Historical Soc. Museum Grant ApMISSISSIPPI
DUBUQUE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
June 10, 2002
Mayor Terry Duggan
Members ofthe City Council
City of Dubuque
50W. 13th St.
Dubuque, IA 52001
Dear Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council:
The Dubuque County Historical Society requests City sponsorship of a grant application to the
National Scenic Byways program in the amount of $475,700. This grant will enable the museum
to improve the exhibits at the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum. $119,875 in matching
costs will be paid by the Historical Society. There will be no costs other than modest
administration time by Laura Carstens.
This grant if funded, helps us update the exhibits at the Fred W. Woodward Riverboat Museum
and would serve as matching fimds for our Vision Iowa grant for the America's River project.
Sincerely,
Jerry Enzler
Executive Director
JE/ms
P.O. Box 266 * Dubuque, Iowa 52004-0266 * (563) 55%9545 * Fax (563) 583-1241
Project Summary. 2003
FHWA National Scenic Byways Program
Ail sections must be completed on an electronic fom~ at http://www.byways.org
Applications must be submitted online and on paper.
Project Info
Pro~ect No.
SB-2003-1A-50703
2003
All ten counties along Iowa Great River Road
Location of Project along Byway(s
Dubuque, iowa
Feceral Lands Crossed by Involved Byway(s)
Associated Byways
State Byway Name Details
Designation Date Intrinsic Qualities'
IA Great River Road - Iowa 15 Jun 2000 A,H,N,R,S
Byway Organization
Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission
4674 Kypmelworth Dr.
Bettendorf, IA 52722
Phone: 563-332-5446
Fax: 563-344-2633
E-mail: SCRAIOWA@aol.com
*lQ codes: A - Archaeological. C - Cultural, H - Historica. - Natural. R - Recreational. S - Scenic
Project Category
Project Type
project associated with an All-American Road or a National Scenic Byway.
Is ti- s project consistent with the Corridor Management Plan for the byway(s)?
Yes
Eligibility Category
Byway Facilities
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi I
Project Category (Continued)
s this aDelication a copy of a previously submitted application or a revision of a prior non-funded
application?
No
f yes. for what year was the previous project submitted?
N/A
Ready-to-Go
This project is ready to go. All environmental and historical reviews have been conducted and a
Memorandum of Agreement has been signed by the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Endowment for the Humanities. Iowa State
Historic Preservation Officer. Dubuque County Historical Society, City of Dubuque and the iowa
Department of Transportation.
Prior Projects
FHWA Proj No. Year Project Name Amount Status
SB-2002-1A-2 2002 Great River Road Interpretive $737,376 Unknown
Center and Network of Interpretive
Centers
Project Coordinator: Laura Carstens
Project Abstract
The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is almost complete. This "Stories of the
Mississippi" exhibit will substantially complete this $44 million museum which will be a world class
interpretive facility for the river and the Great River Road. Stories of the Mississippi will be a dynamic
exhibit with artifacts, life size scenes, and dramatic storytelling with sound and light of the river's
history. It will be created in affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution.
Note: Vi*ion Iowa has awarded S20 million to build the National Mississippi River Museum and
Aquarium. contingent upon the City of Dubuque and the Museum raising all remaining needed funds by
June 2005. With this Scenic Byway Grant. the Vision Iowa grant can be secured and this d5 namic
exhibit can be built. Without this Scenic Byway Grant or other funding, portions of the $20 million
grant could be lost.
Project Narrative
In fiscal year 2002, Dubuque and the Museum received $737,376 to build the National Great River
Road Interpretive Center as part of the Mississippi River Museum. That 1,500 square foot interprenve
center is underway and is expected to be completed by spring 2003.
The exhibit funded by this 2003 grant application is totally separate from the 2002 Scenic Byway gram
project. This 2003 project request is a 6,000 square foot exhibit immediately adjacent to the Great
River Road Interpretive Center and accessible from the same lobby space.
Stories of the Mississippi will be a dramatic exhibit which will tell the story of the river. It will be an
interactive 6.000 square foot exhibit housed within the new National Mississippi River Museum and
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 2
Project Narrative (Continued)
Aquarium. The exhibit will use artifacts, graphic images, and dramatic sound and light story telling
techniques to bring the river to life and make it meaningful to the Byway traveler
Through this exhibit, the cultural patterns and attitudes of river people are brought to life with
photographs, artifacts, and sound. Byway visitors will "encounter" fiver people. Boat artifacts.
photographs, and illustrations are used to tell the story of the region's past from early dug-out tog
canoes, to the great bark canoes of the French explorers, trappers and traders, to drift boats, log rafts.
steanqboats: and recreational vessels.
Native Americans: The story of the First River People will be told. A depiction of the community of
Monks Mound at Cahokia will show the civilization and trade network of 10,000 years ago. Significant
artifacts dramatic by lighted casework will show the stone, pottery, and historic items used in
assoclarion with the river, including an Indian made dugout canoe Major Indian groups will be
.denttfica on a map of the Mississipp,, along with the Indian names Ibr the river. Native American
chants and drums and the natural sounds of the river wiI1 play in the gallery, along with lndian names
~tbr the river spoken by Native Americans.
Exploration and Fur Trade - A life size diorama of Marquette and Joliet will depict the expedition of
1673. A rendezvous diorama will depict the trade and revelry of the semi-annual trading faix. A sound
track will provide voyageur-paddhng sounds, the sound of water and wildlife, and words from Peter
Pond's journal.
Steamboat Age - A sound and light system will bring the steamboat to life. A stage (gangplank) will
bring people to a steamboat deck where they view a 32-foot cutaway model of the Steamer Dubuque.
This model shows people, architecture and mechanical systems on board and the Arched ceiling work
overhead will represent the saloon, while steamboat artifacts and cabin furniture fi.om the Diamond Jo
Line steamboats will be exhibited.
Rafting - The story of the loggers and rafters of the Mississippi River will come to life with a backdrop
of a floating log raft. Actual logs tied together are shown in the foreground and the imxnense size of the
log raft is illustrated by use of mirrors. The lights will dim and a lone rafter tells his stoW of life on the
river. Artifacts fi.om the logging era are illuminated while the sound track carries voices fi.om the past
describing them.
Boat and Boiler Works - A 200 square foot scale model diorama of the boatyard at the mm of the
century wilI show the Sprague. the world's largest towboat, already completed and a railroad transfer
boat ~usi launched. Models of the tbatherinu whcet aha m, ,~,,x~ let wheel x~ dI allow x ~sztors to
themselves the ingenmty of the boatyard. Oral histories will provide stories of boatbuilding. Other
major boatyards of the Mississippi River wilt be identified and a doctor pump will be activated.
Small Boat Building ~ Boats that are undergoing work will take center stage along with engines,
outboard motors and other small craft materials. A steam box will be used to bend wood for repairs and
new construction. The pleasure launch Rosalie shows a family in a pleasure boat on the river. Oral
histories describe river life and culture.
Concepts: The Mississippi River has meant many things to many people. It has been a home, a path of
exploration, a prize of war. a route to settlement, a barrier, a carrier of people, and a way of life. An
onemation exhibit introduces the themes to be experienced and suggests how the Mississippi River has
been a resource and a way of life to Native Americans, explorers, fur traders, voyageurs, lead miners,
loggers, steamboat men, clammers, fishers, towboat hands and recreational users. The Mississippi is an
enormous river with complex watershed, interconnected ecosystems, and technological and social
systems shaping its use. It is also the water that flows past this specific place on the river.
Before steamboats, keelboats carried people and heavy cargo on the river. An 80 foot keelboat would
SB-2003qA-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 3
Project Narrative (Continued)
draw only two feet and hundreds of keelboats could be found along the river. Early settlers. 19th
century naturalists, and travelers commonly viewed nature and the river as an unlimited resource.
Miners and settlers cleared the forests for homes and businesses and burned the wood in smelting
furnaces and steam engine boilers. They felt the land, timber, and water would never run out and soil
and debris ran into the river.
Steamboats made transportation of people and cargo easy, bringing entrepreneurs, families, and
adventurers to the Upper Mississippi. Steam engines powered the boats against the current, replacing
the great human labor required for canoes, flatboats, or keelboats. Steamboats were workhorses,
carrying passengers and freight, pushing log mfrs. towing barges, and dredging river bottoms.
The natural river presented severe obstacles to the people on its banks: floods damaged houses,
businesses and farms: disease flourished in the muddy sloughs; snags and rapids were threats to safety;
and low water during the summer stranded steamboat passengers and cargo. Lieutenant Robert E. Lee
surveyed the Des Moines Rapids for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1839.
Beginning in the 19th century with inventor Henry Sba'eve, the goverm-nent built snag boats to rip the
submerged stumps and trees which blocked the fiver. After the Civil War, improved technologies and
increased populations prompted renewed efforts for an improved river. The Mississippi River
Commission. established by Congress in 1879, was charged with protecting the banks of the
Mississippi, improving navigation, promoting trade and commerce, and preventing floods.
The artifacts of the locks and dams will be interpreted. Navigational aids such as buoys and day boards,
radar reflectors, navigational charts, dredging plans, and other engineering accouterments, shipping
receipts, graphics, photographic images of towboats and barges to show the ever increasing size and
demand on the river system, a 1930s Corps hard hat, construction drawings of Lock and Dam #11 at
Dubuque, and a sonar depth finder. A model of the Horatio G. Wright, a snagboat for the U. S. Array
Corps of Engineers, which was built for the Louisiana Centennial Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. In
this model, a giant tree is winched up between the boat's split hull. Deckhands stand ready to
dismember the snag and, once dry, burn the roots in the steamboat's boilers.
The Stories of the Mississippi exhibit will be based on themes developed by the ten state Great River
Road. working in conjunction with the American Scenic Byways Resource Organization. the Federal
Highway Administration. the National Park Service. the Delta Queen riverlorian the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and a team ofinterpreuve planners. These advisors met with a representative from
each of the ten states in St. Louis in May, 2002 to develop these themes, which were based on prewous
work by the National Park Service tow::rds a proposed national heritage corridor.
Jerry Enzler, the Director of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, was the
representative from Iowa at this two day theme workshop. He also is the chair of the ten state Heritage
and Culture Committee of the Great River Road and is working to implement a master interpretive plan
of the Mississippi River including a network of more than fifty interpretive centers in ten states along
the Great River Road. The overall theme and the 11 sub-themes developed by the ten states at the St.
Louis conference are as follows:
Overall Theme:
The Mississippi River is the flow of life shaping land and peoples.
Sub-Themes:
*The Mississippi River is a ribbon of life for people, plants and animals.
*As the river has influenced people, people have influenced the river.
* The Mississippi River has nurtured prehistoric and historic
cultures.
*The Mississippi River inspires a variety of folk life.literary, fine art, and musical forms.
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 4
Project Narrative (Continued)
*The Mississippi River has profoundly shaped American history.
*The sn'ategic importance of the Mississippi River has resulted in conflict between nations and peoples.
*The Mississippi River architecture reflects distinctive styles affected by cultural and natural resources.
~The Mississippi is one of the world's great rivers noted for its beauty, grandeur and diversity.
~The history of the Mississippi River transportation is a dramatic story reflecting the river's economic
and commercial importance.
*Mississippi River towns and cities reflect mid-19th century life.
*The Mississippi River is a working river sustaining many industries.
These themes are at the root of Stories of the Mississippi exhibit and they will be guiding principles as
the scripts and concepts are developed.
Note on fees - The Stories of the Mississippi Exhibit will be part of the National Mississippi River
Museum and Aquarium and therefore will be included in the regular admission area. No additional fees
will be charged for this exhibit beyond the regular museum admission price. This is consistent with
other Scenic Byway funded projects. Additionally, the National Mississippi River Museum and
Aquarium has a policy that anyone who cannot afford admission to the museum is allowed in free. This
is implemented by free admission to visitors on fuel assistance o7 reduced school lunch programs.
Monadnock Media is a nationally recognized museum media firm with a specialty in creating exhibits
that move the visitor in time and space. Monadnock created the award winning film River of Dreams
for the Mississippi River Museum in 1996 and that film was voted best film in a history museum for
1996 at the annual Association of Museums meeting in Atlanta. The Des Moines Register reviewed the
River of Dreams film as "15 minutes you'll never forget." The film is a real crowd pleaser and some
museum visitors tell us they have seen the film over 20 times and still love it.
Monadnock Media recently created the audio visual exhibits for the D-Day Museum in New Orleans
which was supported by Stephen Ambrose. Stephen Speilberg, Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw. They
also have created exhibits for the Smithsonian Institution's U.S. Postal Museum and the Museum of the
American indian.
The cost of the sound and light experiences in this proposal may seem high ro those unfamiliar with
world class exhibitry costs, but they are quite modest compared to expenditures at Disney, Universal
Studios and other major attractions. These programs will be authentically researched and scripted so
that the actual story of the Mississippi River is conveyed.
This project will complete the initial exhibits for the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium
and the National Gmat River Road lnterpetive Center. The museum and Great River Road Interpretive
Center is part of the $188 million America's River project, which will include the museum and Great
River Road Interpretive Center. the Mississippi River National Education and Conference Center, a
Riverwalk with amphitheater, plazas and other public amenties and a waterfront hotel with an indoor
waterpark.
Work Plan
Line Start Date/
Item Task/Milestone Description Duration Work Category
001 Establish management agreement 01 Jan 2002 Byway Facilities
2 months
Responsible Party: City of Dubuque Planner Laura Carstens
SB-2003qA-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 5
Work Plan (Continued)
001 Justification:
The City of Dubuque's Planning Services Director Laura Carstens and Mississippi River
Museum Director Jerry Enzler will sign a management agreement with Iowa Scenic Byway
Coordinator Margaret Roetman.
002 Develop concepts and scripts 01 Mar 2003 Byway Facilities
8 months
Responsible Party: Museum Director Jerry Enzler
Justification:
Museum Director Jerry Enzler will coordinate a team of scholars, curators and media plarmers
who will develop the conceptual treatment for the StoNes of the Mississippi exhibit.
003 Research, select and secure graphics 01 Mar 2003 Byway Facilities
8 months
Responsible Party: Museum Curator Tacie Campbell
Justification:
Museum Curator Tacie Campbell will coordinate a team of experts who will research, select
and secure the rights for the graphics images.
004 Create sound and light experiences 01 May 2003 Byway Facilities
12 months
Responsible Party: Monadnock Media for the Museum
Justification:
Monadnock Media will create six dynamic sound and light experiences which will bring the
story of the Mississippi River alive with Native Americans, fur traders, steamboat travelers,
loggers, boat builders and small vessels.
005 Purchase and install technical equipment 01 May 2003 Byway Facilities
12 months
Responsible Party: Monadnock Media for the Museum
Justification:
Monadnock will specify, purchase, and install equipment necessary for the sound and light
experiences. This will include show controllers,specialty lighting, speakers and special effects.
006 Create and install exhibits 01 May 2003 Byway Facilities
12 months
Responsible Party: Project Manager Mark Hantelmann
Justification:
The museum exhibit team, led by Mark Hantelmann and Wayne McDermott, wilt physically
construct and install the StoNes of the Mississippi exhibit.
007 Publicize and open exhibit 01 Feb 2004 Marketing
5 months
Responsible Party: Marketing Director Jeff Holmes
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stodes of the Mississippi 6
Work Plan (Continued)
ooTj
Justification:
Marketing Director Jeff Holmes will coordinate a $300,000 marketing campaign for spring,
2004. which will include this Stories of the Mississippi exhibit as one of its primary features.
This campaign will include brochures, billboards, print media, electronic media, and public
relations.
Budget
Line
Item Description Total Cost Request Amt.
001 50 hours by Museum Director Jerry Enzler and City $2,125 $0
Planner Laura Carstens ~ $42.50/hr.
002 300 hours by Museum Director Jerry Enzler ~ $42.50/ $38,750 $26,000
hr and 1,000 hours by scholars and researchers ~ $26/hr
003 400 hours by Museum Curator Tacie Campbell and $10,400 $10,400
research team @ $26/hr
004 Budget proposals from Monadnock Media, based on past $126,000 $126,000
work for Smithsonian and Mississippi River Museum. 6
~ $21,000 each
005 Show control systems, speciality lighting, multi-channel $292,500 $292,500
sound systems, speakers and electrical - 6 programs ~
$48,750
006 Exhibit casework, signage and materials. 6,000 square $20,800 $20,800
feet ~ $10 sq. ft., and technician services-800 hours ~
$26/hr.
007 The museum will expend $300,000 to market the 2004 $105,000 $0
season through brochures, billboards, print media and
electronic media, and public relations with primary
emphasis on the Stories of the Mississippi exhibit.
Assuming 35% of this cost as match. .
Totals $595,575 $475,700
Match amount (total cost - requested amount) is $119,875 or 20.1% of total
Match accounted for in Match Breakdown is $119,875 or 20.1% of total.
These two amounts must be equal for the Budget and Match sections to be complete.
For your information, 80% of Total Cost is $476,460, and 20% of Total Cost is $119,115.
Your match amount cannot be less than 20% of Total Cost.
Match Breakdown
Source
Members and donors
Description Type
Private contributions Cash
Value
$119,875
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 7
Match Breakdown (Continued)
Source I Description I Type
Total
Value
$119,875
Total from items above: $119,875 or 20.1% of total.
Match amount from Budget: $119.875 or 20.1% of total.
These two amounts must be eaua for the Budget and Match sections to be complete.
For your information, 80% of Total Cost is $476,460, and 20% of Total Cost is $119 115.
Your match amount cannot be less than 20% of Total Cost.
Project Coordinator
Coordinator Name
Laura Carstens
Agency/Group Title
City of Dubuque Planner
E-mail Address
lcarsten ~cityofdubuque.org
Phone
563-589-4110
F~;3-589-4149
Street Addres.¢
5O W, 13th St.
City State ZIP
Dubuque IA 52001
State Program
State
Byway Program Start Date
01 Jun 1987
Scenic Byway Agency
Iowa Department of Transportation-Office of Corridor Development
State Scenic Byways Coordinator
M:~rgarer Roctman
E-mail Address
margaret.roetman~dot.sram.ia.us
Phone
515-239-1792
~5-239-1982
Street Address
800 Lincoln Way
City State ZIP
Am es IA 50010
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississfpp~ 8
Signatures
State Scenic Byways Agency
Margaret Roetman
iowa Scenic Byway Coordinator
Matching Funds Certification
Date
Jerry Enzler
Mississippi River Museum Director
Date
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 9
Congressional Members
Associated States
State Senators
lA Grassley, Chuck
Harkin, Tom
State Re presentatives
District Representative
State
IA
Nussle, Jim
SB-2003-1A-50703: Stories of the Mississippi 10
Attachments
[] Map showing location
[] Visitation Parameters - for the Mississippi River Discovery Center
[] Iowa Corridor Management Plan - Vision, Goals and Objectives
[] Planning Summary
[] Partnerships
[] Endorsements
[] Project Personnel
[] Project Consultants
[] Selected letters of support
[] America's River book - site map page 10- I ]
SEt-2003-tA-50703: Stodes of the Mississippi 11
OFFICE OF THOMAS J. MARTIN
Economic Research and Management Consultants
Vtt-3
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0
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CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAX J A x U A R 't 2 0 0 0
"ISION, CO.-',.I_S AND OBiECTIVES
The overall vision for the iowa Great River Road Scenic Byway is:
The Iowa Great River Road Scenic Byway presents
opportunities for protecting and promoting the
scenic, natural, historic, archeological, cultural and
recreational resources of the Mississippi River so
that the quality of life enjoyed by Iowans and all
Midwesterns can be sustained and a unique
destination can be provided for travelers from across
the world.
A mission of the Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission is to work with all
stakeholders To ultimately achieve this vision. Goals mat me Iowa Mississlpp
River Parkway Commission intend to achieve include:
· Continue the identification, documentation and protection of the
intrinsic resources of the Great River Road.
· Expand the loca~ citizen awareness of the resources and importance of
the Great River Road ~n Iowa and the adjoining states.
· Provide new travel experiences through effective interpretation and
promotion of the Great River Road.
· Increase information services to residents and organizations along the
Great River Road.
· Identify economic development opportunities based on the sensitive
use of the Road's intrinsic resources.
· Sustain existing alliances with other organizations that are interested in
the future.of the Great River' Road and devel.: p new partnerships
wnere needed.
· Identify volunteer opportunities for individuals and organizations.
A central theme for interpreting the Iowa Great River Road will be based on
the following:
People, communities, the nation and the world are
sustained by the history, the nature and the society
of the Mississippi River.
CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN
Historic: Encompassing legacies of the past that are distinctl;, assoc,atea w,~n
physical elements of the landscape, whether na~ura or manmade, that are of
such historic s~gnificance that they educate me viewer and stir an aaarec~anon
for the past.
· NationaI ReDster Histodc Districts
· Nat~onat Register Historic sites
· National River Museum, Dubuque
· Locks and Dams
· S~te historica sites
· Historic cemeteries
· County historical museums
· Private historic s~tes
Recreational: Outdoor recreational activities direct!y associated with and
dependent upon the natural and cultural elemems of the corridor's landscaoe.
The recreational activities provide opportunities for active and ~)ass~ve
recreational expenences.
· Water-based recreation opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting
· Protected wildlife management properties, state preserves
· State, county and city parks
· Nature centers
· Many types of hiking and bicycling
trails
· Primitive and modem
campgrounds
· W.Idlife viewing
· Antioue and art shopping
· Performing artsand cultural
even'Is
· Evening entertainment_casinos
· Art museums
Amheoloqical: Those characteristics of the scenic byway corridor that are
visible, physical evidence of historic or orehistoric human life or activities and
are capable of being inventoried and interpreted.
· Effigy Mounds National Monument
· Toolesboro Indian Mounds Nationa Histc % Landmark
· Museums
· Burial settlement sites
· Interpretattve programs
CORRIDOR MANAq F','.b%7 PL.-xx
JANUARY 2000
,\, I5ITOR EXPERIENCE PLANNING
Interpretation Opportunid es (14)
A number of organizations provide interpretation
programs for the Great River Road and the
Mississippi River. These range from static exhibits
dynamic and interactive programs.
Effective interpretation of the Great River Road is
one of its greatest c pportunities and needs.
Providing interpretation will be the responsibility of
many organizations and the Commission will
encourage and support efforts to enhance the visitor
expenence ~n the following areas:
Steec liraestone bluff at Mississtpp~
River's edge
· Development of interpretive master plans for the sites and regions
· Establishing measurable learning, behavior and emotion objectives
based on the overriding themes and sub-themes of the Great River
Road and the Mississ'ppi River
· Coordinating efforts among interpretation providers to reduce
duolication
· Canvassing programs To assure ~,,*,at me majority of the visitor
segments are addressed
· Using up-to-date media
· Providing accountable measures of success in reaching targeted
audiences
Desig-n Standards (13)
While no major improvements or re-alignment of the route are foreseeable the
Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission is available to assist the IDOT
and ocal transportation agencies with assuring that improvement projects are
designed and implemented in ways that are sensitive to the intrinsic qualities
Mississippi River Museum Planning Summary
The Mississippi River Museum bezan working on the River Discovery Center projec~
with scholars and planners in 1992. supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Community input sessions began in 1993 with focus group sessions, person on the street
interviews, and targeted discussions to involve a broad cross section of the commtmny. A ser~es
ofpublic forums was held to assess public interest in the project. Educators, communit3 leaders.
labor representatives, tourism officials, students and the public met together to develop the plan.
An Interpretive Plan Schematic Design for the project was created with the design firm of
Lyons Zaremba in 1997, outlining the exhibits, aquariums and other museum elements. A
Visitor Circulation Assessmem was prepared by ORCA Company which has completed similm'
visitor circulation assessments for Disney, Epcot and the "Final Four" basketball toumamem.
Their report shows the average length of time at each exhibit and estimates the total average
length of stay at 179 minutes, just under three hours. This means that some visitors will stay 5 to
6 hours while others may limit their initial visit to 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
A Review of Aquarium Systems and Selection of Animals was prepared by Dr. Joseph
Norton and Dr. Dave Collins, curators for the Tennessee Aquarium. This provides essential
advice for efficient operation of the aquariums. Engineering and Life Support Systems for the
aquarium tanks was completed by Enertec. which does all the life support and engmeenng for
Sea World facilities. A Planting Plan for Wetlands and Forests was prepared by Applied
Ecological Services of Brodhead, Wisconsin. This is one of the top four ecological wetland
designers in the country.
An Operations Feasibility Study was prepared by the Office of Thomas J. Martin,
Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Martin has a long history of operational assessment, having
worked for museum and visitor attractions all over the country including several in the Midwest.
This in-depth repor~ on the operations of the Center has guided decisions as to size, staffing and
operations, thereby help to ensure long term feasibility of the center. The museum also
participated with the City of Dubuque and adjacent attractions in a Parking Study which revealed
that the combined parking needs for the Ice Harbor attractions are met during the time periods
that the Interpretive Center will be open.
The Mississippi River Museum currently serves 75,00 people mmuall3 -fi-om 50 states and
30 foreign counmes. It is among the 9% of museums in the country that are accredited by the
American Association of Museums. The River Museum's River of Dreams film, narrated by
Garrison Keillor. was voted "Best Film in a History Museum" in 1997 by the Americml
Association of Museums and the Des Moi~es Regixter review headlined it, "Fifteen Minutes
You'll Never Forget.'
Partnerships and funding for the Mississippi River Discovery Center (the host for the
Great River Road Interpretive Center).
The River Discovery Center will be a national museum that has attracted substantial National
and Regional support:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Sen, ice - The museum has signed a 20 -year partnership agreement
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to interpret the Upper Mississippi River. Dubuque
centrally located in the Fish and Wildlife Service's Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge. which is the nation's longest and most visited refuge, with 3
million visitors a year. The Refuge is 261 miles long and contains 194.900 acres in four
states - Minnesota. Wisconsin. Iowa, and Illinois. This will be the refuge's first major
interpretive center.
Senator Harkin. Senator Grassley and Congressman Nussle were successful in secunng
major support from the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife budget. A letter of
support was secured from all five governors of the Upper Mississippi River.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - The museum has a five-year partnership agreement with the
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg, Mississippi. and all
six districts on the Mississippi River. to interpret the Corps' role in managing the Mississippi
River. The museum has visited with all six districts of the Corps, (St. Paul. Rock island. St.
Louis, Memphis. Vicksburg, and New Orleans) working with historians and plauners and has
also visited three times with the congressionally appointed Mississippi River Commission.
U.S. Coast Guard - The museum has a three year partnership agreement with the U. S. Coast
Guard. This agreement, sig"ned with Admiral Paul Pluta in New Orleans in 2000, provides
assistance ro the museum's efforts to tell the story of aids to navigauon, safety efforts on the
river, and the considerable number of boats built at the museum site for the Coast Guard.
U. S. GeologicaI Survey - The museum is working with scientists at the U.S. Geological-
survey to create flood plain models and other exhibits. Over the past 14 years, the
Geological Surveys' Mississippi Environmental Monitoring Programs at Onalaska,
Wisconsin, has conducted over ~ 100 million of research. This partnership allows the
Geological Survey to find a public outlet for this infom~ation and allows the museum to have
at its disposal the latest scientific research of the river.
· U.S. Department of Transportation - 6 grants have been from TEA-21 Transportanon
Enhancement Funding, including funds for historic restoration and adjacent trails.
· Institute of Museum and Library Services. Through Senator Harkin's (D-IA) efforts, over $3
million has been secured for exhibits for the River Discovery Center
HUD. U.S. Senator Torn Harkin secured HUD funding for the America's River project to
fund planning and design of the center.
· National Endowment for the Humanities - 6 grants from this highly competitive grant agency
for exhibits, construction and endowment.
· National Park Service Grant - Provide funds for the outdoor boatyard exhibit developmem
which will tell the story of the boat building which took place on the site for over 200 years.
· U.S. Department of Agriculture - The museum has consulted several times with officials for
the USDA's National Resource Conservation Service.
American Heritage Rivers Project, a national effort of 56 communities to encourage tourism
and travel along the upper Mississippi River including the River Discoverv Center project
James Lee Witt. then secretary of the Federal Emergency Managemem Administration
(FEMA/, was sent to Dubuque by President Clinton at the mmouncement of the program m
1999.
The State of Iowa is investing $27 million and has granted the America's River project a
grant of $40 million. This includes $20 million for the River Discovery Center. the largest
award in the state.
Private funding has been secured for the Mississippi River Discovery Center in the amount of
over $12 million, including major support from the entire length of the Mississippi River.
This includes gifts from $2 to $2 million and support from environmental interests and barge
company foundations.
Selected Endorsements
"The Mississippi River Discover3 Center will bring a depth of scholarship to bear to the national
story of the Mississippi. We are pleased to have been a part of this project from its inception in
1992, providing major funding for scholars and designers as well as a challenge grant at the
highest level awarded in the nation."
Bill Ferris, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanines.
"America's River is a dynamic project for Iowa. I traveled to New Orleans with America's River
leaders to meet with CEO's of the nation's largest barge companies to secure support for this
world class educational center."
Governor Ten5' Branstad, former Governor. Iowa
"America's River will be the interpretive center for the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and
Fish Refuge, the most visited refuge in the country and longest refuge in the 48 contiguous
United States. It is an attraction on par with the Grand Canyon and has as many visitors as
Yellowstone National Park."
Bill Hartwig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, Minneapolis.
20-year partnership agreement signed January 13, 1998
"The Mississippi Valley Division of the Corps of Engineers mhd all six districts along the length
of the Mississippi River are working in partnership with this national center to tell the great story
of the Mississippi River."
Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg
Five-year partnership agreement signed November 13, 1998.
"America's River will be a dynamic center for the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The
Coast Guard is working in partnership with America's River ~o make this a national effort."
Rear Admiral Paul Pluta, Commander U.S. Coast Guard 8th District, New Orleans
3-year partnership agreemem signed May 25, 2000.
"America's River is one of the most dynamic projects in the country. We are excited to work
with America's River as we plan Audubon's National Upper Mississippi birding trail."
Dan McGuiness. Director
Audubon national effort for the Upper Mississippi River
Delegations of local citizens and local government officials have appeared before the U.S. House
of Represematives Budget Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies in 1998 and again in
1999. U. S. Senators Harkin and Grassley and Congressman Nnssle. and their staffs, have
worked tirelessly to advance the project, both in the hails of Congress and with potential
supporters.
Project Personnel
Museum Executive Director Jen-y Enzler (24 years with the museum} has a master's
degree in museum studies at Cooperstown Graduate Program, State University of New York. He
is past chair of the Historical. Cultural aa~d Archaeological Committee of the Mississippi River
Parkway Commission and fom~er co-chair of the National Maritime Alliance. He has served on
the Iowa Museum Association long range planning committee and director's special standing
professional committee. He as appeared on History Channel, and National Public Television
programs in Germany and Japan. and on National Public Radio in Chicago and Austria. He has
been instructor in History and Museum Studies at Clarke College, Dubuque. He was the
recipient of Dubuque's 1991 "I st Citizen Award," and Humanities Iowa's first award for
"Distinguished Public Programming in the Humanities" in 1991
Development Director Teri Goodmann (6 years - B. A. in history, Clarke College) directs
the museum's public relations efforts. She coordinates the fund raising program, conducts the
membership program, recruits volunteers, and plans events. She has extensive background in
fund raising, marketing, and events, having chaired a local political parry, been pres/dent of
several church and volunteer groups, and successfully managed cainpaigns for local, state and
national office.
Curator Tacie Campbell (20 years with the museum - M.A, history museum studies,
Cooperstown Graduate Program) has twenty-seven years museum experience. She directs the
research and curatorial circle mad supervises a team of archival assistants, interns, and volunteers
who provide collections management and historical research on a regular basis, many coming
three afternoons a week. She has served as chair of the curator's con'mxittee for the Midwest
Outdoor Museum Coordinating Council, director of the Galena Historical Society and education
coordinator for the Calgary, Alberta museums. She is an Illinois Museum evaluator, panelist for
the Iowa Historic Resource Development Grant program and board member of the Dubuque
County Historic Preservation Commission and the Iowa Victorian Society.
Operations Director Mark Wahlert (M. S. Museum' Management, George Washington
Universit,.,. Washington, DC) supervises the team of interpreters, volunteers and housekeepers
who come into daily contact with visitors and markets the museums and programs. Before
coming to the museum he was on the Smithsonian's Capital Campaigaa for the New Millennium
and, while a student at George Washington, interned at the Office of the Director, Smithsonian's
Museum of American History.
National and Statewide Historical Consultants
Dr. John Anfinson is the former district historian, St. Paul District. U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and now historian with the National Park Service, Mississippi Minnesota National
Recreation Area. He received his PhD in history from the University of Minnesota. Dr.
Anfinson has just completed the manuscript for a new history of the Upper Mississippi River,
examinin$ the movements for and nature of navigation improvements from the early 1800s to
1940. It explores the origins of the conservation movement on the river and the effects of
navigaion projects on the river's ecosystems
Tom Boland is fisheries bioloaist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He has
been an advisor to the River Discove .ry Center project from its inception and has brought his
personal knowledge and contacts at the Iowa department of Natural Resources to the project.
Mr. Boland is one of the founding organizers of the Catfish Creek Coalition and is also a key
member of the River Discovery Center Consortium, a consortium o foyer 50 environmental
groups and individuals who are advising the project.
Dr. Edward T. Cawley is professor emeritus, biology, Loras College, Dubuque and
founder of the Environmental Research Center at Loras College. Over the last 18 years the
Environmental Research Center has funded 75 studies by undergraduate students in these areas
and has contracted with the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
Departments of Natural Resources of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The Environmental
Research Center maintains the Loras College Diatom Culture Collection. the largest culture
collections of freshwater diatoms in the world. Dr. Cawley has worked with several humanities
based projects including Iowa Public Broadcasting's "Land Between Two Rivers" and work with
the State Department of Natural Resources for the development of the National Register Mines
of Spain site at Dubuque.
Dr. David Edmunds is a Native American scholar and a person of Indian descent himself.
He is Watson Professor of American History at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is
consultant ro numerous Indian tribes including the Potawatomi and the Otoe-Missouria. He has
published The Potawatonties: Keepers of the Fire (Francis Parkman Prize~, The Shawnee
Prophet (Ohioana Prize for Biography).a,;d The Fox Wars: The Mesquakie Challenge to New
France I Alfred Heggoy Book Prize. French Colonial Historical Society). He has served as
consultant to several award winmng documentaries including The Way West. Five Hundred
Nations. and Black Hawk which will appear on the History Channel in 2000.
Katherine Fischer is director of the Writing Lab and assistant professor of English at
Clarke College in Dubuque. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College,
Plainfield, Vermont, and is a Humanities Iowa Scholar. She has served as an advocate for
women's issues and diverse perspectives in her writings and in numerous community
organizations. Ms. Fischer has extensive experience m writing that is inclusive of women and
minorities.
Ben Fuller is fonner curator for Mystic Seaport Museum (1978-1990~ and now is an
historian and consulting expert on small craft and their role in American history. His exhibits
and consultations include work at Mystic Seaport, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. South
Street Seaport, the Bermuda Maritime Museum, the Americm~ Canoe association, the
Adirondack Mu scum. lite Independence Seaport Museum and the Mississippi River Museum in
Dubuque.
Dr. Edward Hawes is a social historian with a wealth of experience in historic site
interpretation and environmental history. He has conducted several surveys and inventories of
historic resources, including waterfront surveys for the City of Bath, Maine, and the Maine Coast
Heritage Trust. He has worked on NEH supported projects for the Lincoln Home National
Historic Site. the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Illinois State Museum, Lincoln's
New Salem. and Living History Farms in Des Moines. Dr. Hawes was the director of the
Clayville Rural Life Center and Museum. Pleasant Plains, Illinois, an eleven-acre site with an
early [gth century rain, house-inn, two barns and several outbuildings.
Dr. Ken Lubinski and scholars at the U. S. Geological Survey's Environmental
Management Program at Onalaska. Wisconsin have conducted over S 100 million of federally
funded research and monitoring on the Upper Mississippi in the past ten years. Dr. Lubinski
brings this information to the public through River Discovery, particularly the flood plain stream
table.
Dr. Tom Morain, Ph.D. in American Civilization at the University of Iowa, is
Administrator for the State Historical Society of Iowa and the fom~er Director of Research and
Interpretation at Living History Fan~s, Des Moines, Iowa. He is author of Prairie Grass Roots:
the Hiszo~3, of an Iowa Small To,wi. which won the 1988 Shambangh Award from the Iowa
Historical Society and co-author of Iowa Past to Presem, the People and ~he Prairie which is
now used as the Iowa History School textbook. As director of research and interpretation. Dr.
Morain has developed interpretative manuals and educationaI materials at Living History Farms.
He serves on the NEH review panel for the State Humanities Board / Council funding.
Dr. Philip Scarpino is Director of Graduate Programs, Department of History, at Indiana
Univemity and an environmental historian. He is the author of Great River: An Environmental
History of the Upper Mississippi, ]890-1940 (University of Missouri Press, 1985 I. He was a
humanist scholar for both the "Harvesting the River" and the "Always a River" project, two
waterborne river exhibits funded in part by NEH. He is a well-known author and regular
presenter on issues of public history and environmental history and is a founding member of the
Center on History-Making in America.
Exhibit designers Lyons Zaremba, Boston, MA, outlined the initial exhibit concepts.
Lyons Zaremba are awa:d.winning designers known '~'or tlneir national projects including~ the
New England Aquarium in Boston, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga (the worlds larges~
fresh water aquar/um) and Visitors Centers at Charleston, South Carolina, and Natchez,
Mississippi.
Steven Bressler is director of Monadnock Media, Inc. and has experience on several
audiovisual projects. He has created audiovisual programs for the Smithsonian's National
Postal Museum, the Old State House Museum in Little Rock, the New York Historical
Association in Coopersrown. the Massachusetts State Her/tage Parks, the Concord Antiquarian
Society /NEH implementation grant) and the Newport Historical Society (NEH implementation
grant) He has worked with several museums on state humanities council projects.
Other scholars serving on the Museum's advisory committee include:
· Dr. Michael Allen, University of Washington - Tacoma, author of Western Rivermen. 1763-
1861
· Jo~'~ Barry, author of Rising Tide: How the Flood of 1927 Cha~ged ~4merica
· Jack Custer, editor of the scholarly Egregiozts Stean~boat Journal
· Dr. William Goetzmann, Pulitzer prize winning author ofE.¥ploratio~ & Eurol;e and T/re
14/esl of the h~agi~at~on
· Stephen Ambrose, author of Undaztnted Cou;xtge, IS a member of the museum who has
visited the museum and advised on early exploration history
Nationally recognized architects, planners and scholars have designed this to be a world class
facility:
· EHDD, San Francisco - the architects of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
· Lyons/Zaremba, Inc, Boston - the designers of the Tennessee Aquarium
· Enertec, San Diego - life support designers for all Sea World facilities
· ORCA - visitor circulation consultants to Disney World and EPCOT
Selected Letters of Support
Upper Mississippi River Congressional Task Force
Congressman Jim Nussle. Iowa
Congressman Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Congressman Jim Leach. Iowa
Congressman Gil Gutnecht, MN
Congressman James Oberstar, MN
Con~essman Leonard Boswell, Iowa
Con~essman Tom Latham, Iowa
Congressman Lane Evans, Illinois
Congressman Bennie Thompson, MS
Governors of Five Upper Mississippi River States 1999
U. S. Representanve Jim Nussle - Iowa
U. S. Senator John C. CuIver. Former Senator of Iowa
Dr. Willard L. Boyd, President Emeritus, University of Iowa
President Emeritus. The Field Museum
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Audubon Society
Dubuque Board of Supervisors
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation - Rick Dickinson
The Honorable Ralph Regula
Cha 1 rman
House Interior ADProrriat~ons SubcommitEee
.... .~D__n ~.'ouse Office
Wa shlngton, D.C. 20515 Building
Dear Chairman Regula:
On behalf of the bipartisan Upper Mississippi River
Conwressional Task Force and other Members of Conoress who
understand the significance of the Mississippi Ri~er, we would
like to share our support for a project we think would be a great
asseE ~o the Upper Mississippi River Basin and the entire nation.
The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge stretches 261 miles in five states and is considered to be
a premier wildlife refuge in the country. While over 3 million
people a year visit this refuge, there currently is no major
interpretive center for this refuge or for the Upper Mississippi
Riveralong Basin. the entire The only. other large interpretive center located
Tennessee. M!ssissippi River is Mud Island, in MeD~his,
The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge Interpretive Can=er in Dubuque, Iowa, will provide
Tk~o.~visit°rs- to the refuge a un.i~e view of the Mississippi River.
· - -gn various exhibits, &quaria, an outdoor wetland and boat-
building demonstrations, visitors will be able to explore the
social, economic and environmental history of the Upper
Mississippi.
The Interpretative Center has already raised over $11
million from private donations from citizens across the country
and from s=ate and local government funds. The Interpretive
Center representatives are requesting that $2 mill/on of the U.S.
Fish end,Wildlife budgeE be designated for planning, design and
construc=ion of exhibits for the Center. These exhibits will
include large scale aquaria with fish and wildlife of the
-Mississippi River in habi=at that Co-exist with the lock and
dams, dredged channel and recreatiDnal uses on the Mississippi.
The Interpretive Center has already signed a 20-year
partnership agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Task Force as aware of a similar partnership agreenr~ent sianed
besween Fergus Falls, Einnesota, and the U.S. Fish and Wild~i~e
Service for the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. Once the
Interpretive Center is fully operational, it will be managed by
the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque and wi!! no5 require any
federal funding or suppsrt.
We support these efforts and hope you will give every
consideration to the funding request for the Upper Mississippi
River Nstional ~' '~
Z~l~.ife and Fish Refuge Interpretive Center.
Sincerely,
V~ Obers ~=r
To~. Latham Lane Evans
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
ApriI28,1999
The Honorable RzJph Regula, Cha/rrnar.
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Int~or
B-308 Raybarn House Office Building
Washin~on~ D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Regula:
The M/ssissippi River is one of the world's gr~test namr~ tre2sures and pro~ides
Amcrlc2 ~,ith significant economic, recreauor~ tad en~/ronmenI~ benefits. As the govemor~ of
the five states that shzre the Upper Mississippi Pover, we strongly support the development of the
first-of-its-kind Upper/Vfississippi Pover Interpretive Center to sha-e ks bound' ~ith all citizens.
The Upper Mi,$issippi gr~Idlife md Iri~ Refuge is 26I miles long, is the home of 40% of
the nation's ~grmor,j, waterfowl, contribute~ b~iom Io the commercial economs; md attracts
annual recreational ~pending of $1.2 billion per year. A partnership of private citizem, state mol
local government, corporations, businesses md foundations has adv~cex] a pla.n for the first
Interpretive River Center, to be loc2~ed ir, Dubuque, Iowa. Lo:al agencies ~.,xl private cniz~ns
~e. mvestin~ over 50ry~ of the construct/on cost~ ~cl wi/I as,u.me a.l] of the operatin~ ~M
ma-mtenance costs wh,'n the Cent~ is completed.
A Parmersh/p .4~Teement is now in place berv,,~n the Mississi:~pi P0ver M~:seum tad th,
U.S. Fis5 & Wildlife Service to ~ntc"r-pret the Upper MisSissippi River Wildlife and Fish Refage. A
pa.?er~hip is being finalized with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Vall~'DMsion,
to interpret the Upper Mississippi ~ver.
The MJssi~ippi R/vet Museum and the City of Dubuque a.~e requesting $2 mill/on for
planning, site development, and constru~on as pm of the U.S. Fish & '~'Sldlife Se:'wice burlget
for FY 2000. to be fully rrmtched by non-fcae,"a] ~ources The people ofour five states tm
co~'rJukng $13 million toward tI~ $26 million Center. Adddtionally, over $8 m/Ilion in private
funds have b~n r~/sed thus far.
We offer our strong ~md a~--tu~ized ~pport to the creation ofth~s major new Interpretive
Cemer. We ~k you far your fund/rig support to n~ce the Upper Mississippi River Interpretiv,,
psge 2
Ceme; a r~Hty, not just for thc pcop]¢ of our ~;t~te.% but as an education, c-nvlronnmma/~md '
culturaJ ~ifl to America ~ the world.
Sinccreb,,
St~e of lltinois
~~ vemor Sesse~
State of~sconsLn ' ~~so~a~tura
Governor MeI Carn~han
Stale o£Missouri
The ~{onorable Ralph Re.la
Subcommittee On The interior
B-308 Rayburn House ~fic=
Dear Chairman
As the House and the Senate prepare for the upcoming
Interior Approprlations conference, I would like co express my
strong support for the retention of funding in the Senate
Interior Appropriations bill for the Upper Mississippi'River
Refuge Interpretive Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
The Interior Appropriations bill passed by the Senate
includes Sl.2 million in funding for the Interpretive Center.
This initiative would benefit the entire nation by providing a
world-class center for interpreting and exploring the history
of the Upper Mississippi River. The Interpretive Center would
also serve as the nucleus for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge
which extends 261 miles north and south of Dubuqae. Currently,
there is no interpretative center for this refuge, which is
visited by over 3 million people a year.
- urge you to ~zve eve~f consideration to this worthy
project. Please do no~ hesitate to contact me if you have any
~aestions.
er of Congress
John C. Culver
March 10. t999
N!r. L.t:r: Dc,id
C tcrk. Minority Staff'
Senate Comminee on Appropriauons
Interior and Related Agencms
SH- 123 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington. DC 20510-6033
Dear Kur%
I am writing in support of the 513 million dollar appropriation request which is pending before
3'our Subcomminee for the Mississippi River Discovery Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
I lived in McGregor. a nearby communi%,, for man3' years and was privileged to represem
Dubuque and the Northeast comer of the State bordering the river in both the U.S. House of
Representatives and the U.S. Senate for 16 years.
I have thus had a great interest in the river and the Center project is an outstanding partnership
which will enrich the understanding and appreciation of all who visit this remarkable historic
region and it's spectacular environment.
I know you have extraordinary competing demands on limited resources but my enthusiasm for
what they are doing with this exciting effort compelled me to x~zite and express my strong
feelings in this matter.
I do greatly appreciate the Committee giving this most xvorthwhile funding request ever3,
appropriate consideration. Thank you yen., much.
Sincerel.,
~-lSn C. Culver
bec: Teri Goodman
THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
April 26, 1999
National Endov, znem for the Humanities
c,o Je.,v.y 'Znzler. Direct ar
Dubuque County Historical Society
P.O. Box 266
Dubuque. IA 52004-0266
Dear Friends:
I strongly endorse the application of the Dubuque County Historical Society for NEH
Challenge Grant funds to support the establishment of the Mississippi Pdver Discovery Center
and the creation of four endowed positions at the Museum.
· The River Discovery Center will be a significant expansion to the Mississippi River
Museum' s offerings. It will examine human relationships v,2th one oft.he nation's greatest
natural resources, the Mississippi River, and interpret our attitudes towards the river over time.
The Museum is also applying for funds to create endowed positions for curator of
environmental history, education director, lead interpreter and collections manager. These
positions will significantly strengthen the museum's ability, to present the humanities to the
public.
The Mississippi River Museum is an outstanding institution. It has developed an
enthusiastic and dedicated constituency. Its organization is exceptionally effective and its
programs are pacesetting. An NEH Challenge Grant wouldxecognize a major regional
educational center and would enable the Museum to leverage vital financial resources.
Thank you for your consideration.
WLB mes
Sinceretv yours,
Willard L. Boyd
Professor of Law and
President Emeritus
University of Iowa and The Field Museum
College oiL aw 280BoydLawBIag. towaCiry, lowa52242-1113
FAX319/335-9098/335-9019
J ] 0(; ?emz~ ~,lvama ,4 :'enue. :Y g'
II'~.shingloiv, DC 20~06
Februarvih. 2000
Je~v A. Enzler, Director
Dubuque County HistoricalSocie:v
P.O. Box 2v6
Dubuque, lA 52004-0266
Dear Mr. Enzter:
On behalf of the National Endoxwnent for the Humanities, I would like to
congratulate you on your NEH chailenge ~rant. The EndowTnent is very pleased to join
'Mth you in strenZherhna humanities actix ities at the Dubuque County Historical Society.
This is a high honor: yours is one of only seven museums and historical organizations to
receive such an award in fiscal year 2000.
As you know, NEH challenge grants are awarded only after a demanding peer
review process. Your proposal was reviewed by directors of history museums and other
historical organizmions who have expertise in tong-term planning for the humanines.
These evaluators were especially impressed with the humanities themes selected for the
River Discovery Center. This effort will be an important addition to the general public's
understanding of the nature of the river and the ways in which people and the natural
world interact. Going far beyond the scope of most county historical societies, your
organization has become a vehicle for telling the big story of the Mississippi River to
local, regional, and national audiences.
Again, con~ratulations~ on )'our NEH challen~e_ ~ant. We are deli~ohted to be a
funding panner for this exciting endeavor, and I hope others wilt join with-us in
supportmg the enriclunent of the humanities in America.
Sincerely,
William R. Ferris
Chairman
Nation l u dubon Society
May 18, 1998
~2ongressmaq Ralph Regxla. -
United States House of Representatives
2309 Raybum Office Build/rig '
.?~hing~on, D.C. 20515
Mirmesota Audubon Council
26 Eas~ Exchange Street. Suite 207
Si. Paul. ~MfN 5510]
_(6.12) 25-1830
FAX. I612~ 2254486
Dear Representative R~ala:
I am writing to ask your support for a $1.2 m~lhon appropriation to the budgelt of the U.S. FLxh
'and Wildlife Sen'ice budget for planminr and ske developmcnt for ~a Upper M~issippi River
Natigrad Wildlife and F~h ~ · -
Refuge tmerpretlve Center to be located in Dubuque, Iowa.
Senator Tom Har'kin (Iowa) and Senator Ctmrles Grissley (iowa) are sending a letter supporting ' '
~ approFristion as ~ of the FY 1999 budget for the U.S. Fish and W'fldl/fe Service. "
A~ d/rector of the National Audubon Society's Upper Mississi~i River Campalg~ I urge your
support of this appropriation in support of this nationally si~;~;cant resource. This appropriation"
' Iowa,W°uldMinnesota.aUgment theMissour/S6 mil/ionandalreadVwisc~nsin3raised by citizens, fi'~m the five upper r~ver .~,*~ ('illinois,
and would assure an additional $7 mill/on in non-
.- federal, funds, dependent upon favor'able support fi'om Congress this ye,qr.
,, Three important reasons to support ~s ~propriation are: ' '
· In return for $12 mill/un in support from Congrms, the citizens of the region are
- ': willing to commit $13 m/lion in non-federal support.
· The Dubuque River Museum wLll assUme all ongoing expenses of the interpretive
center without ongoing costs to the federal government _
· 'i-he U.S. Fish and Wi/dlife Sm'ice, R~giun 3, and the museum have signed a 20-year
partnersh/p agreement for the museum ro inte~re~, the refuge. This museum, located
in Dubdque, Iowa, is located at the junction of Iowa, Ill/nois and Wisconsin and
serves international, and nit/ora/visitors through Ch/cago and Mfilwaukee.
The Upper Mississipi2i River Natiorm! Wildl/t'e ad Fish Refaae is the nation's longest ~nd mos~- -
Cemm~'rcial navl gtion s~ ~,a nanonat~y st~-anc,-mt ecosystem and a nationally slvni~canI
. - g 3,stem. . -
As a treasm'ed economic and gcologfcal resource, tkis river and thg people it ~erves need y6ur
_ ~pport_ Please contact John Conrad in Sen~or Omssley's office at 202-2203744 or Win-ten
Gunnels in Senator Harkin's office a~ 202-224- 1214.
.:' . Upper Mississippi Pdver Campaign'
-' .. Mirmesota Chapters Of National Auctubon Socie : '
A,,ass~z AlbertLea ·Austm · Cenn'~JMnnesota · Duluth'. '" ,, *- - , . *- -
"' " Minnesota Raver .Valley · Miss~ss~pp~ Head'o, aters · St. Paul · Whffe Pine ~ Wild River · Zumbro Va2ley
PHONE: 319- 589-.t441
FA;(: 319-58s-4478
COURTHOUSE
DUBUQUE, IOWA 5200~-7053
DONNA L SMITH
ALAN R. MANTERNACN
JIM WALLER
Apfilt9,1999
The Honorable Tom Harldn
Uhited States Senate
531 Hart Office Building
Wast'ing-ton DC 20510
Dear Senator Hark/n:
We thank you for your support of the Dubuque, Iowa, America's River project and believe that
the project represents an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate your leaderskip as a steward
of America's narurai resources. As you know, this project Mll celebrate America's greatest
fiver, the Mississippi, appropr/ately at Dubuque, Iowa where, thanks to President Carter and
Senator Culver, Jul/on Dubuque's Mines of Spain are preserved, and where the National Rivers
Hall of Fame is located, and where 65,000 people anmmlly visit the ex/sting Mississippi River
Museum.
With your leadership, we have been able to enjoy the Federally-designated wildlife refuge just
north of Dubuque, on the Mississippi R/ver; the America's River project will enhance that refuge
and will interpret the River to people from thoughout the entire planet earth.
Dubuque Coun .ty is.iustifiably proud of the progression of evenks initiated here to preserve our
cultural heritage, and to present the rich h/story of our Dubuque County, one of the two original
Iowa Counties, and the River's predominant role in it, to succeeding generations.
America ~s River has brought together Dubuque County and City governments, the Dubuque
County Historical Society., the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, the State of Iowa and
private individuals and foundations. This collaboration has also involved environmentalists,,
industry professionals and cifize~z from around the region and nation to create an interpretative
and education center.
It is estimated that we can expect 175,000 visitors per year, where people can enjoy the natural
wonder of the ~Mississippi River and learn of its role in the development of this nation. The
vis~on for the Center is that it will interpret not only the natural wStdlife and waterfowl and the
wetlands, but the recreational and commercial purposes of the River as well, and the balance that
must confnue to manage it as the ~dtal environmental and economic resource that it is.
Page 2
Senator Harkin
April I9, 1999
The collaboration in planning ;his Cerxer :ncludes agreements with Bill Har'tv,'ig, Director,
Region Three, U.S. Fish and Wildli£e in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Major General Pkillip
.Anderson, Mississippi Valley division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg,
Mississippi.
This Center, to be located in the Ice Harbor at Dubuque, adjacent to the existing museums and
the proposed Mississippi Riverwalk, Mll also include a two-acre outdoor demonstration wetland
as a habitat for wildlife and a living h/story outpost featuring a Native American v/llage, a
French voyager camp and commere;al risking and clamming camps. The restored national
landmark steam dredge, William M. Black, will be a place for ckildren to spend the n/~t in crew
qua~ers and eat in the boat's mess to learn about the role of the Corps of Engineers in managSng
the boat.
VCqen the America's River project is complete, visitors to Dubuque can experience all of the
wonder of the Mississippi River, begin.r2ng with the actual seventeenth century lead mine sites
located in the I200-acre Mines of Spain Recreation Center, and continuing with the existing
R.iverfi-ont museums, the National Landmark Pre-Civil war Old Jail, and the hundreds of sites
listed on the National Register, illustrating the progression of events that have shaped our County
and our nation. We will, of course, welcome visitors to the beautiful Dubuque County
Courthouse, the first building in Iowa to be listed on the National Register.
The cost for the America's River project ~s estimated at $24.5 million. Already, S6.I mill/on in
private gig~s and non-federal ~ants has been raised, including a S1 million dollar direct
appropriation from the State of Iowa. To date 511 million has been raised.
We are than/ring you f6r your help and leadersNp in securing a maior river project for Dubuque,
which has been on your ag ,=nda for mmn;,' years, and in obtaining ~2 million federal funding for
the project; as you know, this funding request is supported by all five governors and more than
l 5 confessional leaders of the Upper Mississippi states.
The America's River project is a grand vision for all of America; please help us to make this
vision a reality. Thank you.
Sincerely,
DLqBUQUE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Donna L. Smith, Chairperson
GREATER
DUBUQUE
DEVELOPMENT
December t4. 2000
Iowa Department of Economic Development Board of Directors
Vision Iowa Program
2g0 E..q'~.;'.', ~.venue
Des Homes, Iowa 50309
Dear Directors:
On oehalf of Greater Dubuque DevelopmenL I write you with both pride ano enthusiasm for
.~me,?a's ,e;ve-, dearly the boldest project undertaken by the people of Dubuque in more than
50 /ears.
After losin~ both population and businesses in the 1980's, many predicted the worst for Iowa's
oldest dry7 Because of a decade of sacrifice, vision, and downright hard-work, Dubuque is on
the cornel)acK ~rail.
Hdwever, despite Dubuque's reneweo energy and vibrant optimism, serious challenges still
exist. Dubuque, like the rest of Iowa, is facing a looming population crisis. Sadly, many of our
best and brightest leave in search of new opportunities and exhilarating exoeriences. Some
come pack to their future and come home to Dubuque. Many, however, do not.
Because Iowa% overall quality of life is second-to-none, it begs the question: What are we
missing? It is our firm belief that bold, exciting attractions are the missing pieces to Iowa's
quat[~ of life advantage. Whether it's keeping our young ~eopie here or converting visitors into
lifelong Iowa -esidents, we believe that America's Riveris the ~ype of bold, exciting attraction
that Iowa needs.
For more than 150 years, DubuQue has served as a gateway into Iowa. Lured.by the mighty
Mississippi River ano the promise of a new day, generations of Iowans passed through Dubuque
on their journey to our beautiful state.
What's old is new again. With your support of the America's R?verproject, the rolling bluffs of
the Mississippi, near a City called Dubuque, will once again oecome a gateway into Iowa.
~,~,~t~,~SincereJ
Rick Dickinson
Director
770Town Clock Plaza - Dubuque Iowa 52001 ~ Phone t31.c: 557-904~ - Fax t319i 557-1059 ~ Imernet: http://w~-,v.greaterdubuque.or§