IOWA TOWN.

pg 290

Iowa Town was one of the very earliest trading points in the county, and was probably situated in section 27-73-3 Just west of Iowa slough on the bank of the Iowa river. At the first term of Court in April, 1837, Rufus P. Burlingame procured a ferry license to run a ferry across the Iowa river at Iowa Town.

The first tavern license issued in the county was granted to William Dupont July 11, 1837, and was for Iowa Town for one year from that date. This tavern license was granted by the Board of Supervisors, our first county board, and at the meeting at which it was granted, the tavern rates for Louisa county were established. The price for a night's lodging was 12 1/2 cents; for a meal 37 ½ cents, and for board by the day, $1.00. At that time a tavern license included also the right to sell liquor, and the board fixed the price for every drink of liquor at 12 1/2 cents.

An election was held at "Iowatown," on March 5th, 1838, and, from the names of the voters it is likely that this was then the voting place for all of the present township of Eliot, the lower part of Wapello township, and probably a part of Jefferson, because Christopher Shuck was one of the judges of the election. Iowa Town was in Florence precinct, beyond a doubt, but the precinct boundaries were not defined at that time, so far as we can find.

From the records of one of the early lawsuits we can obtain a fair idea of the kind and quality of goods kept in a "town" store at the first settlement of the County. It appears that Rufus P. Burlingame, who owned the Ferry at Iowa Town, also had a store there, and that in June, 1837, while this county was in Wisconsin territory, Samuel Smith, our first sheriff brought an attachment suit against Burlingame for $750.00. The writ was served by Isaac Parsons, coroner, and the return shows that he levied on a stock of goods, and that this stock was inventoried by Charles B. Field and William Guthrie. The total inventory, including a $25.00 ferry boat amounted to $2,913.76. We take the following items from the inventory:

Palm Leaf Hats	$ 8.20		Coffee	25.00
Fur Coats	20.00		1 Box Prunes	2.00
Razors & Straps	32.37		Mackeral	8.00
Tobacco	62.00		Seal Caps	37.50
Calico	199.00		Silk Hats	88.00
Silks & Crapes	18.75		Cutlery &c	45.00
Ready-made clothing	334.75		Lace and Muslin	312.04
Satinetts	57.00		Circassian	11.30
Satinetts	32.24		Shell & Horn combs	78.25
Bombazetts	4.78		Beaverteens	10.56
Cambrick	20.88		Blankets	80.00
Vesting	45.45		Cloaks	12.00
Cassamere	23.00		Mereno cloth and Bombazetts	41.77

pg 291

Broad cloth	85.20		Handkerchiefs	17.50
Camlet	33.75		Ribbons	10.00
Tea	37.50		Brown Holland CottonFlannel & lincey	84.85
Bar soap	2.00		Firedogs	1.25
Sugar	96.00		Nails	15.00
Shirts & Stockings	63.56		Shawls & Hdkfs.	42.21
Shirts &c	49.92		Gloves	21.75
Socks & Stockings	25.72
Crockery	70.87

About this same time William Dupont was granted permission to build a bridge across Iowa Slough on the road to New Boston, and the rates of toll were fixed at one half of the ferry rates on the Iowa river, but whether the bridge was ever built, or not, it is certain that Iowa Town soon disappeared. If it was ever "laid out" or platted, the record can not now be found.

---