# History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/3/Table of Contents

| Chapter | Contents | Pages |
| I | The Republican Convention of 1865—Declares for Negro Suffrage—The Union Anti-Negro Suffrage Party—The Democratic State Convention—A Warm Canvass—Republican Ticket Elected—The State Bank and Branches Retire from Business—The Eleventh General Assembly—The Swamp Land Indemnity Funds Embezzled—Legislative Investigation Amendments Proposed to the Constitution—Kirkwood and Harlan Chosen United States Senators—Geological Survey of the State—Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home—The Policy of President Johnson Alienates the Republican Party—Republican State Convention of 1866—A Conservative Republican Convention and Ticket—Democratic State Convention Indorses the Conservative Ticket—Result of the Election | 1-15 |
| II | Financial Situation in 1867—Republican and Democratic Conventions of the Same Year—Result of the Elections—The Grasshopper Scourge—The Twelfth General Assembly—Ratification of Amendments to the Constitution—The Impeachment of President Johnson—Senator James W. Grimes on Impeachment Political Conventions of 1868—Result of the Elections—Legislative Control of Railroad Charges—Opening of the State Agricultural College—Railroad Building in Iowa and the Land Grants—Convention to Promote a Water Route from the Lakes to the Mississippi—Political Conventions of 1869—Republican Ticket Elected—The Thirteenth General Assembly—Wright and Howell Chosen United States Senators—Important Acts of Legislation—Crocker County Created and the Act Declared Void by the Supreme Court | 17-32 |
| III | Political Conventions of 1870—Result of the Elections—Great Reunion of Iowa Soldiers—20,000 ​Veterans Assembled at Des Moines—The “Cardiff Giant” Deception—Opinions of Eminent Scientists—A Financial Bonanza—The Authors of the Fraud—The Great Block of Fort Dodge Gypsum—How the Deception was Discovered and Exposed—Final Confession of Hull, the Inventor of the Scheme—The Great Gypsum Quarries of Fort Dodge—Facts from the Census of 1870 | 33-44 |
| IV | Political Conventions of 1871—The Republicans Successful—The Fourteenth General Assembly—The Senatorial Contest—William B. Allison Nominated Over Senator Harlan—Cyrus C. Carpenter Inaugurated Governor—Revision of the Laws—Political Conventions of 1872—Republican Candidates Elected—The Second Grasshopper Scourge—Liberal aid to the Sufferers—The Presidential Campaign of 1872—Re-election of General Grant—Defalcation of the State Treasurer—A Legislative Investigation—The Patrons of Husbandry—Their Influence in Legislation—Political Conventions of 1873—An Anti-Monopoly Party Organized—The Republicans Successful in the Election—Material Progress | 45-62 |
| V | The Fifteenth General Assembly—Contest Over Election of Speaker—Investigation of the Agricultural College—Its Management Vindicated—A Bill Passed Regulating Railroad Charges—The Burlington Railway Resists the Enforcement of the Law—Judge Dillon of the U. S. Circuit Court Sustains the Law—A Decision of Vast Importance—Political Conventions of 1875—Kirkwood Again Nominated for Governor—The Republican Candidates Elected—Governor Kirkwood Chosen United States Senator—Temperance State Convention—Reunion of the Army of the Tennessee at Des Moines—Distinguished Generals in Attendance—General Grant’s Famous Speech—Misrepresentation and Controversy Finally Settled—Political Conventions of 1876—Result of the Presidential Election in Doubt—George W. McCrary of Iowa Frames a Bill which Settles the Controversy | 63-84 ​ |
| VI | George W. McCrary in the Cabinet—Financial Condition of Iowa—An Important Decision of the Supreme Court—The Political Conventions of 1877—The Southern Policy of President Hayes—John H. Gear Elected Governor—A Terrible Railroad Disaster—The Seventeenth General Assembly—Repeal of the “Granger Railroad Law”—Interesting Statistics—Political Conventions of 1878—Election of the Republican Candidates—Conventions and Platforms of 1879—Governor Gear Re-elected—The Eighteenth General Assembly—National Conventions of 1880 | 85-100 |
| VII | Fencing Prairie Farms—The Invention of Barbed Wire—Formation of the First “Trust”—A Monopoly to Control the Manufacture and Sale of Wire Fencing—Farmers of Iowa Organize to Resist the Monopoly—A Free Factory Established—A Legal and Commercial Conflict—The State Aids the Farmers—Their Final Victory—The Farmers’ Alliance—Kirkwood in the Cabinet—Assassination of President Garfield—Political Conventions of 1881—The First Woman Nominated for a State Office—Buren R. Sherman Elected Governor—An Important Decision—Heroic Deed of Kate Shelly—The Nineteenth General Assembly—Election of United States Senators—Free Passes for Public Officials—Prohibition Amendment to the Constitution Adopted—Declared Void by the Supreme Court | 101-117 |
| VIII | The Great Tornado of 1882—Destruction of Life and Property in its Track—Scenes in the City of Grinnell—Iowa College in Ruins—Seventy Persons Killed and Hundreds Wounded—Political Conventions of 1882—A Rehearing of the Validity of the Constitutional Amendment—Former Decision Affirmed—Conventions and Elections of 1883—Serious Damage to Orchards—The Twentieth General Assembly Meets in the New State House—The Dedication—Amendments to the Prohibitory Liquor Laws—Elections of 1884—Removal of the Auditor of State | 119-133 ​ |
| IX | Political Conventions of 1885—The Twenty-first General Assembly—Attempts to Impeach Auditor Brown—He is Found Not Guilty—Reinstated in Office—Conventions and Elections of 1886—Assassination of Reverend George C. Haddock—Interesting Statistics—The Drive Well Conflict—Important Decisions—The Twenty-second General Assembly—Governor Larrabee’s Powerful Argument for Legislative Control of Railroads—The Legislature Responds with a Comprehensive Law—Political Conventions and Elections of 1888—The Campaign of 1889—Horace Boies, Democrat, Elected Governor | 135-156 |
| X | The Twenty-third General Assembly—Contest for Speaker—The Last Message of Governor Larrabee—The Political Conventions of 1890—The Republicans Elect State Officers—The Democrats Elect a Majority of Representatives in Congress—Conventions and Election of 1891—The Democrats Secure all of the State Officers and Half of the Senators—The Twenty-fourth General Assembly—The Campaign of 1892—The Democrats Elect the President—The Republicans Carry Iowa for President and State Officers—The Columbian Exposition of 1893—The Tornado of 1893—The Town of Pomeroy Destroyed—Incidents of the Calamity—Generous Aid for the Sufferers | 157-170 |
| XI | Political Conventions of 1893—Frank D. Jackson Elected Governor—Expenditures for State Institutions—The Drought of 1894—Financial Distress—The “Commonweal Armies”—Political Conventions and Elections of 1894—The Twenty-fifth General Assembly—Saloons Legalized—Dedication of the Spirit Lake Monument—Political Conventions and Election of 1895—General F. M. Drake Elected Governor—The Twenty-sixth General Assembly—Trans-Mississippi Exposition at Omaha—The Semi-Centennial of Iowa Statehood—Terrible Railroad Collision at Logan | 171-186 |
| XII | Two Iowa Candidates for President—The Political Conventions for 1896—Results of the Elections—Extra ​Session of the Legislature—The New Code—James Wilson in the Cabinet—Conventions and Elections of 1897—Leslie M. Shaw chosen Governor—The Twenty-seventh General Assembly—A State Board of Control—War with Spain—Legislature Appropriates $500,000 for War Purposes—Three Iowa Regiments Called For—One Regiment Sent to the Philippine Islands—Progress of the War—Conventions and Elections of 1898—Cold Winter of 1898-99—Great Destruction of Fruit Trees, Vines and Forests—Conventions and Elections of 1899—Twenty-eighth General Assembly—Political Conventions and Election of 1900—Dedication of the Floyd Monument—Political Conventions and Election of 1901—Albert B. Cummins Chosen Governor—Twenty-ninth General Assembly—Jonathan P. Dolliver United States Senator | 187-213 |
| XIII | Des Moines River Land Grant of 1846—Decisions as to its Extent—Opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury in 1849—Opinion of Secretary Ewing in 1850—Opinion of the Attorney-General in 1851—Lands Conveyed to the Des Moines Navigation and Railroad Company—Opinion of the Attorney-General in 1856—Failure of the Navigation Company to Prosecute the Work—Unearned Land Granted to the Keokuk, Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad Company—Another Opinion from an Attorney-General in 1859—First Decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1859—Settlement on the River Lands—Valid Titles Promised to Settlers—Act of Congress of 1861—Decision of the Secretary of the Interior in 1862—Another Decision of the Supreme Court Reversing its Former Opinion | 215-227 |
| XIV | The Walcott Decision as Understood by the Secretary of the Interior—The Herbert Battin Case—Settlers Authorized to Take Pre-emptions and Homesteads on River Lands—The Welles-Riley Case Before the Courts—United States Patent Set Aside—Settlers Driven from Their Homes by United States Marshals—The “Settlers Union” Organized—Action of Congress in the Premises—A State Commission Appointed ​—Action of the National Commission—The Orr Indemnity Bill Passes the House—Defeated in the Senate—The Crilly Patent Ignored—Further Action by Congress and the President—Another Supreme Court Decision Against the Settlers—Indemnity Finally Granted by Congress | 229-247 |
| XV | Progress of Women in the Nineteenth Century—Early Work and Workers—Equal Rights Convention—Women in the Anti-Slavery Times—Legislation Relating to Suffrage—First Women Office Holders—Laws Relating to Property Rights of Women—Recent Workers in the Suffrage Cause—Women’s Clubs—Their Influence—State Federation of Women’s Clubs | 249-262 |
| XVI | Brief Sketch of Early Education in Iowa—Statistics Showing the Development of the Public School System—Free Text Books and Compulsory Education—Denominational Colleges—The State University—State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts- Experimental Station—State Normal School—The Penitentiaries—Four Hospitals for Insane—School for the Deaf—Institution for Feeble-Minded Children—Industrial Schools for Boys and Girls—Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home—State Board of Control—State Historical Society—Historical Department—Grand Army of the Republic—State Agricultural Society—State Horticultural Society—Pioneer Lawmakers Association—Statistics from the Census | 263-290 |
| Early History of Iowa Counties | Early History of Iowa Counties | 291-438 |
| Directory of Public Officials | Directory of Public Officials | 439-531 |