 11 Historic District is made up of a navigation lift lock, a nonnavigable dam, and 37 associated resources. Two general contractors and numerous subcontractors, all employing the maximum number of people possible for a relief work project, built most of the main features of this district between 1934 and 1937. Eagle Point Bridge was already in place when this work began."

"The interior features several important murals in the lobby vestibule. The murals were funded with $2,000 of the original money allotted for construction of the building. Although a competition to select an artist was held, officials intended to select Grant Wood, the famous Iowa painter of "American Gothic," to complete the murals. When Wood did not enter the competition, William E.L. Bunn was selected. The selection was subsequently overturned in favor of a painter named Bertram Adams. As a compromise, both Bunn and Adams, who each studied and worked with Wood and were friends from the University of Iowa, were...

"In 1942 Dubuque's 2.5 miles of street car tracks were ripped up for the war effort. The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) removed the rails and replaced the pavement. Interstate Power Company agreed to supply some of the needed equipment. Money raised from the sale of the estimated 282 tons of metal was given to the W.P.A."

An inventory of WPA project photographs compiled by Becky Jordan at Iowa State University includes reference to numerous public works projects undertaken by the agency in Iowa between 1935 and 1940. The collection of 1,271 photographs documents the variety and extent of New Deal related efforts undertaken in the Hawkeye State. Improvements at what was then the Sunnycrest Sanatorium in Dubuque (Project 469) are included among the many WPA projects described in the collection. The facility now serves as Sunnycrest Manor, a senior living center.