County: Dubuque

Official Site of Dyersville, Iowa

A few settlers, mostly English, were scattered about this vicinity in 1837. The first deed for land in the community was recorded by Joseph Hewitt on August 8, 1839.

A group of Bavarians settled in the area in 1846. Covered wagons brought ten families comprised of 42 souls. They homesteaded and were the nucleus of our farming community.

James Dyer arrived in the area in 1847, at the age of 26, and selected this site for his settlement. His family and friends followed from Somersetshire, England in 1848 and a community was established. Dyer was a man of means and good judgment and great progress was made under his leadership. An intensive building program was initiated that included grist and saw mills, shops, hotels, fine homes and many churches. The town was known as Dyersville as early as February 13, 1849.

The panics and depressions of 1857 and 1873 caused many of the English to leave for places promising better fortunes in finance, commerce and trade, for which they had been trained. The English began to relinquish their leadership to the Germans in about 1857 with the arrival of the Bulingers, Forkenbrocks, Goerdts, Holschers and Schultzes. Their children, having inherited the pioneer spirit, struck out on their own and soon induced their elders to sell out and join them.

The influx of Germans began when Bernard and Henry Holscher opened a General Merchandise Store on West Main, near the bridge, in January of 1858. It was the first German speaking place of business opened. They started a trade center where farmers could buy their needs and sell their products.

James Dyer died on November 2, 1864 at the age of 44 leaving behind him many accomplishments after only 17 years in a new state.

As the migration of the English continued, they sold farms, homes and stores to the Germans, who by 1910 had taken an almost exclusive possession of Dyersville and the surrounding area.

Many of the homes built by the early English still exist today. There are many descendants of the English living here also, some having married into German families. There is also a sprinkling of Irish, some of whose ancestors came with the building of the railroads and stayed.

- from The Dyersville Chamber of Commerce

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