When Julien Dubuque died in March of 1810 the Mesquakie Indians buried him with tribal honors beneath a log mausoleum at the site of this monument. The Julien Dubuque monument was built in 1897, on a high bluff with commanding views of the Mississippi River. It overlooks the Mines of Spain property in the town that would eventually bear Dubuque's name. The site has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
When Julien Dubuque was exhumed, several other skeltons were found in the site with him. One skeleton was believed to be that of Dubuque's friend and father-in-law, Peosta, chief of the Mesquakie. The remains of Chief Peosta were reburied in a new grave a short distance from Dubuque's new grave site.
The nearby town of Peosta, Iowa, was named for the chief.It is widely thought that Julien Dubuque was married to Cheif Peosta's daughter, Potosa, although there is no historical record that either confirms or denies their marriage.
Both the Dubuque and the Chief Peosta Monuments are in a parklike setting about two miles south of the city of Dubuque and can be reached by following the signs off U.S. Hwy. #52.
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