IOWA HISTORY PROJECT

 Transcribed by Debbie Clough Gerischer

STORIES OF IOWA

for

BOYS AND GIRLS

BY

BRUCE E. MAHAN PH.D.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

OF IOWA AND LECTURER IN HISTORY IN THE

STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

AND

RUTH A. GALLAHER PH.D

LIBRARY RESEARCH ASSOCIATE OF THE STATE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF IOWA

NEW YORK

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

1931

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

NEW YORK * BOSTON * CHICAGO * DALLAS

ATLANTA * SAN FRANCISCO

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TO THE TEACHER AND SUPERVISOR

The stories which follow were written to interest the boys and girls of Iowa in the history of their state.  Although no attempt has been made to give a connected historical narrative, the stories are arranged in chronological order so that the four groups form a well-rounded account of the development of Iowa from the days of the Indian and fur trader to the present.

The book has been built to conform to recognized principles of child psychology.  Concrete incidents rather than lengthy descriptions and abstract narrative make up the contents of the stories.  An attempt has been made to tell the story of Iowa as a colorful drama enacted upon the prairies and along the rivers of the Iowa country.  The demand of boys and girls for life and action and movement in stories has been kept in mind.

The sentence structure has been kept simple, and the vocabulary has been selected so that boys and girls in the intermediate grades can read the text with understanding and pleasure.

The close relation between geography and history has been emphasized throughout the book.  Moreover, as acting and thinking go hand in hand, easy tasks and tests have been provided at the end of each story.

Materials for these stories were drawn largely from the rich store of historical data in the library of the State Historical Society of Iowa at Iowa City and from the extensive publications of the Society.

The book may be used as a separate text in Iowa history or in correlation with American history.  It may also be found useful as a supplementary reader.

                                                                                                                                                                                       THE AUTHORS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF IOWA

Do you like to read about explorers and Indians and pioneers?  Do you enjoy the stories your grandfather and your grandmother sometimes tell about the Iowa of yesterday?  Then turn to the stories in this book.  In it you will find true stories about Iowa country of long ago and also about Iowa of a later day.  You will learn how the Iowa country was changed from the land of the Indian to a great state with farms and cities, factories and schools.  We have enjoyed writing these stories for you and hope that you will enjoy reading them.

                                                                                                                                                                                        THE AUTHORS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONTENTS

PART 1

DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION

Chapter   Page
I Iowa in the Beginning      3
II The Discovery of Iowa      9
III A French and Indian Battle in Iowa    18
IV Julien Dubuque and the Mines of Spain    25
V Louis Honore Tesson and His Apple Orchard    33
VI Iowa Becomes a Part of the United States    39
VII Up the Missouri with Lewis and Clark    47
VIII Up the Mississippi with Pike    56
IX Manuel, Lisa on the Missouri Slope    64
X Albert M. Lea and the Naming of Iowa    71

 

PART II

THE INDIANS

XI The Indians of Iowa  79
XII The Indian at Home  85
XIII The Indian and the Fur Trade  96
XIV Fighting Indians at Old Fort Madison 103
XV Mahaska and Rantchewaime 110
XVI On the Warpath 117
XVII Black Hawk and Keokuk 125
XVIII The Indian School on Yellow River 134
XIX Joseph M. Street - Indian Agent 139
XX How the Indians Lost Iowa 146
XXI The Spirit Lake Massacre 154
XXII The Tama Indians 162

 

PART III

EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND THE PIONEERS

XXIII By Boat and Covered Wagon 171
XXIV Claim and Cabin 178
XXV Around the Fireplace 184
XXVI Earning a Living 193
XXVII On the Highway 200
XXVIII Going to School in Pioneer Days 208
XXIX Going to Church with the Pioneers 217
XXX Frontier Fun 225

PART IV

TERRITORY AND STATE

 

XXXI How Iowa Became a Territory 233
XXXII The Iowa-Missouri Boundary War 242
XXXIII Across Iowa with the Mormons 247
XXXIV How Iowa Became a State 255
XXXV Colonists from Europe 264
XXXVI Coming of the Railroads 275
XXXVII John Brown and the Underground Railroad 284
XXXVIII Iowa in the Civil War 293
XXXIX Iowa Politics 302
XL Changing Conditions 313
XLI The New Iowa 322
XLII A Christmas in France 335
XLIII Herbert Hoover - An Iowa Boy who became President 344