History of McGregor and Marquette 
prepared by
Raymond Anderson
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Geological Survey Bureu

 

History of McGregor – 162 years on the Mississippi
    modified from McGregor Chamber of Commerce Brochure

 McGregor sprouted from a ferryboat landing that Alexander MacGregor and Thomas Burnett established in 1837.  This landing eventually grew into one of the most important shipping depots west of Chicago.  It was in 1847 when MacGregor hired a surveyor to plot out a block-size area which later became known as McGregor upon its incorporation in 1857.  Apparently the “a” in the MacGregor family name was dropped from the town’s name (McGregor) early in its history with the consent of the MacGregor family.  They had apparently deleted the “a” when referring to the town in family letters and diaries.Text Box: JESSE JAMES STOPS FOR BREAKFAST from http://www.mcgregor-marquette.com/history/things/jesse.htm It was a normal August day on the Maple Moody farm just three miles south of McGregor in 1876. Maple was away helping a neighbor with the harvest and a neighbor girl, Martha was helping Mary. There came a knock at the door. Mary upon opening the door was impressed with the appearance of the leader of the men at the door. He was very polite as he requested breakfast for the men he was traveling with. Mary and Martha enjoyed fixing the meal for the men and were especially surprised when each of them left a dollar on their way out for the wonderful hospitality. A few days later while Mary was reading the paper after having supper with Maple, she was amazed to see a picture of the man who came knocking at her door just days earlier. It was the notorious Jesse James. He was wanted in connection to a robbery in Northfield, MN. He had told Mary that the men where headed to Northfield to work in the wheat fields. Mary lived to be 104 and never forgot the day Jesse James stopped for breakfast.

McGregor’s colorful history is full of tantalizing tidbits of Midwest culture.  These include the rapid growth of McGregor as the “Gateway to the West”, the near lynching of a railroad official by unpaid workers; tragic floods and fires; the story of how the famous Ringling Brothers Circus had its beginning in the back yards of McGregor; a visit from Jesse James on the Moody farm south of town (detailed below); the colorful Diamond Jo Reynolds whose steamboat shipping office still stands in McGregor and is listed in the National Historic Register; the story of business tycoon William Huntting’s 20-room mansion which is credited today with being one of northeast Iowa’s finest examples of 19th century architecture, and many other stories.  These adventures make McGregor unique in historical lore.
 

      Agri-Grain Marketing in McGregor

Barge traffic is a common sight in the McGregor area.  At Agri-Grain Marketing, tourists and home folks alike enjoy watching the barges being loaded with grain and shipped out to the gulf for the purpose of exporting to other countries.  An average season will send about 25 million bushels of corn and 10 million bushels of soybeans to market.  For your education and interest, they have guided tours each Wednesday at 3 p.m. from mid-March to mid-November.  Other times can be arranged through their office.
 

McGregor Historical Museum

At the McGregor Historical Museum you can find exhibits on river history and the founding of the community as a ferry boat landing in 1837.  There is also information on how the Ringling Brothers, as in Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, got their start performing in the back yards of McGregor.  It additionally has displays of  Civil War relics, household antiques and more! Open Monday, Friday and Saturday, 2-5 P.M. at 254 Main St. in McGregor, IA 52157, phone 319-873-2186.
 

McGregor Statistics & Facts

> The population of McGregor is approximately 797.

> The approximate number of families is 477.

> The amount of land area in McGregor is 3.596 sq. kilometers.

> The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers:.

> The distance from McGregor to Washington DC is 827 statute miles. The distance to the Iowa state capital is 163 statute miles. (Statute miles are "as the crow flies")

> McGregor is positioned 43.02 degrees north of the equator and 91.18 degrees west of the prime meridian.

 

 A Brief History of Marquette
  modified from http://www.riverroads.com/states/iowa/ia6/ia6.html

 In the beginning, around 1857, Marquette was known as North McGregor, it was born from the need of a supply point for the proposed railroad that would be passing through the valley of Bloody Run Creek.  This supply point quickly developed into a thriving community.  As the railroad grew, so did the community.  It was the first all rail route between Chicago and the Twin Cities.

North McGregor was incorporated on May 12, 1860.  Much of the town and the railroad were destroyed during disastrous floods in 1896 and 1916.  The damages, however, were quickly corrected.  On March 29, 1920, the town name was changed to Marquette, in honor of Father Marquette, who with Joliet, first explored through the upper Mississippi River in 1673.

 

 The Isle of Capri Riverboat Casino
 modified from  http://www.isleofcapricasino.com/Marquette/

 Text Box: Figure 1. Isle of Capri Riverboat and Casino. Nestled between the picturesque bluffs and Mississippi River, Marquette is the home of the Isle of Capri (formerly the Miss Marquette) Riverboat Casino is home to the widest variety of casino games and entertainment facilities in a 100 mile area.  As the premiere riverboat casino on the upper Mississippi, Isle of Capri Riverboat Casino offers live table games and a variety of slot machines. There's blackjack, live poker, roulette, craps, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, and over 675 slot machines from a nickel up. Plus, there's a great buffet, comfy cliff-side hotel and showroom that offers some of the finest national and regional acts around, and it is open 7 days a week.

 

 

 

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from

Anderson, R.R. (ed.), 2000, The Natural History of Pikes Peak State Park, Clayton County, Iowa: Geological Society of Iowa Guidebook 70, p. 69-70.