Finley Violin
Did you know that Dr. John E. Finley, the namesake of Dubuque’s Finley Hospital, was also a musician and Civil War veteran?
Dr. Finley came to Dubuque in 1840. He practiced medicine and traveled miles on horseback to see his patients. He was also devoted to the Union cause and served as a Civil War surgeon. Although we don’t know if he had formal musical training, we do know that he took this violin with him when he left for his war service. Perhaps he played for the soldiers around camp or for his patients in a field hospital.