Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
GAZEBO
GAZEBO. A gazebo is a pavilion constructed to provide an enjoyable view. In 1877 a forty-foot high oriental gazebo was constructed in WASHINGTON PARK and stood as a landmark of the city for many years. It was the site in 1896 where William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody told an audience of the "wild West" and tales of fighting Indians. It was used in 1899 for a political speech by President William McKinley. Similar buildings, once found in MADISON PARK and JACKSON PARK, eventually became victims of age and neglect. On September 29, 1961 the last remnants of the gazebo were removed by Dubuque's Park Board.
The idea of a replacement gazebo came from Robert Sullivan, a local preservationist, who bought and restored many homes including the RYAN HOUSE. When he died unexpectedly, friends gathered money for the project. (1) During the summer of 1977, the present three-quarters scale steel replica of the old Washington Park gazebo was completed. The construction was part of a $57,000 Washington Park restoration project coordinated by the Dubuque Jaycees.
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Sources:
1. Nash, Ruth. "Dubuque: Building on a Proud Heritage," The Iowan, Summer, 1979, p. 6
