Iowa Territory 1838-1846. On July 4, 1838, the U.S. Congress established the Territory of Iowa. President Martin Van Buren appointed Robert Lucas governor of the territory, which at the time had 22 counties and a population of 23,242. Within months, thousands began flocking into this new land, and slowly, the open prairies became rich farmland and little villages became thriving communities.
1838 – Welcome to Iowa, Governor Lucas. When Iowa finally became its own U.S. Territory, President Martin Van Buren looked to the great state of Ohio to pick our first governor. On August 15th of 1838, the new Territorial Governor and his small traveling party arrived by steamboat in Burlington. Over the next three years, Lucas moved the capital to Iowa City, establishing Iowa as one of the most progressive territories in the West.
Two Iowa Friends – Making & Collecting Iowa History. In the mid-1800’s, Iowa became the new home for two young men from the East. Throughout their lives, they both made history and became impressive collectors of all things Iowa. Theodore S. Parvin and Charles Aldrich – two friends who left their unique mark in Iowa history.
Surveying the Life of Cyrus Sanders – Iowa City Pioneer. In 1839, a 21-year-old Ohio native made his way west to Iowa. Back home, he’d learned the fine art of surveying as he worked for the Little Miami Railroad. So when he added that talent to farming, this young man made a successful transition from being a Buckeye to becoming a Hawkeye. Later in life, he became one of Johnson County’s most gifted historical writers.
Cyrus Sanders – My 1839 Iowa Adventure. Come on a one-year trek into unexplored Johnson County with a 21-year-old farmer/surveyor from Ohio who journaled his way through this amazing pioneer adventure. From Cincinnati to Burlington to Napoleon and Iowa City, follow Sanders’ path by reading directly from his personal diary.
1839 – The U.S. Mail Comes to Johnson County. One of the most important aspects of life for early settlers in Iowa was the receiving and sending of letters. Postal records indicate that Iowa City established its first “officially recognized” post office in 1841. But other records show that Johnson County had postal service prior to that time (1839), even though that service was sketchy at best.
Iowa City’s Humble Beginnings. Iowa City was named the capital of the new Iowa Territory soon after the territory’s inception in 1838. After the U.S. Government bought land west of the Mississippi called the Black Hawk Purchase, a new government began to take shape, and that became the humble beginnings of the new City of Iowa, now called Iowa City.
Chauncey Swan – The Father of Iowa City. On May 4, 1839, a three-man committee stood atop a beautiful piece of Johnson County land overlooking the Iowa River. As Chauncey Swan drove a stake into the ground, Iowa City had its humble beginnings. Over the next ten years, this same faithful man will prove time and time again why he has long been designated the Father of Iowa City. Come read his Iowa story.
Lyman Dillon – Plowing the Straight & Narrow. When Iowa became a U.S. Territory in 1838, transportation options were very primitive. Governor Lucas asked the U.S. Senate to fund a Military Road running the length of the Territory from Dubuque to the Missouri border. After surveying the land, Lyman Dillon, a farmer from Cascade, was hired to take his team of five oxen and plow up a furrow from Dubuque to Iowa City (86 miles). Get the straight story here!
On the Road to Iowa City. In 1839, there were three primary routes leading in and out of Johnson County: the Iowa River, the Sauk & Fox trail, today called Sand Road, and a narrow pathway to Bloomington (Muscatine) where you could catch a ride on the mother of all highways, The Mighty Mississippi. Within five years, all roads in the Territory led to Iowa City, the new capital city of Iowa.
Sylvanus Johnson – Mr. Red Brick. In 1839, a brick-maker from Connecticut was assigned by Territorial Governor Robert Lucas to recruit Iowa militiamen for the border squirmish that was brewing on the Iowa/Missouri border. Iowa City was abuzz at the time, but no sooner did Sylvanus get there, the “Honey War” was over, leaving him with no money and no job. Johnson did what he does best – make bricks. In the process, he ended up becoming one of the founding pioneers of Iowa’s new territorial capital.
Clinton Street – Iowa City’s Center of Commerce. In 1839, a surveyor’s map marked out a city plan that included streets, parks, churches, homes, schools, government buildings, and a place where business would prosper. From the very beginning, Clinton Street was planned as Iowa City’s hub for commerce. Now, all these years later, it’s still the place where business thrives.
Ahoy, Frederick Irish – The Iowa City Sea Captain. In 1838, a whaling captain from New York City rode a horse to Iowa, eventually settling in Iowa City. F.M. Irish became an early mover and shaker of the city, serving as one of Iowa City’s first historians, writing a lengthy, first-hand account in 1868.
Rose Hill – Irish’s Woods. Iowa City pioneer, F.M. Irish added 30 acres to his original log cabin property. By 1849, he had built Rose Hill, a home that stayed in the Irish family until 1964. At that time, the city purchased 17.5 acres of Irish’s Woods, making it into the first section of today’s Hickory Hill Park. Come take a walk through “The Woods” with us.
John F. Rague – Creator Of A Classic. In 1839, a $46,000 contract was let to the architect who designed the state capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. A friend of Lincoln’s, John F. Rague took the offer, designed our capitol, but left nine days after the cornerstone was laid. Come read the full story of this creative craftsman who ended up becoming Dubuque’s most renowned architect.
The Old Capitol Gem That Got Away. On occasion, a great treasure will appear on-line and, as it is in life, sometimes you win – and sometimes you lose. Allow me to cry in my beer and tell you about a rare letter concerning the construction of the Old Stone Capitol in Iowa City that slipped through my fingers. Alas, come share my sorrow.
Welcome To Salubria, Iowa! In 1839, a 65-year-old preacher named Abner Kneeland escaped the religious persecution he suffered in Massachusetts, settling in Van Buren County, where he founded a religion-free community called Salubria. A pantheist, Kneeland was jailed in Boston for heresy, but here in Iowa, he and his followers were able to live in religious freedoms never offered them back east.
Ralph + Wilson + Mason = The Road To Freedom. Did you know that Chief Justice Charles T. Mason, along with his fellow judges Joseph Williams and Thomas S. Wilson, ruled, in the Case of Ralph vs. Montgomery – 1839, that under the Missouri Compromise of 1820, slavery in Iowa Territory was “forever prohibited?” This impressive anti-slavery decision on July 4, 1839 not only freed Ralph Montgomery of Dubuque, but it set a precedent for all future decisions in our state’s court system.
T. S. Wilson – Dubuque’s Good Neighbor. In 1836, Thomas S. Wilson flipped a silver dollar and wound up settling in Dubuque, Iowa (vs. Mineral Point, Wisconsin). Over the next fifty-eight years, Judge Wilson became a very good neighbor to his fellow citizens, defending them in several monumental court cases that are remembered even to today. All Iowans need to celebrate the winning of that Iowa/Wisconsin coin toss!