Guttenberg, Iowa

Guttenberg at a glance...

Guttenberg, population 1800+, is a beautiful town in Northeast Iowa approximately 35 miles north of Dubuque along the mighty Mississippi.

When French missionaries traveled this portion of the Mississippi in 1673, they called this area Prairie La Porte, which translates to "door to the prairie". Guttenberg area was a site of Sac and Fox campgrounds until 1823.  This area was settled by German immigrants after the last  Fox Indian settlement was abandoned in 1832. They named this town after Johannes Gutenberg, the fifteenth-century inventor of the first moveable type.

Guttenberg's riverfront location influenced early commercial development. The town first served as a focal point for westward settlement and as an early governmental and administrative center.  Economic revival began in 1845 with the influx of hundreds of German immigrants under the guidance of the Western Settlement Society of Cincinnati and continued with the development of the lead mining industry along Miners Creek.  The German immigration began in 1845 and by 1850 the town was quite sizable and nearly all German.

Guttenberg, incorporated in 1851, had the influence of the German population which was best indicated by the construction during the period between 1845 and 1865 of over one hundred stone buildings.  Four large riverside warehouses opened and a large flour mill, stores, and hotels appeared during this period.

Enjoy a few minutes watching barges, fishermen, and pleasure crafts pass through the lock and dam.  Relax in the city’s gorgeous riverside park; or visit the aquarium and Lockmaster's Museum.  This charming old river town features many historic limestone buildings built by German immigrants.  These beautiful buildings are still used for both residential and commercial purposes. Many of these majestic limestone structures are pre-civil war era and are on the national historic register. Enjoy a walking tour of these buildings through the downtown area.  Guttenberg's Annual Germanfest Celebration takes place the last weekend of September every year and is a celebration worth visiting for.

Above is a sample of the beautiful, hand-numbered prints of Guttenberg recently completed by renowned artist Gordon Glass which are available locally for $20 each.  Choose from either black and white or parchment (shown).  Can be shipped anywhere in the US for an additional $5!  Email for more information  greenins@alpinecom.net

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