The Case of the Silver Pooch Traditional Geocache
The Case of the Silver Pooch
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Located in the south end of Dubuque's downtown
This is my first time hiding a cache!!!
In 1866 Dubuque Lumber was started at this location, with Moore's Mill as its foundation. It bragged about having the world's tallest smokestack chimney. Fire's in 1870 & 1872 required the Mill's rebuilding. A third fire 1n 1876 doomed the company.
The area's next historical point is it's time when it was known as a "Hooverville" in the 1930's. "Hoovervilles" sprung up during the great depression as tent & shanty towns for those left bankrupt and homeless during the depression and were named after President Hoover.
The area had always been a popular fishing spot for sportsmen. One sportsman was Edward Maus Jr., a longtime member of the Dubuque Co. Conservation Board. In the 70's the City changed the area to hold a stormwater retention basin and formally made the area a city park, Maus Park.
More of a green space with a picnic table then a play-area park, the area was not given as much attention as other parks and fell into a state of disrepair and was abandoned as a city park. Much of the land was sold to a local business and the park became an afterthought. The area was a storage are for the business, the trails became overgrown and much of the area became a dumping ground for abandoned appliances and garbage.
In 2003, students at Central Alternative School began to study the area as a history project. This then led to a project to reclaim and refurbish the park. Truckloads of garbage were pulled from the area, brush was cut back, a new picnic area was cleared and other beautification projects were done. In February 2004, the City of Dubuque again accepted the area as a city park. The reclamation project is still going on, but the area is in far better shape then two years ago.
Visitors must park outside of the park area and walk in. It's a short, level walk to the cache. The cache is a Rubbermaid type container painted to blend in. Once you open the cache, you'll understand the title. Please leave the title reference piece with the cache. Swapping is welcomed and encouraged.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
ybbx sbe n ynetr ebpx ba gur oyhss fvqr bs genvy. ab pyvzovat arrqrq. ybbx oruvaq ebpx'f gbc.