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.
CAPITAL
CAPITAL. In 1836 the DUBUQUE VISITOR stated the conviction held by many Dubuque residents that the city would be the seat of government for a new state formed west of the MISSISSIPPI RIVER and north of Missouri.
The plans for Iowa to extend north to the St. Peter's River were widely accepted until 1845. To avoid leaving Dubuque in an uncentral position, Edward LANGWORTHY, at the 1844 Iowa Constitutional Convention, proposed to move the northern boundary of Iowa northward to meet the 45th parallel where it crossed the Mississippi. This would have positioned Dubuque in a commanding central location in Iowa. The motion did not succeed. Disappointment was obvious when, in 1846, Iowa was admitted to the Union with the knowledge that the preset capital, Iowa City, would be replaced by Des Moines.