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.
POSTAL SERVICE
POSTAL SERVICE. Iowa's first post office, Dubuque Mines, was organized on May 27, 1833, within the jurisdiction of Jo Daviess County, Illinois. When Iowa was opened for white settlement on June 1, 1833, the first mail was delivered by horseback by George Ord Karrick. Milo H. Prentice, the postmaster, hand-stamped "Dubuque Mines Mic.T" (Michigan Territory) on letters mailed in Dubuque.
The first POST OFFICE in Dubuque was located on Main Street between Third and Fourth STREETS in the store of Milo H. Prentice, appointed the first postmaster in 1833. Jurisdiction over Dubuque came under the Territory of Michigan on June 28, 1834.
This period in Dubuque postal history lasted until the area fell under the control of the Wisconsin Territory from July 4, 1836, to July 3, 1838. Mail service expanded in 1836 when George W. JONES began a mail route with STEAMBOATS on the MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Before Jones began the business, mail took six months to reach the East. The new system reduced delivery to about one month. There were several CANCELS used on letters mailed during this time. Guy Morrison became the postmaster.
During the period Iowa was part of the Wisconsin Territory, the post office location moved to 7th and Iowa Street. It shared a building with the DUBUQUE VISITOR, which was operated by John KING, the postmaster. In 1837 the post office name was changed from Dubuque’s Mines to Dubuque.
From 1849 until 1857, during the time the Globe Building served as the Dubuque post office, letters could be carried 3,000 for three cents with additional miles for ten cents. Dubuque had the only mail distributing office west of Chicago and north of St. Louis. The Dubuque post office moved to 6th and Iowa Street in 1857 for one year before being relocated in the Odd Fellows Hall at 8th and Locust streets. This location too proved brief. A fire led mail deliveries to be made from the Town Clock Building.
A permanent POST OFFICE was constructed at 9th and Locust Street through the efforts of Iowa Senator George W. Jones. The same man who established mail delivery by steamboat convinced Congress to appropriate $26,000 to a new DUBUQUE CUSTOM HOUSE AND POST OFFICE. The building was completed in 1866.
In 1873, Dubuque got its first three mail carriers--Frank W. Dyer, George A. Hoerner, and Moses MARTIN. Each man was paid $600 a year. In 1901 William BOLEYN became Dubuque's first rural carrier. He was paid $40 per month and had to supply his own carriage, sleigh, wagon and team of horses. Postal employees were not granted their first day off--Sunday--until 1911.
Experimental airmail flights came to Dubuque in 1912. At a local air show from NUTWOOD PARK, daredevil Lincoln BEACHEY dropped a bag of specially stamped mail to a messenger who took it to the post office. The four-block flight took only a few minutes. In 1950 Mid Continent Airlines began regular airmail service to Dubuque. In the same year, the daily delivery of mail to residences was reduced from twice to once. Business deliveries were reduced from three times to twice a day.
The present Dubuque post office was constructed in 1934 at a cost of $513,000.