Iowa
Old Press
Evening Democrat
Ft. Madison, Lee, Co. Iowa
Thursday September 11, 1913
P. 4, col. 4
They Crossed the Southern Part of the State in 1840
“The year 1849 was marked by a treaty for the departure of
one race from western Iowa and by the permanent advent of
another. Before the exit of the Pottawattamies came the Mormons
fleeing from their enemies in Illinois. The refugees traversed
the southern part of the Territory of Iowa, through the settled
counties and then the remaining two-thirds of the distance over
the roadless, bridgeless, unpeopled stretch of country.”
“The Mormons encountered no opposition: they passed the
Indian village in what is now the western part of Cass county,
and when they reached Council Bluffs agency in June, they were
welcomed ‘In a most friendly manner,’ winning the
hearts of the Indians by giving a concert at their agent’s
residence. Opposite Bellevue, at Traders’ Point the Indians
had cut an approach to the river and established a ferry; they
now did a big business carrying families and wagons and the cows
and sheep of those Mormons who were to spend the next few months
at Winter Quarters (on the site of Florence, Nebraska). Many
Mormon families, however, tarried permanently in what later
became Mills and Pottawattamie counties.”
(note: taken from the July number of the “Iowa Journal of
History and
Politics” published by the Iowa State Historical Society of
Iowa)
[submitted by S.S., August 2003]