High Points in Founding & Development of Territory of Iowa
VARIOUS
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/1/2015 at 13:17:32
The Leon Journal-Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, July 14, 1938IOWA TERRITORIAL CENTENNIAL EDITION
High Points in Founding and Development of Territory of Iowa and Decatur County
[Page 11] SEVEN NEW COUNTIES - Local government in Iowa, like other social and political institutions, has developed according to the needs of the times. As in the natural world, mutations have sometimes occurred. The first counties, created during the early years of settlement, were very large. Erected primarily for the maintenance of law and order, their sizes and shape were not very important. Boundaries were not intended to be permanent.
In September, 1834, while Iowa was still a part of the Territory of Michigan, two counties had been established in the area west of the Mississippi river. Dubuque County comprised all of the Black Hawk Purchase which lay north of a line drawn "due west from the lower end of Rock Island." Demoine County comprised that part of the Purchase which lay south of that line.
On December 7, 1836, after the Iowa county had become a part of the Territory of Wisconsin, Demoine County was divided into seven counties. Government land surveys, however, had scarcely begun in the Iowa counties, and consequently the county boundaries did not follow township lines.
The map of Iowa 100 years ago would look strangely different from that of Iowa today with its 99 counties. Counties of 1837 were in some instances hearing names which have since passed out of the picture.
The territorial centennial to be celebrated throughout the state this year [1938] will see old names again honored.
When the territory was established in 1838, there were 21 counties set up. These early counties were extremely large, and boundaries were given little thought or attention.
In 1836, Demoine county was divided into seven counties. These were Van Buren, Henry, Lee, Des Moines, Louisa, Musquintine and cook. Cook became Scott at a later date. Boundaries were irregular, and a map gave the appearance of a crazy quilt.
In 1837, the county of Du Buque was divided into 14 counties. Eight had borders similar to their borders today. Keokuk, Benton, Buchanan, Fayette, and Clayton has boundaries extending into the Indian countries.
In 1838, the limits of seven counties in southern Iowa were revised to approximately their modern appearance. The spelling of Muscatine was changed. What is now Washington county was designated as Slaughter.
The "Emigrant's Guide" published in 1846 lists the following counties: Lee, Des Moines, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Clinton, Jackson, Dubuque, Clayton, Buchanan, Fayette, Delaware, Jones, Cedar, Linn, Johnson, Henry, Jefferson, Washington, Van Buren.
Counties listed as organized in the new purchase, ceded to the United States in 1842, were Wappello, Mahaska, Davis, Keokuk, Appanoose, Marion, Polk, Monroe, Iowa, Poweshiek, Black Hawk.
On the ten western frontier, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Warren, Wayne, Marshall, Story, Lucas, Clarke, Decatur, and Boone counties were being laid out.
[Page 9] One hundred years ago an unnamed commonwealth awaited its cue for entrance on the national stage, Ruth A. Gallaher of the Iowa State Historical Society writes. West of the Mississippi and north of the State of Missouri lay a land of rolling prairies. The soil was rich and deep.
On June 12, 1838, President Martin Van Buren signed a congressional act establishing the Territory of Iowa, effective July 4, 1838, just 35 years after this land had been acquired by the Louisiana Purchase.
The westward movements across the Mississippi was no conquest - it was democracy on the march. By boat or covered wagon, horseback or afoot, the pioneers came to Iowa - farmers, traders, miners, millers, bankers, mechanics, carpenters, lawyers, physicians, druggists, preachers, priests, politicians, merchants and their families.
The "Du Buque Visitor" was the first newspaper, established May 11, 1836, with The Western Adventurer and Herald of the Upper Mississippi at Montrose, June 1837 and the Iowa Territorial Gazette and Burlington Advertiser on June 20, 1887.
The first Fort Des Moines had its beginning in 1834 and in 1836 Lieutenant Albert M. Lea named "Iowa."
Robert Lucas, a former Ohio governor, was appointed as Iowa Territorial governor and on November 12, 1838, the first legislature met in Old Zion church in Burlington. The selection of a capital was the important business.
On July 1, 1840, the cornerstone of Old Stone Capitol at Iowa City was laid, and on December 2, 1842, the uncompleted Old Stone Capitol was first occupied by the legislature.
On March 25, 1841, John Chambers, a whig, succeeded Governor Lucas, a democrat, as governor. Governor James Clarke, early in the year, called the election of first state officers for October 26, 1846, and Ansel Briggs was elected first state governor. Some of the high spots in the early history of the state are:
1673 - Visited by Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet.
1682 - Claimed for France by La Salle.
1762 - Ceded to Spain.
1788 - Lead mining begun by Julien Dubuque near Dubuque.
1800 - Ceded to France.
1803 - Purchased by the United States.
1804 - Placed under jurisdiction of Indiana Territory.
1804 - Visited by Lewis and Clark expedition.
1804 - Sergeant Charles Floyd, first white man buried in Iowa (Sioux City).
1805 - Became part of Louisiana Territory.
1805 - Visited by Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, exploring Mississippi.
1808 - Establishment of Fort Madison.
1812 - Became part of Missouri Territory.
1821-1834 - Admission of Missouri to Union left Iowa without jurisdiction of civil law.
1830 - First school taught by Berryman Jennings at Galland.
1833 - "Black Hawk Purchase" (about one-eighth of present Iowa) opened to settlement.
1834 - First church (Methodist) established at Dubuque.
1834 - Iowa attached to Michigan Territory; Dubuque and "Des Moine" counties established.
1834 - Fort Des Moines established at Montrose.
1835 - Lieutenant Albert Miller Lea named this region "Iowa."
1836 - Iowa made part of Wisconsin Territory.
1836 - First Iowa newspaper (Du Buque Visitor).
1836 - First Iowa bank (Miner's Bank, Dubuque).
1836 - First towns surveyed and platted: Fort Madison, Burlington, Dubuque, Bellevue, Peru.
1836 - First post roads approved; first post offices established.
1836 - First census taken: 10,531 inhabitants.
1837 - Burlington became capitol of Wisconsin Territory; second Wisconsin Legislature Assembly held there.
1837- Camp Kearny established in Council Bluffs district.
1837 - Catholic Diocese of Dubuque created July 23, 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI with Bishop Loras.
1838 - First municipalities chartered: Fort Madison and Burlington.
1838 - Iowa Territory created with Robert Lucas, former Governor of Ohio, as first governor.
1838 - Governor Lucas mustered militia into service to repel "invasion" from Missouri over disputed boundary - 500 militamen encamped at Farmington, Van Buren county.
1838 - County agricultural societies county fairs authorized by first territorial assembly.
1839 - First public institution: penitentiary at Fort Madison.
1840 - Fort Atkinson established in Winneshiek county.
1842 - Old Stone Capitol cornerstone laid at Iowa City July 4.
1846 - Brigham Young blazed Mormon Trail across southern Iowa and through Decatur county.
1846 - President Polk signed act admitting Iowa to Union December 28.
1846 - Ansel Briggs elected first governor of state.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2015
Decatur Documents maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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