DUBUQUE BOATING ASSOCIATION

DUBUQUE BOATING ASSOCIATION. Articles of incorporation for the Dubuque Boating Association were signed on August 25, 1887. The signers of the articles were Joseph Morgan, C. H. McMasters, M. M. Hayden, C. N. Hooper, George F. Atkins, F. W. Langworthy and E. J. Levi. The first officers were elected to hold office in 1898. These included:

        F. A. Rumpf, president
        J. A. Koch, first vice president
        Joseph Frederick STAMPFER, treasurer
        J. L. Buettell, secretary
        J. R. Lindsay, captain
        C. N. Hooper, first lieutenant
           W. Couch, second lieutenant.

At the start the club had seventy-four active members and 180 honorary members. The membership dues were $10 annually which included the initiation fee. The club met at in the rooms of Professor Keck at Ninth and Main. Members of the executive committee continued to meet at the Board of Trade rooms.

Photo source: National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

Photo source: National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

In December 1887 the club leased a site for their club house for $100; members loaned and contributed about $4,000 to construct and equip a building suitable for a boat club. Work on the building, 38 x 64 feet, was completed in June, 1888. The site of the building was close to the DUBUQUE WAGON BRIDGE. The first floor was used for lockers, boats, and oars. The "ladies parlors" were located on the second floor along with a dance floor and lounging room. The facilities were inaugurated on July 19, 1888 with an informal party. The gentlemen were "dressed in their boating attire and the ladies followed their example and appeared dressed 'like the lass that loved a sailor lad.'"

In 1888 Dubuque crews attending the state regatta at Spirit Lake won medals in every event in which they were registered. In the summer of 1889 the Association sent crews to compete in Cedar Rapids and Spirit Lake, Iowa as well as Grand Rapids, Michigan. With an indebtedness of $600 in November, 1890, the Association announced that it would host a ball and banquet at the HOTEL JULIEN on December 4th. This was only the second time the Association had attempted to raise money. The "Boat Club Minstrels" had been held in 1888. (1)

Until 1900 boat races were one of the principal events in the Midwest. The local regatta was important because its winners attended the state or regional events. (2) Contests included shell races, skiffs, canoes, tubs and swimming. It was customary to hold the event in the afternoon with the races finished by 6:00 p.m. This was followed by a promenade and ball in the evening. (3) Lake Geneva, Wisconsin was the scene of four regattas and Dubuque won four different times between 1889 and 1900. Betting was common. "Pairs" and "singles" were always part of the regatta program although they were not as popular as the four-oared races. "Tip-over" canoe races, tub races, and swimming events were also popular. Winners in the different events received such prizes as gold-headed canes, silver goblets, silver smoking sets, cigars, silver cups and saucers, and even silver shaving mugs.

Joe Fleming, a Moline athlete, moved to Dubuque in 1889 in response to rowing's popularity. His arrival, however, was not accepted well. At the state regatta on July 24th, the crews sent by Dubuque were ruled out of the competition by the executive committee. The junior crew was ruled out on the grounds that they had won a race at the Cedar Rapids regatta on July 4th and were now considered seniors. The senior crew was ruled out because Davenport supporters claimed Fleming was a professional. The executive committee's rulings were overruled by J. E. Hannegan, President of the State Rowing Association. The Dubuque club won the state regatta in the four-oar event. (4)

In 1890 the junior four-crew won their event at the state regatta. The Dubuque rowers won the 1892 four-oar event beating Burlington in a close event. In 1893 the senior doubles team won the doubles at the state regatta. In 1894 at the state races on Storm Lake the Dubuque junior four won with ease. No state races were held in 1896 or 1897, but in 1899 both the Dubuque senior and junior crews won the state regatta held at Sioux City.

Ed Healy, one of the greatest rowing stars in the United States, rowed for Dubuque for ten years. In 1901 and 1902 Healy and the same crew won the state meets and in 1901 rowed into first place at the Northwestern regatta held on Lake Geneva.

Interest in competitive rowing began to decline about this time. The four-oared crew broke up. On April 27, 1903 it was decided to dissolve the club and sell its property. The club officially ended on May 12th. Upon the disbanding of the club, one of its most valuable relics was given to the CARNEGIE-STOUT PUBLIC LIBRARY. This was one of the flags recovered by divers from the battleship Maine which was sunk at the beginning of the SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. The flag had been presented to the club by Lee McNeeley, secretary to David B. HENDERSON. (5)

One of the club's popular events was the annual D. B. A. minstrel show. The first of the programs was held on January 29-30, 1889. The event featuring traveling acts was continued for fifteen years.

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Source:

1. "The Boat Club Ball," The Herald, November 25, 1890, p. 4

2. "Boat Club Regatta," The Dubuque Herald, July 2, 1899, p. 8

3. "Date for the Regatta," Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, July 29, 1903, p. 2

4. "State Regatta," The Herald, July 25, 1889, p. 3

5. "City in Brief, Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, June 24, 1906, p. 5