Firstlings in Iowa History-1876

DUBUQUE, HONON, DAVENPORT, ETMAN, FORD, LUCAS, BRIGGS, KING, LECLAIRE, JONESGRIMESPRENTICE

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 10/14/2017 at 18:33:28

Wednesday, August 9, 1876, Atlantic Telegraph (Atlantic, Iowa) Page: 1

Firstlings in Iowa History

The first known settlement of a white man was that of Julien Dubuque, in 1788 on the site of the city which now bears his name. He died in 1810. Louis Honon settled on the present site of Montrose in 1790, where he remained until 1805. The first settlement in Lee County was made in 1829.

Col. George Davenport made the first claim, where the city now bearing his name now stands, soon after the treaty with the Indians in 1832. As early as 1827, he established a ferryboat between the island and the Iowa shore, for the purpose of carrying on trade with the Indians.

It is claimed that Margaret S. Etman-now Mrs. Ford-was the first white American child born in the Territory embraced within the limits of Iowa. She was born where Keokuk now stands in 1831. The first Governor of Iowa, distinctively from Wisconsin was Robert Lucas, who was appointed by president VanBuren.

The first Governor of Iowa, as a State, was Ansel Briggs.
The first Justice of the Peace was Antoine LeClaire, appointed in 1833.
The first Postmaster in Iowa was Milo H. Prentice, appointed in Dubuque in 1833.

At the date of the admission of Iowa a State into the Union it had twenty-seven organized counties, and a population of 100,000.

The first Methodist Society in the Territory was formed at Dubuque on the 18th of May, 1834, and the first class meeting was held June 1st of that year.

The first church bell brought into Iowa was in March 1834.
The first meetinghouse was built by the Methodist, at Dubuque in 1834.
The first school house built in the Territory was erected by the Dubuque miners in 1833.
The first newspaper in the State was the Dubuque Visitor, issued May 11th, 1833. John King, afterwards Judge King, was editor, and Wm. C. Jones printer.

The first sale of lots at Iowa City, which had been designated as the future capital of the Territory of Iowa, was made on the 16th day of August, 1839. The capital had arrived at a state of sufficient completion to permit sessions of the Legislature in 1842.

The city of Des Moines was declared the permanent capital of the State on the 19th of October, 1857, by the proclamation Governor Grimes.