USA > Iowa > The Iowa official register, 1904 > Part 2
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CESSION OF MISSOURI SLOPE AND NEUTRAL GROUND. A treaty was concluded with the Sacs and Foxes, Sioux, Omahas, Iowas, Ottoes, Missourias, July 15, 1830, by which these tribes ceded and relinquished to the United States a large portion of the Missouri slope of Iowa described as follows: "Beginning at the upper fork of the Des Moines river and passing the sources of the Little Sioux and Floyd rivers to the fork of the first creek which falls into the Big Sioux or Calumet on the East Side; thence down said creek and Calumet river to the Missouri river; thence down the said Missouri river to the Missouri state line above the Kausas; thence along said line to the northwest corner of said state; thence to the highlands between the waters falling into the Missouri and Des Moines, passing on said high land along the dividing ridge between the forks of the Grand river; thence along said high- land or ridge separating the waters of the Missouri from those of the Des Moines to a point opposite the source of the Boyer river ; and thence in a direct line to the upper fork of the Des Moines, the place of beginning."" In this same treaty the Sac and Fox tribes ceded to the United States a tract of country twenty miles in width from the Mississippi to the Des Moines river situated south and adjoin- ing the Clark and Cass boundary line between the lands of the Sac and Fox and Sioux Indians. The Sioux ceded a like strip twenty miles wide on the north side of said boundary line. This tract forty miles in width and about one hundred and fifty miles in length is known as the "Neutral Ground. "
BLACK HAWK WAR-BLACK HAWK PURCHASE-KEOKUK'S RESERVE. In 1832 there occurred a war with the Indians known as the Black Hawk war. Black Hawk was a Sac chief and the leader of the Sac and Fox Indians who refused to move from the ceded territory in Illinois. In 1831 they were practically forced to move across the river by the command of a large force of United States troops and the State militia. The following spring, their numbers having been swelled by volunteers from several tribes in Iowa, they recrossed the Mississippi river with Black Hawk in command, and there followed a brief but sanguinary war which lasted until the late summer. The capture of Black Hawk ended the war. The war was followed by a treaty, concluded September 15, 1832, with the Winnebago Indians, who had assisted Black Hawk in this struggle, by which they ceded all their lands on the east side of the Mississippi river in exhange for the "Neutral Ground " in Iowa; and on September 21, 1832, by a treaty with the Sac and Fox Indians by which they relinquished that portion of Iowa known as the " Black Hawk Pur- chaso, " containing six million acres of land and lying immediately west of the
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Mississippi river, between the "Neutral Ground " on the north and the .Mis- souri State line on the south. Four hundred square miles on the Iowa river were reserved out of this purchase for the use of the Sac and Fox Indians, which included Keokuk's village on its right bank. This was known as "Keo- kuk's Reserve." While this was not the first concession of territory in Iowa by the Indians, it was the first which opened any portion of the territory for settlement by the whites.
FINAL RELINQUISHMENTS OF IOWA TERRITORY BY INDIANS. September 28, 1836, the Sac and Fox tribes ceded "Keokuk's Reserve" to the United States. Again on October, 21, 1837, the same tribes ceded a tract of one million two hundred and fifty thousand acres of land lying immediately west of the Black Hawk Purchase, between the "Neutral Ground " and the Missouri State line. At the same time they relinquished all rights to the country lying south of the Clark and Cass boundary line between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.' And on October 11, 1842, they ceded all their title to lands west of the Mississippi river. The Winnebagoes on October 16, 1846, ceded the "Neutral Ground " in Iowa to the United States in exchange for a tract north of St. Peters river on the upper Mississippi. The Sioux Indians for many years claimed all of Iowa north of these concessions, but in 1851 a treaty was concluded with them by which they relinquished to the United States their title to all lands within the State of Iowa.
SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE. Even after ceding all their Iowa land in the treaty of 1851, the Sioux were loath to leave northern Iowa. For several years they hunted and fished in the vicinity of the northern Iowa lakes and were con- tinually having trouble with the white settlers. These difficulties finally ter- minated in the massacre which has become known as the "Spirit Lake Mas- sacre." On the morning of March 8, 1857, a band of fifty Idians entered the white settlement on the south shores of Lake Okoboji. Feigning at first the semblance of friendship, they suddenly, as if by a concerted agreement, com- menced an indiscriminate slaughter. From this point they went northward to the south shore of Spirit Lake, killing the settlers who had located between these points. They remained in the vicinity of Spirit Lake several days when they crossed over to the little settlement of Springfield (now Jackson), Min- nesota. At this point they slaughtered several more settlers. At the Lakes and at Springfield fifty-three persons are believed to have been killed.
FIRST PERMANENT WHITE SETTLEMENTS. No permanent white settlements were made in Iowa until after the close of the Black Hawk war. Shortly after the treaty was concluded white settlers flocked across the Mississippi river into Iowa territory. The first white settlements fringed the Mississippi river in southeastern Iowa, the settlers coming from Illinois and other middle States. Following the year 1833 the settlers poured in by thousands. Allured by the reported beauty and fertility of Iowa they came from all parts of the Union, "coming from New York and New England by the way of Erie canal and the great lakes, and from Illinois and Ohio, Ken- tucky, North Carolina, Missouri and other States by way of the rivers." The eastern part of the present State all along the Mississippi river almost to the northern limit was comparatively thickly settled in 1835 and the tide of settle- ment from then on crept westward and northward along the Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar and other rivers.
WITHOUT GOVERNMENT - DEMOINE AND DUBUQUE COUNTIES CREATED. For more than a year after the white settlers
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commenced to fiock into the territory there was no established government in force. Lawlessness prevailed to a great extent and it was in response to the demands made by the better element of the settlers that Congress extended the boundaries of Michigan territory west to the Missouri river and north of the Missouri State line. Shortly after the boundaries of Michigan territory were thus extended the legislative council of the territory passed an act cre- ating the counties of Demoine and Dubuque out of the new acquisition, Dubuque county embracing all of the territory north of a line drawn due west from the lower end of Rock Island to the Missouri river, and constituting the township of Julien ; and Demoine county including all the territory south of this line and constituting the township of Flint Hill. The same act established a county court in each county.
INCLUDED IN WISCONSIN TERRITORY. In 1836, Wisconsin Territory was organized and the counties of Demoine and Dubuque made a part thereof. The act of Congress creating the territory established a legisla- ture consisting of a Council and a House of Representatives, the members thereof to be elected by popular vote and gave all free white, male citizens the right to vote without regard to property qualifications. "Thus for the first time was the prerequisite of taxpaying omitted from the qualifications of voters in this territory. Hence also the first time the people of this territory elected their lawmakers a property qualification to vote was not required. In no part of the country east of the western line of the State of Iowa, except in Iowa and Minnesota has it been true that the people have always exercised the right of suffrage without the prepayment of some sort of tax." The first session of the Legislature of Wisconsin Territory was held at Belmont, Iowa county (now Lafayette county), Wisconsin, commencing October 25th, and ending Decem- ber 9, 1836. . This legislative assembly passed an act making Madison, Wiscon- sin the permanent capital, and providing for the meeting of the assembly in Burlington, Demoine county, thereafter until the capital at Madison was com- pleted. The second session was held in Burlington, Demoine county, from November 6, 1837, to January 20, 1838, in a common two-story frame house which had been constructed for the purpose. This building was destroyed by fire during the winter and the legislature met during the remainder of the ses- sion in Old Zion Methodist Church. An extra session was held at Burlington in June, 1838.
COUNTIES. Twenty-two counties were created by the legislative assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin, out of Demoine and Dubuque counties, as follows: Des Moines, Cook (extinct), Henry, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine, and Van Buren by act approved December 7, 1836; Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clay- ton, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk (extinct), Linn and Scott by act approved December 21, 1837, and Slaughter (changed to Washington by act approved January 25, 1839) by act approved January 18, 1838.
IOWA TERRITORY. Congress by an act approved June 12, 1838, divided the Wisconsin Territory and gave that portion thereof west of the Mis- sissippi river a separate territorial government under the name of Iowa Terri- tory. The new government was established July 3, 1838. Robert Lucas of Ohio and William B Conway of Pennsylvania were respectively appointed Governor and Secretary by President Van Buren. The act creating the terri- tory provided that the legislative power should be vested in the Governor and a legislative assembly, the latter to consist of a Council composed of thirteen members and a House of Representatives composed of twenty-six members.
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Annual sessions were to be held and the Governor had the power of absolute veto. The members of the Council and House of Representatives were to be elected by the people in districts apportioned by the Governor. The act also appropriated twenty thousand dollars for the erection of public buildings for the use of the new territorial government.
OFFICERS-LOCATION OF CAPTITAL AT IOWA CITY. The first Territorial election was held September 10, 1838. At this election W. W. Chapman was chosen to represent the Territory as a delegate in Congress. The first Legislative Assembly met at Burlington, November 12, 1838, and adjourned January 25, 1839. Jesse B. Browne, of Lee county, was elected President of the Council and B F. Wallace secretary, and William H. Wallace, of Henry county, was elected Speaker of the House and Joseph T. Fales chief clerk. This territorial legislature passed an act, approved January 21, 1839, appointing a commission to select a site within the limits of Johnson county for the permanent seat of government. This commission selected the location and laid out a town to be called Iowa City. A plan for the new capitol building was adopted, the cost not to exceed $51, 000, and the work of construction commenced. The removal from Burlington to Iowa City took place April 30, 1841. This building was finally completed about 1854, and cost in all about $123, 000.
MISSOURI-IOWA BOUNDARY DISPUTE. In 1838 there arose a dispute between the State of Missouri and the Iowa Territory over the question of the true location of the north boundary line of Missouri. This dispute came near terminating in a civil war. The militia and volunteers were called out by both Governors and active preparations for open hostilities commenced. Wiser counsel finally prevailed and the matter was left to the courts to adjudicate. The Supreme Court of the United States settled the question finally and this adjustment was largely favorable to the claims of Iowa.
POWER OF VETO CURTAILED. In 1839 Congress granted another concession to the people of the Territory by amending the Organic Law so as to allow two thirds of both houses of the legislative assembly to pass a bill over the Governor's veto.
PROPOSITIONS TO HOLD CONSTITUTIONAL CONVEN- TIONS-ASSEMBLY CONVENES IN IOWA CITY. The Second Ter- ritorial Legislature which convened at Burlington in extra session, July 13, 1840, passed an act providing for the holding of an election for the purpose of voting upon the question of calling a convention to formulate a constitution. At the election which followed the proposition was voted down. The Third Territorial convention convened at Iowa City, the new capital, December 5, 1841. A temporary frame building had been constructed which was used by the Third and Fourth Territorial Assemblies. The Fourth Territorial Legisla- ture, which convened February 16, 1842, passed a similar act, relative to holding a constitutional convention and the proposition was again voted down at the election held August 1, 1842, the vote standing 4,146 for and 6, 868 against the convention The Fifth Territorial Legislature, which convened at Iowa City December 5, 1842, occupied the new capitol building, although it was still in an unfinished condition.
FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION-BOUNDARIES- CONSTITUTION REJECTED. In the year 1843 the subject of holding a constitutional convention was again agitated and the sixth Territorial Legisla- ture by an act approved February 13, 1844, provided for the submission of the question at the township election in the following April. At this election the
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decision of the people was in favor of holding the constitutional convention, the vote being 7, 221 for and 4, 308 against the convention. The delegates to the convention were elected at the general election in 1844. The convention met October 7th, drafted a constitution, and adjourned November 1, 1844. The boundaries proposed in this constitution included a large part of the present State of Minnesota, and excluded a tract embracing all of the present counties of Lyon, Osceola and Sioux, and parts of Dickinson, O'Brien, Plymouth and Woodbury. Congress, by act of March 3, 1845, relating to the admission of Iowa, proposed boundaries cutting off all of the Missouri slope, being almost identical with the line between the present counties of Carroll and Greene, and also curtailing the northern limits. In April, 1845, the people rejected the pro- posed constitution, largely on account of the boundaries proposed by Congress which had been incorporated therein. The seventh Territorial Legislature, which convened in May, 1845, passed an act, over the Governor's veto, to re- submit the proposed constitution as it originally came from the hands of the convention. It was again defeated at the election in August, 1845.
SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION - CONSTITU- TION ADOPTED. The eighth Territorial Legislature passed an act ap- proved January 17, 1846, providing directly for the election of delegates to a second constitutional convention, the election to take place in April, 1846. The delegates elected met at Iowa City in convention the 4th day of May, 1846, formulated a constitution with boundaries identical with those of today, which had in the meantime been proposed by a bill then pending in Congress. This constitution was adopted by the people August 3, 1846, the vote being 9, 492 for and 9, 036 against its adoption.
COUNTIES. Twenty-five counties were created by the Legislative As- sembly of Iowa Territory, as follows: Jefferson, by act approved January 21, 1839; Appanoose, Black Hawk, Davis, Iowa, Keokuk, Kishkekosh (changed to Monroe by act approved August 1, 1846), Mahaska, Poweshiek, Tama and Wapello by act approved February 17, 1843; Madison (extinct) by act approved February 15, 1844; Marion by act approved June 10, 1845; Boone, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marshall, Polk, Story, Warren and Wayne by act approved January 13, 1846.
ADMISSION INTO UNION. By an act approved August 6, 1846, Con- gress redefind the boundaries of Iowa. Governor Clarke, of Iowa Territory, issued a proclamation calling for an election to be held on October 26, 1846, for the election of state officers and members of the legislature. The officers elected were Ansel Briggs, of Jackson county, Governor; Elisha Cuttler, Jr., of Van Buren county, Secretary of State; Joseph T. Fales, of Des Moines county, Auditor of Public Accounts, and Morgan Reno, of Johnson county, Treasurer. On December 28, 1846, the act of Congress admitting Iowa into the Union of States, was approved by the President. The First General Assembly of the State of Iowa, which convened in Iowa City, November 30, 1846, passed an act, approved January 16, 1847, accepting the proposition of Congress for the admission of Iowa.
RELOCATION OF THE CAPITAL. The demand for a more central location for the capital, due to the rapid growth and development of the cen- tral and western portions of the State, resulted in the passage of an act near the close of the session of the First General Assembly, providing for such relo- cation. The act also provided for the appointment of three commissioners.
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authorized them to select the location, survey and plat into town lots and sell certain numbers of the lots, and make a full and complete report to the Gover- nor. The commissioners appointed under this act selected Monroe City, in Jasper county, as the location, and the first sale of lots was made. This selec- tion was unpopular, and the Second General Assembly passed an act, approved January 15, 1849, terminating the functions of the commissioners, declaring Monroe City vacated, and providing for the refunding of the money received from the sale of the lots. During the session of the Third General Assembly. Lills were introduced providing for removal to Pella, Fort Des Moines and other centrally located points, but failed of passage. Again during the session of the Fourth General Assembly a bill providing for the removal of the capital to Fort Des Moines was introduced and was barely defeated on the final vote. The Fifth General Assembly, which convened in Iowa City December 4, 1854, passed an act providing for relocating the capitol "within two miles of the Raccoon forks of the Des Moines river, " and authorized the appointment of a commission to select the site. After the commission had selected the site a company of private individuals erected the building necessary for a capitol, (which was finally purchased by the State in 1864). Upon the completion of the building in 1857, Governor Grimes issued a proclamation, dated October 19, 1857, declaring Des Moines to be the capital of the State. The complete removal of office fixtures and records was not effected until in December, when the last load of material, "drawn by oxen upon a bobsled through wind, rain and snow, " arrived at the capitol.
THIRD CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION-CONSTITUTION ADOPTED. The question of revising or amending the Constitution of Iowa was agitated in 1854, and the Fifth General Assembly passed an act, approved January 24, 1855, providing for the submission at the general election in August, 1856, of the proposition of holding a convention to revise or amend the Consti- tution. The act also provided for the holding of another election in Novem- ber, 1856, for the purpose of selecting delegates to said convention should a majority of the votes be in favor of the proposition. The proposition carried at the election and delegates were chosen at the second election. The third constitutional convention convened at Iowa City, January 19, 1857, formulated the Constitution under which the State of Iowa now operates, and adjourned March 5, 1857. The Constitution adopted by the convention was ratified by the people at an election held August 3, 1857, the vote being 40,311 for and 30, 681 against the Constitu ion, and took effect on the issuance of the proclamation of the Governor, September 3, 1857.
COUNTIES. The general assembly of the State of Iowa has created in all fifty-six counties out of the territory included in some of the counties created by the legislative assembly of Wisconsin territory and Iowa territory, as follows: Allamakee and Winneshiek by the act approved February 20, 1847 ; Fremont, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold and Taylor, by the acts approved Feb- ruary 24, 1847; Adair, Adams, Audubon, Bancroft (extinct), Bremer, Buena Vista, Buncombe (changed by a later act to Lyon), Butler, Carroll, Cass, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Fox (changed by a later act to Calhoun), Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Humbolt (changed by a later act to Humboldt), Ida, Kossuth, Mills, Mitchell, Monona, Montgomery, O'Brien Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Risely (changed by later acts first to Webster then to Hamilton), Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Union, Wahkaw (changed
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by later act to Woodbury), Winnebago, Worth, Wright and Yell (changed by later act to Webster), by the act approved January 15, 1851.
IOWA IN THE CIVIL WAR. Let it be said that in the war for the preservation of the Union, no State in proportion to population surpassed Iowa in upholding the stars and stripes and suppressing the Rebellion. Her popula- tion in 1860 was less than 700, 000, and yet she furnished nearly 80, 000 volun- teers. Her forty-seven regiments of infantry, nine of cavalry and four bat- teries of artillery moved with no uncertain tread on a hundred battlefields and earned victory. The renown and valor of this army of loyal, patriotic men, will live forever in the hearts of our people and their heroic deeds will occupy the highest niche in Iowa's temple of fame.
NEW CAPITOL. As the State grew in population and wealth, the incapacity of the old capitol building, which had been erected as a temporary structure only, became more and more apparent. The offices became more and more crowded as the years passed by and the legislative halls became more and more meager. Accordingly the Twelfth General Assembly passed an act approved April 6, 1868, providing for the securing of "plans and specifications for a State capitol, to be erected on the Capitol Square, at the capital of the State, to be built of the most fit and durable material and to be constructed fire-proof." This was followed in 1870 by the passage of an act, approved April 13, 1870, providing for the appointment of a board of Capitol Commissioners and making an appropriation for a beginning. Immediately after the organi- zation of the board, the work of constructon was pushed with vigor. On Thurs- day, November 23, 1871, the corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies. The Capitol Commission was reorganized in 1872 under the provisions of the act of the general assembly, approved April 10, 1872, and the commissioners then appointed continued in office with one exception until their terms of office ex- pired June 30, 1886, by provision of an act of the Twenty-first General Assembly. The capitol building was inaugurated with appropriate ceremonies January 17, 1884. Hon. John A. Kasson delivered the inaugural address and in the course of his remarks, paid this eulogy to the Capitol Commissioners: "Not one act of speculation or spoilation, not one coin wasted or vainly spent, has defaced the bright record of their administration. It shall be a part of the legacy we leave. to our children that all these vast and durable walls have been laid in the cement of honesty, and built by the rule of fidelity." The capitol building stands upon an elevation one hundred and twenty-five feet above the river, and presents a magnificent appearance of symmetrical design, yet massive in construction. The length of the building, including the porticos is 363 feet 8 inches; extreme width, 246 feet 11 inches ; height to top of final, over center of dome, 275 feet, and the building covers 58, 850 square feet of ground. There are in all 97 rooms in the building, 32 kinds of marble and 12 kinds of wood were used in their finish. To furnish water, gas and heat, 241,012 feet of pipe, equal to forty-five miles was used. The cost of constructing the building was $2, 876, 300.
REPAIRS. The Twenty-eighth General Assembly passed an act approved April 7, 1900, providing for the appointment of a Capitol Improvement Com- mission to estimate the cost of repairs and make report to the succeeding general assembly. The Twenty-ninth General Assembly passed an act, ap- proved April 12, 1902, creating the Capitol Commission, authorizing the mem- bers to carry on the work of improvements, and appropriating $250, 000 for this purpose. The work of improving the capitol has been going on during the past year. It will take two or three more years to complete the work. The
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