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When the Doctor Came to Dubuque: The Story of the Henry D. Cogswell Statue
Presentation Type
Creative Performance (Electronic Copy Not Available)
Abstract
With a burgeoning city population of 18,434, Dubuque is the metropolis of Iowa in the year 1877. In the midst of the profitable logging and ice industries on the Mississippi River, the citizens of Dubuque felt their duty to settle the town and be civilized members of society, shown through the commemoration of public parks. However, during this seemingly picturesque time, Dubuque also struggles with a dark affinity for “King Alcohol”, causing men to vandalize public property and beat their wives. These, and other heinous crimes, emotionally prepare the citizens for the arrival of Dr. Henry D. Cogswell.
In their newly constructed park on Locust Street, Cogswell preaches temperance, and in this devotion promises Dubuque a statue of their own to commemorate a local hero. The citizens actually choose a heroine, Kate Shelley, and eagerly await her arrival. When the statue arrives, however, it’s in Cogswell’s own likeness, revealing a scam he had perfected through his preachings across the country. Begrudgingly, he is allowed to stand in the park; but, 20 years later, the good doctor disappears forever. Where did he go? Will King Alcohol forever rule Dubuque, Iowa, or can a philanthropist-dentist of temperance save the industrial city? A work of creative, historical fiction performed in a similar fashion to Mark Twain's tall tales about the Mississippi River.
Start Date
3-4-2018 12:00 PM
End Date
3-4-2018 2:30 PM
Faculty Advisor
Jim O'Loughlin
Department
Department of Languages and Literatures
Copyright
©2018 Elizabeth Dickhut
Embargo Date
3-30-2018
When the Doctor Came to Dubuque: The Story of the Henry D. Cogswell Statue
With a burgeoning city population of 18,434, Dubuque is the metropolis of Iowa in the year 1877. In the midst of the profitable logging and ice industries on the Mississippi River, the citizens of Dubuque felt their duty to settle the town and be civilized members of society, shown through the commemoration of public parks. However, during this seemingly picturesque time, Dubuque also struggles with a dark affinity for “King Alcohol”, causing men to vandalize public property and beat their wives. These, and other heinous crimes, emotionally prepare the citizens for the arrival of Dr. Henry D. Cogswell.
In their newly constructed park on Locust Street, Cogswell preaches temperance, and in this devotion promises Dubuque a statue of their own to commemorate a local hero. The citizens actually choose a heroine, Kate Shelley, and eagerly await her arrival. When the statue arrives, however, it’s in Cogswell’s own likeness, revealing a scam he had perfected through his preachings across the country. Begrudgingly, he is allowed to stand in the park; but, 20 years later, the good doctor disappears forever. Where did he go? Will King Alcohol forever rule Dubuque, Iowa, or can a philanthropist-dentist of temperance save the industrial city? A work of creative, historical fiction performed in a similar fashion to Mark Twain's tall tales about the Mississippi River.
