Demoine courier., 1856-01-24
Sketches of Wapell0 County---ltS
Towns.
OTTUMWA THECOUNTY SEAT.

OTTUMWA THE COUNTY SEAT.
We ale decidedly in favo. Of Indian
names for our States. Counties and
Towns. There is an originality about
them which is in keeping with a coun-
Try and a people in all their history SO
recent, SO original. Our own ~rtjoices
in one of these nam. 8. and il has as all
these names have, an origin and a mean
ing. One Of the oldest inhabitants in.
forms US that i, came about in this wise.
There was a time when the Sscs and
Foxe,, then residing upontil he low, &c
dar, Skunk, and other more Eastern
ssreams in our State, found i. c~onvenien,
or necessary TO extend their borders
towards the setting sun, and for that pur-
pose zen; out colonies, one OF which To-
Gated on the banks OF the Demoine in
this vicinity, the place receiving the
name Of ..Ouumwa," or ..,he ;lace oil
the departed" The name is 8 very good
one 10 our notion. and geuphonious when
properly pronounced. with tho accen,
on the middle syllable. Our friends
abroad, we presume, have as many ways
OF p~ronouncing the name as they hare
Of, spelling il, and ,hose ways are nu-
msrous, and to natives oflentimes ex-
ceedingly diveriing.
Oittm " a is situated on the Northeast
side OF the Demoine river, abou, lai. Al.
in The very heart Of the Demoine Val.
ley one OF the richest and most beauii-
fol in the world. Il is very near the
geographical centre Of Wape'lo county,
and about equi-dis,ani from Keoknk,
Burlington and For. Demoine, the dis
lance IL each Of those places being abou,
miles. The distance 10 Musca-
sine is a liifle greater. rr g., I'D
The town was settled in 1913. A
rjmpsny known as the Appanoose Rap
a Company were The original propri-
.lors. Ii was q large company, COM
posed OF more shan we can now
remember. though perhaps we ough. to
recall them here for the benefit OF pos
,eri,y. Few Of them cow remain a.
mong us to assist in building up the city
whose foundations shey laid at SO recen.
. period.
A considerable portion OF the town
site. Immediately on the liver, is level,
but sufficiently elevated to be entirely
secure sgains. floods. Even the great
food of 1861, which damaged SO many
towns in the valley, did us no injury
The corporation also takes in ri face
Of the bluff running parallel with the
river, furnishing Q delightful location Tor
residences. The view from almost every
part Of the bluff. OF The 10 wn a, its base,
the country on The opposite aide and ex.
tending up and down tue river for a great
distance, is unusually admired. /, will
be difficult to find anywhere a more
beautiful landscape.
The animation Of This place very near
the centre Of one of tho richest coun-
ties 10 | ,wa, already among the NOS,
populous and productive in the State;
the prospective advantages Of two rail
roads. the b. & NJ. r. and the X. Fl.
d. a. M. meeting here; the immense
water power which the improvement OF
abe Demoine. now in the hands OF an
Eastern Company Of large means. will
furnish, and the fact Of i,s being a point,
wnerea large amount OF trade and travel
concentrates, all point 10 Ornmwa as one
of the commercial and manufacturing
cen,res OF interior Iowa.
The experience OF The two past years
proves tina, the period of our rapid
growth and prosperity has commenced.
The keen eye Of the capitalist, has found
us out. Our los have been steadily az
yancing il value, although nothing like
,becula,ion has been ~percep,ible; The ad
vance has been natural and healthy.
The pas. year has has Witnessed more
and ptrmanent Improvements.
NJ blic and private, than any previous
ear. A new brick two story Corr,