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.
AUTOMOBILES
AUTOMOBILES (first). The first automobile to be introduced to the citizens of Dubuque was owned by F. O. FARWELL. An electric runabout of questionable ability, the car was brought to Dubuque in 1900. Within months Charles Gordon, a builder of internal combustion marine engines, purchased a Haynes-Apperson, the first gasoline-powered auto to be seen in Dubuque. Two years passed before Charles Tibbals purchased an Oldsmobile from an out-of-town dealer. Another Oldsmobile was bought by Gordon who used it to replace his Haynes-Apperson. H. G. Boldt's 1903 Cadillac was later used by the Boldt Company as a delivery car.
In the early years, automobile ownership in Dubuque was often limited to those who already owned an auto and used new examples to replace their older models. Many of these people also belonged to the DUBUQUE AUTOMOBILE CLUB. Popularity of automobiles for a wider audience of people began in 1906 after cars had been proven both dependable and fashionable.