Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1842-09-03
STATISTICS OF IOWA.

,iclcs, showing the statistics 0: each oithe
principal counties in The Territory !;
which we shall lay before our readers,
as fast as our time and material will per-
init, and which. we hope, willno only be
interesting 10 our Territorial readers, but
will also be source Of information to
those who may desire to emigrate hither,
or who may wish to become acquainted
with the present resources Of Iowa as
we'll as the wealth and greatness which
she will in future possess.
We have concluded to adopt the plan
oftaking up but one county at time, in
order that we might 60 more minutely in
to particulars, and at the same time avoid
rendering our articles tedious; and will
therefore commence with
DEs MONIES COUNTY.
This county comprises an area Of &c.,
l73 acres, Of which l4O,4l6 acres are
prairie and 1l9,757 acres are timbefed;
o: This amount about 1928 acres have
been purchased from the General Gov
ernmcnt, and about 10000 acres yet re-
main subject to entry at the Government
price; ($l,25 the remaining 1861 acres
being reserved for the use Of schools.
The first Government sale Of lands lying
in this county took place in November
1888; the principal par, Of the lands
however were not offered at public sale
until 1889 and 1910.
In 1888 the population was 4,607, and
in 1910 it was 5,577; Of this number, ac-
cording to the census returns there were,
on the first Of June 1910, l,l72 employed
in agricultural pursuits; 81 in commerce,
252 in manufactures and trades; 65
in learned professions and engineers. AT
the same time there we're l6 prima y
schools in operation III which there we're
1852 scholars, and the number Of white
persons over 90 years Of age who could
not read and write was 1913. According
to the same return there were at that
tine in Dcs Moines county 1919 horses
and mules; 4,488 neat cattle; 3,424
sheep; 5,940 swine and S2,448 worth Of
poultry; and there were produced yearly
bushels Of buckwheat; l90,72l bushels
Q: corn; 9,G57 pounds Of wool; 81 pounds
1880 bushels Of wheat; 50,933 bush
els Of oats; Isl bushels Of rye; 22l
OF wax; 17,428 bushels Of potatoes; ~
tons Of hay and 1910 pounds Of sugar.
The number Of cords ofwood so d was
AZ; the value Of the products Of the da:-
ry, $4,7l2; the value Of the home made
goods, 81 $3.50. The number of commits
sion houses at flat time was with an in
vested capital Of $4,000; the number Of
dry goods, groceries, and other stores
was 22, with an invested capital Of $l28,-
975. The number Of small arms made
was 40, the value ofbrick and lime man
ufnctured was $l,40O; there were q, that
time two tanneries, which yearly manu-
featured 100 sides O { sole leather and ego
sides Of upper leather, valued at 81 400;
there we're $500 worth Of earthen ware
manu- 'actured; the sum Of $4,000 was in
vested in the printing and binding bust
ness; 5000 worth Of carriages end wag
CONS We're manufactured; there were Two
grist mills and saw mills in operation,
with an invested capital Of $33 500
whose yearly manufactures were estim.-
ted at $1,000; the value Of furniture
was $4,000; and the total
amount Of capital invested in lnanuiac-
lures was $46,650.
1t mus, be recollected that the forego-
ing statistics were compiled for the year
ending on the first Of June l84O,--more
than two years since-consequently we
can arrive at no correct data as TO what
would he the statistics Of Des Moines
County at the present time; but when we
AXE into consideration the fact that the
first settlement in this country by the
whites was not made until the latter part
If 1888; we can form some estimate as to
he increase for the last two years.
We doubt much whether county in
INV Of the Western states, which has been
settled 50 short time as this, can COM
,are with Des Moincs in agricultural
PRODUCTS. There is not yet perhaps one
bird Of the prairie land, that has been
Fought from the Government, under Guilt
,ation; but we venture TO say that in ten
years from this time there will be every
,cre Of it highly improved, and not only
his, but larger part Of that which is
low subject to entry at 1925 an acre,
will, ere that time, be purchased and
urned into farms; besides, when the pop
llation becomes more dense and lands
Increase in value, one fourth more, Ut
east, will be produced from the land that
S now under cultivation. The soil Of
Des Moines county is equal to any in tine
Western country, and although some Of
he prairie land has in its wild state the
appearance Of being too wet, it has been
ound to raise the best OF crops when
cultivated.
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