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Maquoketa Area Chamber of Commerce        117 S. Main     Maquoketa, Iowa 52060     PHONE: (563)-652-4602     1-800-989-4602     FAX: (563)-652-3020

 

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Attractions

History

The roots of Maquoketa, Iowa run deep through American history. Starting with two young men, J.E. Goodenow and Lyman Bates from New York, heading west with a wagonload of trade goods.

On March 3, 1844, the town officially became Maquoketa. The name was derived from the Sauk and Fox Indian words Makwok-eteg, meaning "there are bears". Although the spelling evolved to Maquoketa, the original plat showed the name as Makoketa.

The town was incorporated in 1853 with a population of 300. In 1873 Maquoketa became the permanent seat of Jackson County.

The Decker House and the 800-seat Harris Opera House were built in 1876. Squiers Manor Bed and Breakfast, also conveniently located in Maquoketa, is a brick Queen Anne style mansion that was built in 1882. Squiers Manor is located in the West Pleasant Historic District one block west of Main Street.

Today, Maquoketa has bout 6,100 residents. Its agricultural economy is increasing bolstered by light industry. Over the years Maquoketa's industrial concerns have included a woolen mill, a brewery, furniture builder, a cigar maker, wagon and pump makers, and foundries. More recently, several auto parts manufacturers have set up plants in the city's growing industrial park.

The Jackson County Historical Museum, located at the fairgrounds on the east side of the city, features historic artifacts, a genealogy research center, and various thematic displays that reveal how the city has achieved its sense of place.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, you be the judge.

Someone once said that everyone needs to have a "sense of place". Maquoketans' sense of place began thousands of years ago. Native American artifacts affirm the deep-rooted sense of "place" that this special location provides. More recent Indian tribes left us another legacy, our unique name, Maquoketa.

Jackson County museums narrate the tales and highlight the treasures which link us to this sense of place. They tell of grist mills and lime kilns, of loggers and merchants, of industrious Yankees and immigrant farmers, of dreamers and doers. Nearly a score of National Historic Register sites in and around Maquoketa flash out the stories the museums weave.