A look at Marquette and McGregor, Iowa

Antiques not yet available	Marquette, known as North McGregor in its beginning in 1857, was born from the need of a supply point for the proposed railroad that would be passing through the valley. This supply point quickly developed into a thriving community. By 1858, the Clayton County town had a population of 300 people with several businesses. As the railroad grew, so did North McGregor. The first all rail routes between Chicago and the Twin Cities ran through North McGregor in the 1860s. Incorporated May12, much of the town and railroad were destroyed during the disastrous floods in 1896 and 1916, but the damages were quickly corrected. On March 29, 1920, North McGregor became Marquette, in honor of the priest, Father Jacques Marquette, who first explored the upper Mississippi in the summer of 1673 with Louis Joliet. The Marquette & McGregor area offers camping, hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling and unlimited river activities. There is also a casino in Marquette called the Miss Marquette Riverboat Casino. McGregor, or Coulee des Sioux, as it was known by the Indians and French trappers, had its beginning as a ferry boat business that Alexander McGregor and Thomas Burnett, both of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, began in 1837. It was nicknamed the "Pocket City" because it sits in a natural amphitheater in the bluffs. In 1845, McGregor became sole owner of the business and in 1847, plotted out a six-block area near the river which had been known as McGregor's Landing. Directly across from Prairie du Chien, the area contained 13 cabins. McGregor moved his family to the Iowa side and as his family grew, so did the little river town. Within 20 years, the Clayton County community was literally bursting with a population of 5,500. McGregor grew to become one of the busiest wheat ports on the Mississippi River. One hundred and twenty some businesses lined its dusty streets and as many as 150 wagons would wait in line for the ferry. As the west became settled, businesses moved and McGregor's prosperity slowly declined. The final passing of the steamboat era and of the railroad brought about a close to bustling activity of the town which is now over a century and a half old. McGregor is surrounded by unsurpassed scenic beauty and is rich in historical wealth as many of its 19th century storefronts and several of its homes have been restored to reflect the period in which they were built. McGregor is now known for being a year-round tourist destination. Much of its appeal comes from its preservation of much of its Nineteenth Century architectural heritage.
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