♪♪ At the western end of Fourth Street in downtown Dubuque, River Road travelers can experience a piece of the city's living history woven into the scenic bluffs.

♪♪ The Fenelon Place elevator has been around since 1882, when owner-operator J.K. Graves, a banker and city official, wanted a speedier route to the office from his home atop the bluff.

♪♪ Graves' regular horse-and-buggy commute took him 30 minutes to travel to downtown Dubuque, so he petitioned the city for permission to build a railcar system, inspired by those he had seen in Europe.

The elevator is a cable-car system using two cars.

One car's weight counterbalances the other as they travel up and down the bluff.

An A.C. motor at the top of the hill controls the start and stop of the cars.

♪♪ Placed on the National Historic Registry in 1978, ♪♪ the elevator today is owned and operated ♪♪ by the city of Dubuque.

For a minimal fee, travelers can ascend to the top of the bluff and take in the breathtaking views of Iowa's oldest city.