DUBUQUE, Iowa &8212; Steamboats travel up and down the Mississippi River, stately houses stand perched along the river bluff, traffic along U.S. 61 streams through the city and a company called Rentech plans to build a plant that will be the first of its kind in the nation.

But this is not Natchez. This is Dubuque, Iowa.

From a first glance, it is not hard to see what the two cities and their surrounding areas have in common.

From its meticulously preserved historic buildings to its casino boat docked along the river bank to a multi-million dollar riverfront development, Dubuque and Natchez share a common bond.

Galena, Ill., a small town just 5 miles from Dubuque, relies on its historic character to attract tourists from Chicago and other areas.

Like Natchez, shops line the street offering anything from toys and books to clothing.

According to Mary Berlage, County Board Chairwoman of Joe Davies County, where Galena is located, Galena can attract 30,000 people on the weekend in the fall.

&8220;Tourism is their biggest industry,&8221; Berlage said.

Ron D Boui, mayor of Dubuque, says the city has learned of the value in historic preservation.

&8220;We are the oldest city in Iowa,&8221; Boui said. &8220;We have become a progressive community that recognizes that our history is something that needs to be preserved.&8221;

But the comparisons don&8217;t stop there.

Boui says, that like Natchez, Dubuque and the surrounding area has been forced to diversify its job base.

In the past decade, the city of 65,000 people

and its surrounding area have lost hundreds of jobs due to factory closures and the end of the meat packing industry.

Since then Dubuque has been forced to find job alternatives.

&8220;It really has been a diversification effort that we pursued,&8221; Boui said.

To attract growth, the city has expanded its industrial park and completed a $188 million riverfront development, including a convention center, hotel and aquarium.

Like Natchez, local officials in Dubuque and its surrounding area hope to reap huge benefits from Rentech.

&8220;This is the biggest thing to hit the area ever.&8221; Joe Davies County Board Chairman Belange said. &8220;It will have a great effect in terms of investment, jobs and ripple effect.&8221;