A historical marker in Iowa, Iowa, displays the story of Dubuque, the key city of Iowa, when it became French and later became Spanish in 1683. It was founded by a French land grant when Joliet and Marquette paddled by in 1673, leading west to the Mississippi River. The marker provides a timeline of events, including the French-ceded Louisiana, the French-ceded Mississippi, and the French-ceded Illinois, with a mention of the first permanent settlement in Dubuque in 1683.