|
||
|
|
|
|
The First Printed View of Dubuque, Iowa
This extremely rare view of Dubuque, Iowa, depicts the town as seen from an elevated vantage point across the Mississippi River in the mid-1840s. The view, painted and lithographed by western artist John Caspar Wild (1804-1846), captures the frontier town during the mid-19th century, a period of significant westward expansion in the United States.
The image shows the town from across the Mississippi River, from the present location of East Dubuque, Illinois, showcasing a nascent settlement with a small assortment of buildings, nestled amid the rolling hills and cliffs. In the foreground, steamboats navigate the river, signifying the critical role of river transport during the mid-19th century, while log cabins and open landscapes dominate the near view, underscoring the frontier nature of the region.The scene depicts Dubuque nestled between the mighty Mississippi and the rolling hills of Iowa's Driftless Area. The town spreads along the riverbank, its buildings are indicative of a growing urban center on the western frontier. In the distance, smoke rises from a chimney.
Prominent in the foreground is the Mississippi River itself, its importance to the region emphasized by the presence of steamboats (the Lynx and Otter) plying its waters. Vessels such as these were crucial to the commerce and development of river towns like Dubuque, connecting them to larger markets and facilitating the movement of goods and people.
The immediate foreground showcases the rural aspects of the area surrounding Dubuque. Log cabins dot the landscape, and a horse-drawn wagon traverses a dirt road, illustrating the coexistence of frontier life with the emerging town. A solitary figure, almost certainly the artist himself, rests on the hillside, sketching the scene before him.
Dubuque History
Dubuque is named after Julien Dubuque, a French-Canadian explorer and trader who arrived in the area in the late 18th century. In 1788, Dubuque received permission from the Meskwaki (Fox) Indians to mine lead in the region, making him one of the first European settlers in what would become the state of Iowa. Dubuque's settlement, known as the Mines of Spain, became a hub for lead mining, attracting settlers and traders drawn by the mineral wealth of the area.
Following Dubuque's death in 1810, the area remained largely under the control of indigenous peoples until the Black Hawk Purchase of 1833, when the United States acquired a portion of the land from the Sauk and Meskwaki nations. This treaty opened the region to American settlement, and in 1833, a group of miners and entrepreneurs, led by Daniel Morehead and Peter Lorimier, formally established the town of Dubuque, named in honor of its pioneering settler.
Dubuque was incorporated as a town in 1837, and it quickly grew as a center of mining and commerce. The town’s strategic location along the Mississippi River facilitated trade and transportation, linking the burgeoning frontier settlements of the Midwest to markets further south and east. The construction of steamboats became particularly important, and by the mid-1840s, Dubuque was a key stop for river traffic.
On January 5, 1846, the Iowa Territorial Council passed a bill to incorporate Dubuque as a city, reflecting its rapid growth and economic importance. The incorporation marked a significant step in the development of Dubuque, allowing for structured governance and the establishment of civic institutions.
Dating
A catalog notes for the example at the Last Collection, Huntington Library, explains their dating of circa 1844-1846: "Date supplied by cataloger based on artist history; J.C. Wild painted cities and towns of the upper Mississippi in the last years of his life, and died in 1846."
This can be further clarified by the recently discovered circa 1895 edition of the view, which states that the image was made in 1846. Wild also made a view of Bloomington, Iowa in 1844 or 1845.
It should be noted that other sources indicate the view was made in 1845.
Rarity
Reps locates 2 examples: Huntington Library and the Putnam Museum, Davenport, Iowa.
John Caspar Wild was born in or near Zurich, Switzerland, where he began his artistic career. As a young man, he moved to France to pursue his passion for art, eventually settling in Paris. His time in France, particularly his exposure to the vibrant artistic environment of Paris, honed his skills in painting and lithography. Wild specialized in panoramic views of cities and landscapes, a genre that would become his hallmark.
In the late 1820s, Wild left Europe for the United States, possibly drawn by the opportunities in the rapidly expanding American frontier. By 1831, he was working in Philadelphia, where he created a series of lithographs that documented the city's architecture and urban scenes. Wild's work from this period is notable for its accuracy, providing valuable records of the urban development in one of America's oldest cities.
Wild became known for his panoramic views, which captured the growing cities of the American Midwest and the Mississippi River Valley. His lithographs from this period, particularly those published between 1838 and 1841, offer some of the earliest visual records of cities like St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Louisville. These works are essential in understanding the rapid expansion and development of these regions during the 19th century.
Wild's most ambitious project was a series of views of St. Louis, published in 1841. This four-sheet panoramic view was a detailed record of the conditions in the metropolis of the mid-Mississippi valley, just before the massive changes brought about by the Mexican War, the California Gold Rush, and the opening of territories beyond the Missouri River. His work provides an invaluable visual documentation of American urban life during this transformative period.
Despite his success as an artist, Wild's later years were marked by financial difficulties. By the mid-1840s, he had moved to Davenport, Iowa, where he died in 1846, likely due to cholera. Despite the challenges he faced, Wild's legacy endures through his detailed and historically significant lithographs, which continue to be valued both for their artistic quality and their documentary importance.
The preceding biography was adapted from Reps, Views & Viewmakers, pages 216-217.
![[Black Hawk Purchase] Iowa](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/69376.jpg)
![[Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Dakotas, etc] Reconnaissances in the Dacota Country By G.K. Warren](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/82655.jpg)
