USA > Iowa > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
The friends of a central location favored the governor's suggestion. The southern members were divided between Burlington and Mount Pleasant but finally united on the latter as the proper location for the seat of government. The central and southern parties were very nearly equal and in consequence much excitement prevailed. The central party at last was triumphant and on January 21, 1839, an act was passed appointing commissioners to select a site for a permanent seat of government within the limits of Johnson County. All things considered, the location of the capital in Johnson County was a wise act. Johnson County was from north to south in the geographical center of the purchase and as near the east and west geographical eenter of the future State of Iowa as could then be made. The site having been determined. 640 acres were laid out by the commissioners into a town and called lowa City. On a tract of ten aeres the capitol was built, the corner-stone of which was laid, with appropriate ceremonies, July 4, 1840. Monday, Decem- ber 6, 1841, the fourth Legislature of Iowa met at the new capital, lowa City. but the capitol building not being ready for occupaney, a temporary frame house erected for the purpose was used.
In 1841 John Chambers succeeded Robert Imeas as governor and in 1845 he gave place to James Clarke. The Territorial Legislature held its eighth and last session at lowa City in 1845. James Clarke was the same year appointed the successor of Governor Chambers and was the third and last territorial governor.
THE TERRITORY BECOMES THE STATE OF IOWA
The Territory of Iowa was growing rapidly in its population and soon began to look for greater things. IIer ambition was to take on the dignity and impor- tance of statehood. To the furtherance of this laudable ambition the Terri- torial Legislature passed an act, which was approved February 12, 1844, pro- viding for the submission to the people of the question of the formation of a state constitution and providing for the election of delegates to a convention to be convened for that purpose. The people voted on this at their township
16
IHISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
elections the following April. The measure was carried by a large majority and the members elected assembled in convention at lowa City, October 7, 1844. On the 1st day of November following, the convention completed its work and adopted the first state constitution. By reason of the boundary lines of the proposed state being unsatisfactorily prescribed by Congress, the constitution was rejected at an election held August 4, 1845, by a vote of 7,656 to 7,235. May 4, 1846, a second convention met at lowa 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 3d, 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 Union, December 28. 1846, and the people of the territory, anticipating favorable action by Congress, held an election for state officers, October 26, 1846, which resulted in the choice of Ansel Briggs for governor; Elisha Cutler, Jr., secretary ; JJames T. Fales. auditor ; Morgan Reno, treasurer ; and members of both branches of the Legislature.
The act of Congress which admitted lowa into the Union as a state gave her the sixteenth section of every township of land in the state, or its equiva- lent, for the support of schools: also seventy-two sections of land for the pur- poses of a university : five sections of land for the completion of her public buildings; the salt springs within her limits, not exceeding twelve in number, with sections of land adjoining each ; also in consideration that her public lands should be exempt from taxation by the state. The state was given 5 per cent of the net proceeds of the sale of public lands within the state.
The constitutional convention of 1846 was made up largely of democrats and the instrument contains some of the peculiar tenets of the party 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 Assembly could only provide for private corporations by general stat- utes. The constitution also limited the state's indebtedness to $100,000. It required the General Assembly to provide for schools throughont the state for at least three months during the year. Six months' previous residence of any white male citizen of the United States constituted him an elector.
At the time of the organization of the state, Jowa had a population of 116 .- 651, as appears by the census of 1847. There were twenty-seven organized counties and the settlements were being rapidly pushed toward the Missouri River.
The western boundary of the state, as now determined, left Jowa City too far toward the eastern and southern boundary of the state. This was con- ceded. Congress had appropriated five sections of land for the erection of public buildings and toward the close of the first session of the General Assem- bly a bill was introduced providing for the relocation of the seat of govern- ment, involving to some extent, the location of the state university, which had already been discussed. This bill gave rise to much disenssion and parliamen- tary maneuvering almost purely sectional in its character. February 25. 1847. an aet was passed to locate and establish a state niversity and the unfinished publie buildings at lowa City, together with the ten aeres of land on which they were situated, were granted for the use of the university, reserving their use,
17
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
however, for the General Assembly and state officers until other provisions were made by law.
Four seetions and two half sections of land were selected in Jasper County by the commissioners of the new capital. Here a town was platted and called Monroe City. The commissioners placed town lots on sale in the new location but reported to the Assembly small sales at a cost exceeding the receipts. The Town of Monroe was condemned and failed of becoming the capital. An act was passed repealing the law for the location at Monroe and those who had bought lots there were refunded their money.
By reason of jealonsies and bickerings the first General Assembly failed to elect United States senators, but the second did better, and sent to the upper house of Congress Augustus Caesar Dodge and George Jones. The first representatives were S. Clinton Hastings, of Muscatine, and Sheppard Leff- ler, of Des Moines County.
The question of the permanent seat of government was not settled and in 1851 bills were introduced for its removal to Fort Des Moines. The latter locality seemed to have the support of the majority but was finally lost in the House on the question of ordering it to a third reading. At the next session, in 1853. a bill was again introduced in the Senate for the removal of the capital and the effort was more successful. On January 15, 1855, a bill reloeating the capital of the State of Iowa within two miles of the Raccoon fork of the Des Moines River, and for the appointment of commissioners, was approved by Governor Grimes. The site was selected in 1856, in accordance with the pro- visions of this act, the land being donated to the state by citizens and property holders of Des Moines. An association of citizens erected a temporary building for the capital and leased it to the state at a nominal rent.
THE STATE BECOMES REPUBLIC.IN
The passage by Congress of the act organizing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and the provision it contained abrogating that portion of the Mis- souri bill that prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude north of 36° 30', was the beginning of a political revolution in the Northern States, and in none was it more marked than in the State of Iowa. lowa was the "first free child born of the Missouri Compromise." In 1856 the republican part of the state was duly organized, in full sympathy with that of the other free states, and at the ensuing presidential election, the electoral vote of the state was cast for John C. Fremont.
Another constitutional convention assembled in Iowa City in January, 1857. One of the most pressing demands for this convention grew out of the pro- hibition of banks under the old constitution. The practical result of this pro- hibition was to flood the state with every species of "wildeat" currency. The circulating medium was made up in part of the free-bank paper of Illinois and Indiana. In addition to this there was paper issued by lowa brokers, who had obtained bank charters from the Territorial Legislature of Nebraska, and had had their pretended headquarters at Omaha and Florence. The currency was also variegated with the bills of other states, generally such as had the best reputation where they were least known. This paper was all at 2, and some Vol. 1-2
18
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
of it from 10 to 15 per cent discount. Every man who was not an expert at detecting counterfeit bills and who was not posted in the methods of bank- ing institutions, did business at his peril. The new constitution adopted at this convention made ample provision for home banks under the supervision of laws of the state, and other changes in the old constitution were made that more nearly met the views of the people.
The permanent seat of government was fixed at Des Moines, and the uni- versity at lowa City. The qualifications of electors remained the same as under the old constitution, but the schedule provided for a vote of the people upon a separate proposition to strike out the word "white" from the suffrage elanse. Since the early organization of Iowa there had been upon the statute books a law providing that no negro, mulatto or Indian should be a compe- tent witness in any suit at law or proceeding, to which a white man was a party. The General Assembly of 1856-57 repealed this law and the new con- stitution contained a clanse forbidding such disqualification in the future. It also provided for the education of "all youth of the state" through a system of common sehools.
THE STATE CAPITAL REMOVED TO DES MOINES
October 19, 1857, Governor Grimes issued a proclamation declaring the City of Des Moines to be the capital of the State of lowa. The removal of the archives and offices was commeneed at once and continued through the fall. It was an undertaking of no small magnitude. There was not a mile of rail- road to facilitate the work and the season was imusually disagreeable. Rain, snow and other accompaniments increased the difficulties and it was not until Deeember that the last of the effects-the safe of the state treasurer, loaded on two large "bob-sleds" drawn by ten yoke of oxen-was deposited in the new capitol. Thus Iowa City ceased to be the capital of the state after four Terri- torial Legislatures, six State Legislatures, and three constitutional conventions had held their regular sessions there.
In 1870 the General Assembly made an appropriation and provided For a board of commissioners to commence the work of building a new capitol. The corner-stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies. November 23, 1871. The estimated cost of the building was two and a half million dollars, and the struc- ture was finished and occupied in 1874, the dedicatory exercises being held in January of that year. Hon. John A. Kasson delivered the principal address. The state capitol is elassie in style, with a superstructure of buff limestone. It is 363 feet in length, 247 feet in width, with a central dome rising to the height of 275 feet. At the time of completion it was only surpassed by the capitol building of the State of New York, at Albany.
CLIMATE
In former years considerable objection was made to the prevalence of high winds in Towa, which is somewhat greater than in the states south and cast. But climatie changes have lessened that grievance. The air, in fact, is pure and generally braeing, particularly so during the winter. Thunderstorms are also
19
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
more violent in this state than in those of the East and South, but not near so mueh as toward the mountains. As elsewhere in the Northwestern States, westerly winds bring rain and snow. while easterly ones clear the sky. While the highest temperature oceurs in August, the month of July averages the hottest and January the coldest. The mean temperature of April and Oeto- ber nearly corresponds to the mean temperature of the year, as well as to the seasons of spring and fall, while that of summer and winter is best represented by August and December. "Indian summer" is delightful and well prolonged.
TOPOGRAPHY
The state lies wholly within and comprises a part of a vast plain. There are no mountains and scarcely any hilly country within its borders, for the highest point is but 1,200 feet below the lowest point. These two points are nearly three hundred miles apart and the whole state is traversed by gently flowing rivers. We thus find there is a good degree of propriety in regarding the whole state as belonging to a great plain, the lowest point of which within its borders, the southeastern corner of the state, is only 444 feet above the level of the sea. The average height of the whole state above the level of the sea is not far from eight hundred feet, although it is over a thousand miles from the nearest ocean. These remarks, of course, are to be understood as only applying to the state at large, or as a whole. On examining its surface in detail we find a great diversity of surface for the formation of valleys out of the general level, which have been evolved by the actions of streams during the unnumbered years of terrace epoch. These river valleys are deepest in the northwestern part of the state and consequently it is there that the country has the greatest diversity of surface and its physical features are most strongly marked.
It is said that 95 per cent of the surface of lowa is capable of a high state of cultivation. The soil is justly famous for its fertility and there is probably no equal area of the earth's surface that contains so little untillable land or whose soil has so high an average of fertility.
LAKES AND STREAMS
The largest of Iowa's lakes are Spirit and Okoboji, in Dickinson County, Clear Lake. in Cerro Gordo County, and Storm Lake, in Buena Vista County. Its rivers consist of the Mississippi and Missouri, the Chariton, Grand, Platte, One Hundred and Two, Nodaway. Nishnabotna, Boyer, Soldier, Little Sioux, Floyd, Rock, Big Sioux, Des Moines, Skunk, lowa, Cedar. Wapsipinicon, Tur- key and Upper łowa.
IOWA AND THE CIVIL WAR
Iowa was born a free state. Her people abhorred the "peculiar institu- tion" of slavery and by her record in the war between the states proved her- self truly loyal to her institutions and the maintenance of the Union. By joint resolution in the General Assembly of the state in 1857, it was declared
20
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
that the State of Iowa was "bound to maintain the union of these states by all the means in her power." The same year the state furnished a block of marble for the Washington Monument at the national capital and by order of the Legislature there was inscribed on its enduring surface the following: "Iowa-Her affections, like the river of her borders, flow to an inseparable Union." The time was now come when these declarations of fidelity and attach- ment to the nation were to be put to a practical test. There was no state in the Union more vitally interested in the question of national unity than Iowa. The older states, both North and South, had representatives in her citizenship. Iowans were practically immigrants bound to those older communities by the most sacred ties of blood and most 'enduring recollections of early days. The position of Iowa as a state-geographically-made the dismemberment of the Union a matter of serious concern. Within her borders were two of the great navigable rivers of the country, and the Mississippi had for years been its highway to the markets of the world. The people could not entertain the thoughit that its navigation should pass to the control of a foreign nation. But more than this was to be feared-the consequence of introducing and recogniz- ing in our national system the principle of secession and of disintegration of the states from the Union. "That the nation possessed no constitutional power to coerce a seceding state," as uttered by James Buchanan in his last annual message, was received by the people of Iowa with humiliation and distrust. And in the presidential campaign of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln combatted with all the force of his matchless logic and rhetoric this monstrous political heresy, the issue was clearly drawn between the North and the South, and it became manifest to many that in the event of the election of Lincoln to the presidency war would follow between the states. The people of Iowa nursed no hatred toward any section of the country but were determined to hold such opinions upon questions of public interest and vote for such men as to them seemed for the general good, uninfluenced by any threat of violence or civil war. So it was that they anxiously awaited the expiring hours of the Buchanan administration and looked to the incoming President as to an expected deliverer that should rescue the nation from the hands of the traitors and the control of those whose resistance invited her destruction. The firing upon the flag of Fort Sumter aroused the burning indignation throughout the loyal states of the republic, and nowhere was it more intense than in Iowa. And when the proclamation of the President was published April 15, 1861, calling for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to "maintain the honor, the integrity and the existence of our national Union, and the perpetuity of popular government," they were more than willing to respond to the call. Party line gave way and for a while, at least, party spirit was hushed and the cause of our common country was supreme in the affections of the people. Fortunate indeed was the state at this crisis in having a truly representative man as executive of the state. Thoroughly honest and as equally earnest, wholly imbued with the enthusiasm of the hour and fully aroused to the importance of the crisis and the magnitude of the struggle upon which the people were entering, with an indomitable will under the control of a strong common sense, Samuel J. Kirkwood was indeed a worthy chief to organize and direct the energies of the people in what was before then. Within thirty days after the date of the President's eall for troops, the first
21
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Iowa regiment was mustered into the service of the United States, a second regiment was in eamp ready for service; and the General Assembly of the state was convened in special session and had by joint resolutions solemnly pledged every resource of men and money to the national cause. So urgent were the offers of companies that the governor conditionally accepted enough additional companies to compose two regiments more. These were soon accepted by the secretary of war. Near the elose of May. the adjutant general of the state reported that 170 companies had been tendered the governor to serve against the enemies of the Union. The question was eagerly asked: "Which of us will be allowed to go?" It seemed as if Iowa was monopolizing the honors of the period and would send the largest part of the 75,000 wanted from the whole North. There was much difficulty and considerable delay experienced in fitting the first three regiments for the field. For the first regiment a com- plete outfit of elothing was extemporized, partly by the volunteer labor of loyal women in the different towns, from' material of varions colors and quali- ties, obtained within the limits of the state. The same was done in part for the second infantry. Meantime, an extra session of the General Assembly had been called by the governor to convene on the 15th of May. With but little delay that body authorized a loan of $800,000 to meet the extraordinary expenses incurred, and to be incurred, by the executive department in conse- quence of the emergency. A wealthy merchant of the state, ex-Governor Mer- rill, immediately took from the governor a contract to supply a complete outfit of clothing for three regiments organized, agreeing to receive, should the gov- ernor so eleet, his pay therefor in the state bonds at par. This contract he executed to the letter, and a portion of the clothing was delivered at Keokuk, the place at which the troops had rendezvoused, in exactly one month from the day in which the contract had been entered into. The remainder arrived only a few days later. This clothing was delivered to the soldiers but was subsequently condemned by the Government for the reason that its color was gray, and blue had been adopted as the color to be worn by the national troops. Other states had also elothed their troops, sent forward under the first call of President Lincoln, with gray uniforms, but it was soon found that the Con- federate forees were also clothed in gray and that color was at once abandoned for the Union soldier.
At the beginning of the war the population of Iowa included about one hundred and fifty thousand men, presumably liable to render military service. The state raised for general service thirty-nine regiments of infantry, nine regi- ments of cavalry and four companies of artillery, composed of three years' men, one regiment composed of three months' men, and four regiments and one battalion of infantry composed of one hundred days' men. The original enlistments in these various organizations, including 1,727 men raised by draft, numbered about sixty-nine thousand. The reenlistments, including upwards of seven thousand veterans, numbered nearly eight thousand. The enlistments in the regular army and navy organizations of other states will, if added, raise the total to upwards of eighty thousand. The number of men who under special enlistments and as militia took part at different times in the operations on the exposed borders, was probably five thousand.
22
HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Every loyal state of the Union had many women who devoted much time and great labor toward relieving the wants of our sick and wounded soldiery but for Iowa can be elaimed the honor of inaugurating the great charitable movement, which was so successfully supported by the noble women of the North. Mrs. Harlan, wife of Hon. James Harlan, United States senator, was the first woman of the country among those moving in high circles of society who per- sonally visited the army and ministered to the wants of the defenders of her country. In many of her visits to the army, Mrs. Harlan was accompanied by Mrs. Joseph T. Fales, wife of the first state anditor of lowa. No words can describe the good done, the lives saved and the deaths made easy by the host of noble women of lowa, whose names it would take a volume to print. Every county, every town, every neighborhood had these true heroines, whose praise can never be known till the final rendering of all accounts of deeds done in the body. The contributions throughout the state to "sanitary fairs" during the war, were enormous, amonnting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Highly snecessful fairs were held in the principal cities and towns of the state, which all added to the work and praise of the "Florence Nightingales" of lowa, whose heroic sacrifices have won for them the undying gratitude of the nation. It is said, to the honor and eredit of łowa, that while many of the loyal states, older and larger in population and wealth, ineurred heavy state debts for the pur- pose of fulfilling their obligations to the general government, Iowa, while she was foremost in duty, while she promptly discharged all her obligations to her sister states and the Union, found herself at the close of the war without any material additions to her pecuniary liabilities ineurred before the war com- menved. Upon final settlement after restoration of peace. her claims upon the Federal Government were found to be fully equal to the amount of her bonds issued and sold during the war. to provide the means for raising and equipping
her troops sent into the field and to meet the inevitable demands upon her treasury in consequence of the war. It was in view of these facts that Iowa had done more than her duty during the war, and that without incurring any con- siderable indebtedness, and that her troops had fought most gallantly on nearly every battlefield of the war, that the Newark (New Jersey) Advertiser and other prominent eastern journals, called Iowa the "Model State of the Republic."
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
School teachers here were among the first immigrants to lowa. This gives point to the fact that the people of lowa have ever taken a deep interest in education and in this direction no state in the Union has a better record. The system of free public schools was planted by the early settlers and it has ex- panded and improved until now it is one of the most complete, comprehensive and liberal in the country. The lead mining regions of the state were the first to be settled by the whites and the hardy pioneers provided the means for the education of their children even before they had comfortable dwellings for themselves. Wherever a little settlement was made, the schoolhouse was the first thing undertaken by the settlers in a body. and the rude, primitive strue- tures of the early times only disappeared when the communities increased in population and wealth and were able to replace them with more commodions
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.