The Dubuque Shot Tower

The George W. Rogers & Co. Shot Tower claims the distinction of being Dubuque's most recognizable and enduring landmark. And while it only operated intermittently from 1856 to 1862, the Shot Tower continues to serve as a reminder of America's vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of the mid-1800s. In order to preserve this local legacy and include it in the larger narrative of our national past, students from Central Alternative High School invested a year in 2005-2006 to conduct research and tell the story. Their resulting effort, combined with essays by community experts, has been edited by John Adelmann into a first-of-its-kind book that presents a fascinating saga of the Shot Tower that has become greater than the sum of its myths and legends.