Dubuque's haunted history begins with Native American oral traditions that predate European incursion into the area. A unique geist predominates local lore, and it gives Dubuque its own take on the supernatural. Early Dubuquers defied U.S. government restrictions and established settlements that eventually became ghost towns when the mines played out. Dubuque claims many first things that happened west of the Mississippi, and landmarks have special meanings all their own. Local folklore begins with the personality and ...
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Dubuque's haunted history begins with Native American oral traditions that predate European incursion into the area. A unique geist predominates local lore, and it gives Dubuque its own take on the supernatural. Early Dubuquers defied U.S. government restrictions and established settlements that eventually became ghost towns when the mines played out. Dubuque claims many first things that happened west of the Mississippi, and landmarks have special meanings all their own. Local folklore begins with the personality and continued larger-than-life specter of Julien Dubuque. Dubuque was a likable character who inspired one of the great romance stories of the Old West. When he stole his wife from a Menominee village, it developed into the first modern ghost story in the region.
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