USA > Iowa > Clarke County > Biographical and historical record of Clarke County, Iowa > Part 12
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An instance of primitive hospitable man- ners will be in place here. A traveling Methodist preacher arrived in a distant neighborhood to fill an appointment. The house where services were to be held did not belong to a church member, but no matter for that. Boards were collected from all quarters with which to make temporary seats, one of the neighbors volunteering to lead off in the work, while the man of the house, with the faithful rifle on his shoulder, sallied forth in quest of meat, for this truly ! was a "ground hog" case, the preacher
coming and no meat in the house. The host ceased not to chase until he found the meat, in the shape of a deer; returning he sent a boy out after it, with directions on what " pint" to find it. After services, which had been listened to with rapt atten- tion by all the audience, mine host said to his wife, "Old woman, Ireckon this 'ere preacher is pretty hungry and you must git him a bite to eat." " What shall I get him?" asked the wife, who had not seen the deer, " thar's nuthen in the house to eat." " Why, look thar," returned he, " thar's a deer, and thar's plenty of corn in the field; you git some corn and grate it while I skin the deer, and we'll have a good supper for him." It is needless to add that venison and corn bread made a sup- per fit for any pioneer preacher, and was thankfully eaten.
Fires set out by Indians or settlers some- times purposely and sometimes permitted through carelessness, would visit the prai- rie every autumn, and sometimes the for- ests, either in autumn or spring, and settlers could not always succeed in defending themselves against the destroying element. Many interesting incidents are related. Often a fire was started to bewilder game, or to bare a piece of ground for the early grazing of stock the ensuing spring, and it would get away under a wind and soon be beyond control. Violent winds would often arise and drive the flames with such rapidity that riders on the fleetest steeds could scarcely escape. On the approach of a prairie fire the farmer would immedi- ately set about "cutting off supplies " for the devouring enemy by a " back fire." Thus by starting a small fire near the bare ground about his premises, and keeping it under control next his property, he would burn off a strip around him and prevent the attack of the on-coming flames. A few furrows or a ditch around the farm were in some degrees a protection.
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An original prairie of tall and exuberant grass on fire, especially at night, was a mag- nificent spectacle, enjoyed only by the pioneer. Here is an instance where the frontiersman, proverbially deprived of the sights and pleasures of an old community, is privileged far beyond the people of the present day in this country. One could scarcely tire of beholding the scene, as its awe-inspiring features seemed constantly to increase, and the whole panorama unceas- ingly changed like the dissolving views of a magic lantern, or like the aurora borealis. Language cannot convey, words cannot express, the faintest idea of the splendor and grandeur of such a conflagration at night. It was as if the pale queen of night, disdaining to take her accustomed place in the heavens, had dispatched myriads upon myriads of messengers to light their torches at the altar of the setting sun until all had flashed into one long and continuous blaze. One instance has been described as follows:
" Soon the fires began to kindle wider and rise higher from the long grass; the gentle breeze increased to stronger currents, and soon formed the small, flickering blaze into fierce torrent flames, which curled up and leaped along in resistless splendor; and like quickly raising the dark curtain from the luminous stage, the scenes before me were suddenly changed, as if by a magi- cian's wand, into one boundless amphithea- ter, blazing from earth to heaven and sweeping the horizon round,-columns of lurid flames sportively mounting up to the zenith, and dark clouds of crimson smoke curling away and aloft till they nearly ob- scured stars and moon, while the rushing, crashing sounds, like roaring cataracts, mingled with distant thunders, were almost deafening; danger, death, glared all around: it screamed for victims; yet, notwithstand- ing the imminent peril of prairie fires, one is loth, irresolute, almost unable to with- draw or seek refuge.
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LOUISIANA TERRITORY.
As before mentioned, although De Soto, a Spaniard, first took possession of the Mis- sissippi Valley for his Government. Spain did not establish her title to it by following up the proclamation with immediate settle- ments, and the country fell into the hands of France, by whose agent it was named "Louisiana."
By the treaty of Utrecht, France ceded to England her possessions in Hudson's Bay, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but retained Canada and Louisiana. In 171I this province was placed in the hands of a governor-general, with headquarters at Mobile, for the purpose of applying a new policy for the settlement and development of the country. The very next year ano- ther change was made, placing all this ter- ritory in the hands of Anthony Crozat, a wealthy merchant of Paris, but this scheme also failed, as Spain continued to obstruct the efforts of any Frenchman to establish trade, by closing the ports against him. In 1717 John Law appeared on the scene with his famous " Mississippi Company," as the Louisiana branch of the Bank of France ; and as his roseate scheme promised to do much in raising crippled France upon a surer footing, extended powers and privi- leges were granted him. He was to be practically a viceroy, and the life of his charter was fixed at twenty-five years. But in 1720, when the " Mississippi bubble " was at the height of its splendor, it suddenly collapsed, leaving the mother country in a far worse condition than before.
Heretofore Louisiana had been a sub- ordinate dependence, under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Canada. Early in 1723 the province of Louisiana was erected into an independent Government, and it was divided into nine districts, for civil and military purposes.
Characteristic of human nature, the peo- | ple were more excited with prospects of
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finding enormous wealth ready at hand, if they should continue to scour the country, which they did in places as far west as the Rocky Mountains, to the neglect of their agricultural and domestic interests. A habit of roaming became fixed. At the same time their exposed condition was a constant temptation to Indian rapine, and the Nat- chez tribe in 1723 made a general assault upon the whites. At first they were re- pulsed, but about five years afterward, aided by the Chickasaws and others, they fell upon the French village of St. Catha- rine and massacred the whole male popu- lation. Two soldiers, who happened to be in the woods, alone escaped to New Or- leans, to bear the news. The colonies on the Yazoo and the Washita suffered the same fate. Maddened by these outrages, the whites turned upon the Natchez and in the course of three years exterminated them. They were probably the most in- telligent tribe of Indians north of Mexico.
During the fifteen years from 1717 to 1732 the province increased in population from 700 to 5,000, and in prosperity to a wonderful degree. It remained under royal governors until 1764, the end of the French dominion. Most of this time the Indians were troublesome, and in 1754 began the long " French and Indian war" with Eng- land, which resulted in favor of the latter, that Government obtaining all of New France, Canada, and the castern half of Louisiana. This province did not suffer by being the scene of battle, but did suffer a great deal from a flood of irredeemable paper money. In the meantime the western portion, or residue, of this province was secretly promised to Spain; but before either of the foreign powers had opportu- nity to rejoice long in their western posses- sions, a new power on earth, the United States, took independent possession of all the country except Louisiana and Florida, which it has maintained ever since. During
the seventy years of French control the province of Louisiana increased in popula- tion from a few destitute fishermen to a flourishing colony of 13,540.
St. Louis, Missouri, was started in 1764.
Don O'Reilly, the new Governor of Loui- siana in 1764, ruled with a despotic hand, yet for the general advantage of the peo- ple. His successor, Don Antonio Maria Bucarelly, was mild, and he was succeeded January 1, 1777, by Don Bernard de Gal- vez, who was the last Governor. He sym- pathized with American independence. The British, with 140 troops and 1,400 Indians, invaded Upper Louisiana from the north by way of the Straits of Mackinaw, and in- vested St. Louis, Missouri, in 1780, but were driven off. When the Indians saw that they were led to fight " Americans" as well as Spaniards, they found that they had been deceived, and withdrew from the British army, and thus General George R. Clark, in behalf of the Americans, easily defended St. Louis, and also all the new settlements in this western country.
After the Revolutionary war the country began again to prosper. Governor Galvez, by a census, ascertained that Louisiana had in 1785 a population of about 33,000, exclu- sive of Indians.
In the summer of the latter year Don Estavan Miro became Governor pro tem. of the Spanish possessions in this country, and was afterward confirmed as such by the king. During his administration a vain attempt was made by the Catholics to establish the inquisition at New Orleans. He was succeeded in 1792 by Baron de Carondelet, and during his term the Spanish colonies grew so rapidly that their Govern- ment became jealous of the United States and sought to exclude all interference from them in domestic affairs; but all efforts in this direction were ended in 1795 by the treaty of Madrid, which, after some delay and trouble, was fully carried out in 1798.
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HISTORY OF IOWA.
Under the leadership of Livingston and Monroe, the United States Government. after various propositions had been dis- cussed by the respective powers, succeeded in effecting, in 1803, a purchase of the whole of Louisiana from France for $11,250,000, and all this country west of the great river consisted of the "Territory of Orleans" (now the State of Louisiana) and the " Dis- trict of Louisiana" (now the States of Ar- kansas, Missouri and Iowa, and westward indefinitely). The latter was annexed to the Territory of Indiana for one year, and in ISO5 it was erected into a separate Terri- tory, of the second class, the legislative power being vested in the Governor and judges. Before the close of the year it was made a Territory of the first class, under the name of the " Territory of Louisiana," the Government being administered by the Governor and judges. The first Governor was James Wilkinson, and he was succeeded near the close of 1806 by Colonel Meri- weather Lewis, the seat of Government be- ing at St. Louis; and during his adminis- tration the Territory was divided into six judicial districts or large counties-St. Charles, St. Louis, St. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, New Madrid and Arkansas. In 1810 the population of Louisiana Territory was 21,000, five-sevenths of whom were in Arkansas.
In 1812 the State of Louisiana was ad- mitted into the Union, and then it was deemed expedient to change the name of the Territory. It was accordingly given the name of " Missouri Territory," which it retained until the admission of the State of Missouri in 1821.
IOWA TERRITORY.
Although the " Northwestern Territory" -- carved out of Virginia and now divided into the States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin-never included lowa, this State was in 1834 incorporated
into the " Territory of Michigan," and thus became subject to the ordinance of 1787; and two years later it was made a part of " Wisconsin Territory," and two years still later, in 1838, the "Territory of lowa" was formed independently, with sixteen counties and a population of 23,000.
In 1833, at Dubuque, a postoffice was established, and some time prior to 1834 one or two justices of the peace had been appointed. In 1834 the Territorial Legis- lature of Michigan created two counties west of the Mississippi-Dubuque and Des Moines-separated by a line drawn west- ward from the foot of Rock Island. These counties were partially organized. John King was appointed " Chief Justice" of Du- buque County, and Isaac Leffler, of Bur- lington, of Des Moines County. Two associate justices in each county were ap- pointed by the Governor. In October, 1835, General George W. Jones, of Du- buque, was elected a delegate to Congress. April 20, 1836, through the efforts of Gen- eral Jones, Congress passed a bill creating the Territory of Wisconsin, which went into operation July 4, that year. lowa was then included in that Territory, of which General Henry Dodge was appointed Gov- ernor. The census of 1836 showed a popu- lation in Iowa of 10,531, of which 6,257 were in Des Moines County and 4,274 in Dubuque County.
Ths first Legislature assembled at Bel- mont, Wisconsin, October 25. 1836; the second at Burlington, lowa, November 9, 1837 ; and the third, also at the latter place, June 1, 1838.
As early as 1837 the people of Iowa be- gan to petition Congress for a separate Territorial organization, which was granted June 12 following. Ex-Governor Lucas, of Ohio, was appointed by President Van Bu- ren to be the first Governor of the new Territory. Immediately upon his arrival he issued a proclamation for the election of
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members of the first Territorial Legislature, to take place September 10. The following were elected :
Council .- Jesse B. Brown, J. Keith, E. A. M. Swazey, Arthur Ingram, Robert Ralston, George Hepner, Jesse J. Payne, D. B. Hughes, James M. Clark, Charles Whittlesey, Jonathan W. Parker, Warner Lewis, Stephen Hempstead.
House .- Wm. Patterson, Hawkins Tay- lor, Calvin J. Price, James Brierly, James Hall, Gideon S. Bailey, Samuel Parker, James W. Grimes, George Temple, Van B. Delashmutt, Thomas Blair, George II. Beeler, Wm, G. Coop, Wm. H. Wallace, Asbury B. Porter, John Frierson, Wm. L. Toole, Levi Thornton, S. C. Hastings, Robert G. Roberts, Laurel Summers, Jabez A. Burchard, Jr., Chauncey Swan, Andrew Bankson, Thomas Cox and Har- din Nowlin.
At the session of the above Legislature Wm. W. Chapman was elected delegate to Congress. As the latter body had given the Governor unlimited veto power, and as Governor Lucas was disposed to exer- cise it arbitrarily, the independent " Hawk- eyes " grew impatient under his administra- tion, and, after having a stormy session for a time, they had Congress to limit the veto power. Great excitement also prevailed, both in the Legislature and among the people, concerning the question of the loca- tion of the seat of Government for the State. As they knew nothing concerning the great future development and extent of the State, they had no correct idea where the geographical center would or should be. The Black Hawk purchase, which was that strip of land next the Mississippi, in the southeastern part of the State, was the . full extent and horizon of their idea of the new commonwealth. Hence they thought first only of Burlington or Mount Pleasant as the capital. Indeed, at that time, the Indians had possession of the rest of lowa.
But a few of the more shrewd foresaw that a more central location would soon be further to the north at least, if not west, and a point in Johnson County was ulti- mately decided upon.
Commissioners, appointed by the Gov- ernor, selected the exact site, laid out a sec- tion of land into a town, sold lots and proceeded to erect the public buildings. The capitol was commenced in 1840 and Iowa City became thenceforward the capi- tal of the State. The fourth Legislative Assembly met at this place December 6, 1841, but not in the new capitol building, as it was not yet ready. Being somewhat difficult to raise the necessary funds, the building was not completed for several years. The early Territorial Legislatures of Iowa laid the foundation for a very just and liberal Government, far in advance of what had ever been done before by any State.
About this time a conflict arose between this Territory and Missouri concerning the boundary line between them. There was a difference of a strip cight or ten miles wide, extending from the Mississippi to the Missouri rivers, which each claimed. Mis- souri officers, attempting to collect taxes within the disputed territory, were arrested and confined in jail by lowa sheriffs, and the respective Governors called out the militia, preparing for bloodshed. About 1,200 Iowa men enlisted, and 500 were act- ually armed and encamped in Van Buren County, ready to defend their Territory, when three prominent and able men were sent to Missouri as envoys plenipotentiary, to effect, if possible, a peaceable adjustment of the difficulty. Upon their arrival, they found that the county commissioners of Clark County, Missouri, had rescinded their order for the collection of the taxes, and that Governor Boggs had dispatched messen- gers to the Governor of lowa proposing to submit an agreed case to the Supreme
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Court of the United States for the settle- ment of the boundary question. This prop- osition was declined: but afterward, upon petition of lowa and Missouri, Congress authorized a suit to settle the controversy. The suit was duly instituted, and resulted in the decision that Iowa had only asserted " the truth of history," and she knew where the rapids of the Des Moines River were located. Thus ended the Missouri war. " There was much good sense," says Hon. C. C. Nourse, "in the basis upon which peace was secured, to-wit: 'If Missourians did not know where the rapids of the river Des Moines were located, that was no suffi- cient reason for killing them off with powder and lead; and if we did know a little more of history and geography than they did we ought not to be shot for our learning. We. commend our mutual forbearance to older and greater people.'" Under an order from the Supreme Court of the United States commissioners surveyed and estab- lished the boundary. The expenses of the war, on the part of Iowa, were never paid, either by the United States or the Territo- rial Government.
STATE ORGANIZATION AND SUBSEQUENT HISTORY.
The population having become, by the year 1844, sufficient to justify the formation of a State Government, the Territorial Leg- islature of Iowa passed an act, approved February 12, that year, submitting to the people the question of the formation of a State Constitution and providing for the election of delegates to a convention to be called together for that purpose. The people voted upon this at their township elections in the following April, giving the measure a large majority. The elected delegates assembled in convention at Iowa City, October 7, 1844, and completed their work by November 1. Hon. Shepherd Leffler, the President of this convention,
was instructed to transact a certified copy of the proposed Constitution to the Dele- gate in Congress, to be submitted by him to that body at the earliest practicable day. It also provided that it should be submitted, together with any conditions or changes that might be made by Congress, to the people of the Territory, for their approval or rejection, at the township election in April, 18.45.
The Constitution, as thus prepared, fixed the boundaries of the State very differently from what were finally agreed upon.
May 4, 1846, a second convention met at Iowa City, and on the 18th of the same month another Constitution, prescribing the boundaries as they now are, was adopted. This was accepted by the people, August 3, by a vote of 9,492 to 9,036. The new Constitution was approved by Congress, and lowa was admitted as a sovereign State in the American Union, December 28, 1846. The people of the State, antici- pating favorable action by Congress, held an election for State officers October 26 which resulted in Ansel Briggs being de- clared Governor; Elisha Cutler, Jr., Secre- tary of State; Joseph T. Fales, Auditor; Morgan Reno, Treasurer; and members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
The act of Congress which admitted lowa gave her the 16th section of every township of land in the State, or its equiv- alent, for the support of schools; also seventy-two sections of land for the pur- pose of a university; also five sections of land for the completion of her public build- ings; also the salt springs within her limits, not exceeding twelve in number, with sec- tions of land adjoining each; also, in con- sideration that her public lands should be exempt from taxation by the State, she gave to the State five per cent. of the net proceeds of the sale of public lands within the State. Thus provided for as a bride with her marriage portion, Iowa com-
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menced "housekeeping " upon her own account.
A majority of the Constitutional Conven- tion of 1846 were of the Democratic party; and the instrument contains some of the peculiar tenets of the party at that day. All banks of issue were prohibited within the State. The State was prohibited from becoming a stockholder in any corporation for pecuniary profit, and the General As- sembly could only provide for private cor- porations by general statutes. The Consti- tution also limited the State's indebtedness to $100,000. It required the General As- sembly to provide public schools through- out the State for at least three months in the year. Six months' previous residence of any white male citizen of the United States constituted him an elector.
At the time of organization as a State, lowa had a population of 116,65 1, as appears by the census of 1847. There were twenty- seven organized counties in the State, and the settlements were rapidly pushing to- ward the Missouri River.
The first General Assembly was com- posed of nineteen Senators and forty Rep- resentatives. It assembled at Iowa City, . November 30, 1846, about a month before. the State was admitted into the Union.
The most important business transacted was the passage of a bill authorizing a loan of $50,000 for means to rim the State Gov- ernment and pay the expenses of the Con- stitutional conventions. The great excite- ment of the session, however, was the attempt to choose United States Senators. The Whigs had a majority of two in the House, and the Democrats a majority of one in the Senate. After repeated attempts to control these majorities for caucus nom- inees and frequent sessions of a joint con- vention for purposes of an election, the - attempt was abandoned. A school law was passed at this session for the organization of public schools in the State.
At the first session also arose the ques- tion of the re-location of the capital. The western boundary of the State, as now determined, left Iowa City too far toward the eastern and southern boundary of the State; this was conceded. Congress had appropriated five sections of land for the crection of public buildings, and toward the close of the session a bill was introduced providing for the re-location of the seat of Government, involving to some extent the location of the State University, which had already been discussed. This bill gave rise to much discussion and parliamentary ma- neuvering, almost purely sectional in its character. It provided for the appointment of three commissioners, who were author- ized to make a location as near the geo- graphical center of the State as a healthy and eligible site could be obtained; to select the five sections of land donated by Con- gress; to survey and plat into town lots not exceeding one section of the land so se- lected, etc. Soon after, by " An act to locate and establish a State University," approved February 25, 1847, the unfinished public buildings at lowa City, together with ten acres of land on which they were situated, were granted for the use of the University, reserving their use, however, by the General Assembly and the State officers, until other provisions were made by law.
When the report of the commissioners, showing their financial operations, had been read in the House of Representa- tives, at the next session, and while it was under consideration, an indignant member, afterward known as the eccentric Judge McFarland, moved to refer the report to a select committee of five, with instructions to report " how much of said city of Mon- roe was under water, and how much was burned." The report was referred with- out the instructions, but Monroe City never became the seat of Government. By an
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act approved January 15, 1849, the law by which the location had been made was re- pealed and the new town was vacated, the money paid by purchasers of lots being re- funded to them. This, of course, retained the seat of Government at lowa City, and precluded for the time the occupation of the building and grounds by the University.
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