Julien Dubuque, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Julien Dubuque

French Canadian explorer

Date of Birth: 01-Jan-1762

Place of Birth: Champlain, Quebec, Canada

Date of Death: 24-Mar-1810

Profession: miner, trader

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Julien Dubuque (January 1762 – 24 March 1810) was a French Canadian of Norman origins from the area of Champlain, Quebec who arrived near what now is known as Dubuque, Iowa – which was named after him.
He was one of the first European men to settle in the area.
He initially received permission from the Meskwaki Indian tribe to mine the lead in 1788.
Subsequently the Spanish confirmed that by giving him a land grant in 1796. Once he had received permission from the Meskwaki to mine lead, Dubuque remained in the area for the rest of his life.
He befriended the local Meskwaki chief Peosta – for whom the nearby town of Peosta, Iowa is named.
It is widely believed that Dubuque married Peosta's daughter, who was supposedly named "Potosa"; however, there is no evidence that this was ever the case.
Those who back the marriage claim point to letters that mention a Madame Dubuque as meaning Dubuque's wife. After his death, the Meskwaki built a log crypt for Dubuque, which was replaced in the late 19th century by an imposing stone monument. The name "Potosa" often appears in fanciful origin stories for the name Potosi, a small Wisconsin town located north of Dubuque, Iowa, which was founded in the 1830s as a lead-mining settlement.