Dickeyville, WI

Dickeyville is a Grant County village in the rolling dairy country of southwest Wisconsin, roughly midway between Dubuque, Iowa, and Platteville. Charles Dickey, an early settler and surveyor, supplied the name in 1849. The village was plotted for twelve lots in 1870 but the plat was never recorded, and the early settlement grew along the Potosi and Galena stage road with stores, hotels, blacksmiths, churches, schools, and dance halls. Dickeyville incorporated in 1947, and many residents now commute to the larger communities on either side while local businesses handle everyday needs.

The Dickeyville Grotto and Shrines sit on the grounds of Holy Ghost Parish at the center of the village. Father Matthias Wernerus began the main grotto in 1925, building it from stone, mortar, colored stones, shells, and other collected materials; the shrine was dedicated in 1930 and sits among religious and patriotic displays. The parish’s Labor Day picnic still brings a large crowd, while the village’s post office, utilities, community center, and small businesses keep the ordinary civic work moving. Dickeyville has a distinctive handmade landmark, but its day-to-day life is still that of a small crossroads village serving a wide rural area.