USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 50
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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 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52
1762 and 1763
England, France and Spain agreed that the boundary between the Provinces of England and France in America should be fixed as the middle of the Mis- sissippi River, from its source to the Ibervilles.
France also ceded Louisiana to Spain, and the lands now included in Iowa were a part of the province of Louisiana, and thus came under Spanish dominion.
1800 and 1801
By the treaty of San Ildefonso, made between France and Spain on October I, 1800, Spain agreed, upon certain conditions to re-cede Louisiana to France. This was confirmed by a second treaty, between the same powers, made at Madrid, March 21, 1801, and we thus again came under French dominion.
April 30, 1803
A treaty was concluded between the President of the United States and "the first consul of the French Republic, in the name of the French people," ceding the province of Louisiana to the United States ; ratifications were ex- changed at Washington, October 21, 1803.
October 31, 1803
Act of Congress authorizing the President to take possession of "the terri- tories ceded by France to the United States" by the treaty of April 30th last, and providing that, until the expiration of the present congress, unless provision for a temporary government should be sooner made by congress, the govern- ment thereof should be vested in such persons and exercised in such manner as the President should direct.
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March 26, 1804
Act of Congress dividing "that portion of the country ceded by France to the United States, under the name of Louisiana" so that all that part south of the territory of Mississippi and south of 33º of north latitude should constitute the territory of Orleans, and the "residue of the province of Louisiana" should be called the district of Louisiana and be under the government and jurisdiction of the governor and judges of Indiana territory.
March 3, 1805
Act of Congress declaring that the "district of Louisiana" should thence- forth be known as the Territory of Louisiana and providing for its government by a governor and three judges.
February 20, 18II
Act of Congress to enable the people of Louisiana to form a state govern- ment, and prescribing limits which extended no further north than 30° north latitude.
April 8, 1812
Louisiana admitted as a state.
June 4, 1812
Act of Congress providing that the "Territory heretofore called Louisiana shall hereafter be called Missouri," and providing for a territorial government consisting of a governor, a legislative council and a house of representatives.
September 10, 1819
Act of the Governor and Judges of the territory of Michigan to regulate ferries. Section 2 provides, that the County Court shall grant licenses for keep- ing ferries in their respective counties, which shall continue in force for one year and no longer.
March 6, 1820
Act of Congress authorizing the people of Missouri to form a state govern- ment, with boundaries as follows: Beginning at the middle of the Mississippi river on the parallel of thirty-six degrees north latitude; thence west along that parallel of latitude to the Saint Francois river; thence up, and following the course of that in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the parallel of latitude of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes ; thence west along the same to a point where the said parallel is intersected by a meridian line passing through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas river, where the same empties into the Missouri river; thence from the point aforesaid, north, along the said meridian line, to the intersection of the parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the river Des Moines, making the said line to correspond with the Indian boundary line; thence east, from the point of intersection last afore- said along the said parallel of latitude to the middle of the channel of the main fork of the said river Des Moines; thence down and along the middle of the main channel of the said river Des Moines to the mouth of the same where it
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empties into the Mississippi river ; thence due east to the middle of the main channel of Mississippi river; thence down and following the course of the Mis- sissippi river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of be- ginning.
June 12, 1820
The Constitution of the State of Missouri was adopted by a convention held at St. Louis; this constitution fixes the northern boundary line of Missouri as follows: from "the intersection of the parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the river Des Moines, making the said line correspond with the Indian boundary line, thence east from the point of intersection last aforesaid, along the said parallel of latitude, to the middle of the channel of the main fork of the said river Des Moines; thence down and along the middle of the main channel of the said river Des Moines to the mouth of the same, where it empties into the Mississippi river; thence due east to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river, etc.
March, 1821
Joint resolution of congress providing for the admission of the state of Missouri on a certain condition, approved March 2, 1821.
August, 1821
Proclamation of President Monroe, dated August 10, 1821, declaring that Missouri had complied with the condition made by congress, and declaring the admission of Missouri into the Union to be complete.
February 13, 1833
Treaty with the Sac and Fox Indians made at Fort Armstrong September 1832, and proclaimed February 13, 1833. This is the Treaty known as the "Black Hawk Purchase," or "Scott's Purchase," and included all of the present Louisa county except such as was contained in the "Keokuk Reserve." This reserve extended from the mouth of Smith creek northwest, on both sides of the Iowa, to and beyond the county line.
June 28, 1834
Act of Congress attaching to the territory of Michigan "all that part of the territory of the United States bounded on the east by the Mississippi river, on the south by the State of Missouri and a line drawn due west from the northwest corner of said state to the Missouri river; on the southwest and west by the Missouri river and the White Earth River falling into the same; and on the north by the northern boundary of the United States," for purposes of tem- porary government.
(The territory of Michigan was formed by Act of Congress, approved Jan- uary II. 1805, dividing the Indiana Territory into two separate governments and provided that it should have "a government in all respects similar to that provided by the ordinance of congress, passed on the 13th day of July one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven, for the government of the territory northwest of the river Ohio; and by an act passed on the seventh day of
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August one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-nine, entitled "An act to pro- vide for the government of the territory northwest of the river Ohio." This act was amended February 16th, 1819, March 3rd, 1823, February 5th, 1825, and January 27th, 1827.)
September 6, 1834
By act of the territorial council of Michigan, the county of Demoine was established, containing all of what is now the State of Iowa south of a line drawn due west from the lower end of Rock Island in the Mississippi River. This act took effect October I. thereafter. It also provided "said county shall constitute a Township, and be called Flint Hill."
July 3. 1836
Act of Congress establishing the territorial government of Wisconsin, ap- proved April 20, 1836, to take effect "from and after the 3rd day of July next." The Territory of Wisconsin included all of the present State of Iowa. This act provided that "The people of the said territory shall be entitled to, and enjoy, all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages, granted and secured to the people of the United States northwest of the Ohio river, by the articles of the compact contained in the ordinance for the government of the said ter- ritory, passed on the thirteenth day of July, one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven; and shall be subject to all the conditions and restrictions and prohibitions in said articles imposed upon the people of the said territory."
July 3. 1836
The Act of Congress approved April 20th, 1836, established the Territory of Wisconsin, the act took effect "the third day of July next." The new Ter- ritory of Wisconsin included all of the present State of Iowa.
September, 1836
Proclamation of Henry Dodge, governor of Wisconsin, dated September 9. 1836, in pursuance of the act organizing the Territory of Wisconsin. This proclamation refers to the fact that the governor had caused a census of the territory to be taken and apportions the members of the council and house of representatives as follows: Des Moines county, seven members of the house, and three members of the council : Dubuque county, five members of the house and three members of the council, and the other four counties, all east of the Mississippi, had fourteen members of the house and seven members of the council. This proclammation ordered that the first election for members should be held on the 2d Monday of October thereafter.
October, 1836
Governor Henry Dodge issued two proclamations, bothi dated October 25, 1836, to declare and make known the gentlemen who were duly elected to the council and house. We give the names of those from Des Moines county only. In the council were Jeremiah Smith, Jr., Joseph B. Teas and Arthur B. Inghram ; in the house were Isaac Leffler, Thomas Blair, Warren L. Jenkins, John Box, George W. Teas, Eli Reynolds, and David R. Chance.
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November 15, 1836
Act of the first session of the legislative assembly of the Territory of Wis- consin, provided that the counties of Dubuque and Des Moines should constitute the Second Judicial District, and that David Irvin, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, should perform District Court duties in the Second District, and that Court should be held in Des Moines County on the first Monday in April and the first Monday in September.
November 17, 1836
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, providing that the bonds of the Sheriffs of the several counties, may hereafter be approved by the judges of the District Courts of the proper county, or by any two Justices of the Peace of the same county.
November 17, 1836
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin authorizing the judges of the Supreme Court for the several counties within the territory to appoint a Clerk of each Court of their respective districts previous to the holding of the first term of Court, said Clerks to hold their several appointments until the first term of the Court for which they shall be respectively appointed, and until their successors are appointed and qualified.
December, 1836
Act of the Wisconsin Territorial legislature providing that the supervisors of each county could grant licenses "for any time not less than one year, for groceries, victualing houses, and ordinaries, with permission to sell spirituous wines and liquors in small measure," and every person thus licensed was to pay to the treasurer of the county the sum of $108. This act also provided that the duties of county clerks in the courts of Michigan Territory, concerning the assessment and collection of territorial taxes, should be performed by the clerks of the boards of supervisors in Wisconsin Territory.
December, 1836
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, approved December 6, 1836, as follows: "An act to amend the several acts hereinafter mentioned, to wit: An act entitled An .Act Relative To The Duties And Privileges of Townships, approved 17th of April, 1833. also an act entitled An Act To Provide For The Assessment And Collection Of Township And County Taxes, approved 22d of April, 1833. Also an act entitled An Act To Provide For the Defraying of Public and Necessary Expenses in the Respective Counties of This Territory, and For Other Purposes, approved March 6, 1833, also an act entitled An Act to Regulate Highways, approved April 17, 1833."
Section 1. Be it enacted, etc., that each county within this territory now organized or that may be hereafter organized, be and the same is hereby de- clared one township for all the purposes of carrying into effect the above recited acts, and that there shall be elected at the annual town meeting in each county, three supervisors, who shall perform in addition to the duties heretofore as-
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signed them as a county board, the duties heretofore performed by the town- ship board.
Section 2. There shall be elected in each county one township clerk, who shall in addition to the duties heretofore performed by him, perform the duties of clerk to the board of supervisors.
December 7, 1836
An act to locate and establish a territorial road west of the Mississippi. It provides that Abel Galland and Soloman Perkins, Benjamine Clark, Adam Sher- rill, William Jones and Henry L. Lander, be and the same are hereby appointed commissioners to make and lay out a territorial road west of the Mississippi, commencing at Farmington on the Des Moines river, thence to Moffit's Mill, thence the nearest and best route to Burlington in Des Moines County, thence to Wapello, thence by the nearest and best route to Dubuque, and thence by the nearest and best route to the ferry opposite Prairie Du Chien.
Section 4 provides that the engineers within one month from the completion of the survey shall make a correct plat and field notes, one copy to be filed in the office of the Clerk in each county through which the contemplated road shall pass.
Section 8 provides that the commissioners within three months from the completion of the survey shall make a report of the manner in which they have discharged their duties, including an estimate of the probable cost of constructing the necessary bridges, with any other remarks deemed pertinent, one copy to be filed with the Clerk of the District Court for the counties through which the road may pass.
December 7, 1836
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin dividing the County of Des Moines into several new counties. This act establishes the counties of Lee, Des Moines. Van Buren, Henry, Louisa, Musquitine and Cook.
Section 5 of the Act relates to Louisa County, and establishes the boundaries as follows :
"Beginning at the Mississippi river at the northeast corner of Des Moines, thence up said river twelve miles above the mouth of Iowa, thence west to the Indian boundary line, thence with said boundary line to the northwest corner of Henry and with the line of the same to the northwest corner of the county of Des Moines : thence east with the line of the same county of Des Moines to the beginning."
(See map showing Louisa County as originally established.) December 8, 1836
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin concerning the Supreme and District Courts and defining their jurisdiction and powers. Section 7 is as fol- lows :
Be it further enacted that the District Courts established by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin entitled "An Act to establish
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Judicial Districts for the Territory of Wisconsin and for other purposes, ap- proved the 15th of November, 1836, shall have original jurisdiction within their respective districts in all civil cases at law and in equity when the balance due or the thing demanded shall exceed $50.00 and shall have an appellate jurisdiction in all cases in the several districts from the probate courts and the decisions of the Justices of the Peace, and the said courts in term time and the Judges thereof in vacation shall have power to award through the territory and returnable in the proper County, writs of injunction, ne exeat, habeas corpus, and all other writs and processes that may be necessary to the due execution of the powers with which they are vested. And the said Courts shall respectively have power and authority to determine all cases of treason, felony, crimes and misdemeanors of whatever kind that may be committed within any county or place within their respective districts, and they may be brought before them by any rules or regu- lations provided by law.
December 8, 1836
Act of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature provides that the existing laws of Michigan as declared in full force by the Act of Congress which included the Territory of Wisconsin, be taken and construed liberally and beneficially for the purpose of giving said laws full force and effect, etc., and that whenever in said acts which are declared in force by this act, the word "Michigan" occurs, the word "Wisconsin" shall be substituted, and whenever by the said act powers are conferred and duties are imposed on the Supreme Courts or the Judges thereof, or County Courts or Judges thereof, the same shall be executed and performed by the District Courts and the Judges thereof in their respective Districts.
December 9. 1836
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, authorizing the Supervisors of each County to Grant licenses for not less than one year for groceries, victual- ing houses and ordinaries with permission to sell spirituous liquors and wine by small measure under such regulations as they may deem expedient.
February 27, 1837
Treaty with Sac and Fox Indians made September 28, 1836, and proclaimed February 27, 1837. The treaty ceded to the United States, the 400 square miles reserved by the treaty proclaimed February 13, 1833, known as "Keokuk's Re- serve."
By this treaty, the Indian title (if there ever was any) was extinguished so far as all Louisa County land was concerned, not embraced in the "Black Hawk Purchase."
December 20, 1837
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, provides for the organization of a board of County Commissioners, consisting of three qualified electors, the first election to take place on the first Monday in March next, and thereafter at the general elections.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
January 18, 1838
An Act to establish the boundaries of the Counties of Lee, Van Buren, Des Moines, Henry, Louisa, Muscatine and Slaughter, to locate seats of Justice and for other purposes.
Section 5 relates to Louisa County, and is as follows: The boundaries of Louisa County shall be as follows, to-wit : "Beginning at the northeast corner of Des Moines County, thence west to the northwest corner of said County, thence north with the range line between ranges four and five west to the township line dividing townships 75 and 76 north, thence east with said line to the Mississippi river, thence down the same to the place of beginning, and the seat of Justice of said county is hereby established at the town of Lower Wappello." By this Act all of Louisa County west of Range 4 was attached to a new county named Slaughter. This left all of the present township of Elm Grove, the greater part of Columbus City, and all of Union and Oakland in Slaughter county. The present site of Columbus City was in Slaughter county.
January 19, 1838
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, providing that in actions of trespass and for possession of real estate when any person may settle on any of the public lands in this territory where the same have not been sold by the gen- eral government his, her or their possession shall be construed on the trial as extending to the boundaries imposed by the claim of such person or persons, so as to enable him, her or them to have and maintain either of the aforesaid actions without being compelled to prove the actual enclosure, provided that such claim shall not exceed in number of acres the amount limited to any one person ac- cording to the custom of the neighborhood in which such land is situated, and shall not in any case exceed in extent 320 acres.
January 23, 1838
Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, providing that the counties of Louisa and Slaughter shall form the 13th Electoral District, and shall be entitled to elect one member of the House of Representatives.
July, 1838
Act of Congress making appropriations for certain roads in the Territory of Wisconsin. One provision of this act is as follows: "For the survey of the Des Moines and Iowa rivers, with a view to the improvement of their naviga- tion, a sum not exceeding $1,000."
July. 1838
Proclamation by William B. Conway, acting governor of Iowa Territory, dated July 25, 1838, dividing the territory into judicial districts ; the counties of Scott, Musquitine. Louisa, Slaughter and Johnson, were made the second judicial district, which was assigned to Hon. Joseph Williams.
1838
There is in the office of the secretary of state at Des Moines the manuscript (not dated nor signed, but purporting to be issued by William B. Conway, "act- ing governor") of a proclamation fixing the date of the election for the second
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Monday in September following, and dividing the territory into electoral dis- tricts, and apportioning the members of the council and house. It declares that the counties of Louisa, Muscatine and Slaughter, and the country lying west and at- tached to Slaughter for judicial purposes, shall form the fifth legislative district and elect one member of the council and four members of the house.
July 3. 1838
The Act of Congress approved June 12, 1838, established the Territory of Iowa, and took effect from and after "the third day of July next," it included "all that part of Wisconsin, which lies west of the Mississippi river, and west of a line drawn due north from the head waters or sources of the Mississippi to the territorial line."
Act of Congress, approved March 3. 1839. "to alter and amend the organic law of the Territories of Wisconsin and Iowa."
Act of Congress approved March 3, 1839. "to authorize the election or ap- pointment of certain officers in the Territory of lowa, and for other purposes."
(The Act of establishing the Territory of Iowa and the two subsequent acts relating to it are published in the "prefix" to the Code of Iowa.)
July 25, 1838
Proclamation of William B. Conway signing himself as "acting governor of the Territory of Iowa" (and who had been duly appointed secretary of the Terri- tory), in pursuance of the act establishing the Territory of Iowa, defined the Judicial districts of the territory and assigned the Judges of the Supreme Court to their respective districts. The Second District was composed of the counties of Scott, Musquitine, Louisa, Slaughter and Johnson, and Judge Joseph Wil- liams was assigned to hold District Court therein, and the Court term in Louisa County was to begin on the third Monday in October.
About the same time as the last proclamation was issued William B. Conway fixed the electoral districts of the new Territory of Iowa, and provided that the counties of Louisa, Muscatine and Slaughter, and the country lying west of and attached to Slaughter should form the Fifth Legislative District, and elect one member of the council and four members of the house of representatives.
August, 1838
Proclamation of Governor Robert Lucas, dated August 15, 1838, in pursu- ance of Section 4. of Act of Congress, of June 12, 1838, establishing the Territory of Iowa. This proclamation apportions the "numbers" of the council and house of representatives, fixing the membership of the council at thirteen and of the house at twenty-six, and gives to Louisa, Musquitine and Slaughter, and the country lying west and attached to Slaughter, for judicial purposes, one member of the council and four members of the house of representatives.
October, 1838
Governor Robert Lucas on October 18, 1838, issued a proclamation reciting that by virtue of the authority of the act of June 12, 1838 (the organic act of Iowa), he had declared by proclamation the apportionment of members of the
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council and house and "had caused an election to be held in the territory on September 10th last;" he gives the names of the members elected and, among others, states that James M. Clark had been elected member of the council from the counties of Muscatine, Louisa and Slaughter, and that John Frierson, Wm. L. Toole, Levi Thornton and S. C. Hastings had been elected members of the house from said counties.
December, 1838
Act of Iowa territorial legislature for the organization of a board of county commissioners, consisting of three qualified electors, the one having the highest vote to serve three years, the next highest two, and the next one year, and thereafter one to be elected each year to serve three years.
December, 1838
An Act establishing a territorial road commencing at the town of Black llawk in Louisa county ; thence the nearest and best route to Wapello in said county ; thence to Mt. Pleasant and Bentonsport: thence to the southern line of Van Buren county "in a direction to Jefferson City in the state of Missouri." S. S. Gourley of Louisa county, was appointed as one of the commissioners to locate it.
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