The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-31
IMPRESSIONS or IOWA.
[Cor. Sandwich IN. )Gasette.]
STATE CsNrsa, iowa

0eyOnO Vie M1not6Sippiy YET U0ShADS
the most fertile valley on the globe, bonnde
in part BY the grandcst river on the contincn
capable Of bearing upon its bosom to tide
water the combined products Of the grea
Northwest, between latitudc 40 deg. 20 mil
and IS deg. 80 min. north and longitude y
deg. u min. and 06 deg. 81 inin west, lie
Iowa, Land of the beautiful whose ex
tent north and south is 20S miles ana cas-
ana west 800 miles, with an area OF oO,9i
& square miles, or 81 So, p60 acres. The stat
contains ninety.ninc counties and 1s The SIX
teensh State al the Union, admitted under tn
Federal Constitution, and occupies almost tn
heart Of the continent.
BIRDS EYE VIEW.
IN passing westward on the great North
western Railway for more than 200 miles
the country is well developed, exhibitin:
on the vast stretch of prairie continued
series of farms, well cultivated, with nea
cottages and well-appointed out-buildings
and with every appurtenance for comfort
while at near intervals are cities and villages
which are centers of a vast trade tn farm prod
ucts, which here drift into the great com
mercial tide that flows Ocean-ward, whithe
they float to distant peoples for their con
sumption, who send hither their production
in return. This is as it should be. The frs
striking peculiarly that greets the eye is tn,
beautiful undulating surface, which Is said t.
extend over the entire State, and wonderfully
adds to the value of the soil as well as to thu
salubrity of the climate, as these swells form
natural drainage to the surface, not only
but facilitate all kinds of early farm opera
tions in the spring-time At thispoint anic
question arises regarding tho agency OF the
universal undulatory surface OF the State.
Any man has right to suggest reason
and, though his reasoning prove fallacious
by discussion it may be finally explained. Al
some very distant period, how long ago il
The whole country was submerged ana We
have reason to believe that the current ran in
the direction Of the great water courses, and
as all running bodies Of water bear along The
soil over which they course, the soil SO borne
onward was uneyenly deposited, and thus
these earth waves from changing currents re-
suited, which subsequent ages from descend
ing rain, the action of frost heat and moist
ure, have worn into Wel-turned hillocks
Now we patiently await opinion from some
one better informed. Along the beautiful
rivers and streams are fine wood belts, reliev
ing the eye from its weary efforts to encom
pass the otherwise vast expanse; while the
State abounds in grassy lawns and yerdan
plains and the whole area is covered will
thriving villages at near intervals.
GEoLoGICALLY CONSIDERED.
The rock formation, as a physical feature
Of the earth's crust, is less striking than il
many other States. The formations belong
exclusively to the class of Pal9oZoic rocks
their range in the geological column being
from the Potsdam sandstone to the Goa
measures inclusive. A view of this condition
may be had in any work on geology or i'll the
Geological Reports of Iowa. This formation
occupies the south and west portion OF the
State, and reaches within a few miles, at the
southeast corner Of the State, Of the Mssissip-
pi River, from which it is separated by belt
of about twenty miles over which the carbon.
ferrous limestone is spread. The outcrop Of
limestone thence extends diagonally across
the State to the northwest corner. Accord
ing to Prof Halls report the course Of the
rivers as they descend from the northern Dor
der of the State to the Mississippi is along
the range of these formations, and it is
noteworthy fact that each river keeps along
the same geological belt for nearly 20t
miles. The successive belts are thus
designated by the State Geologist, advancing
in the descending series from the coai meas
ures and the underlying carbOniferous lime
stone toward the northeast. The Hamilton
and Chemung groups, of the Dcyonian series
the LeClaire and Niagara limestones of til,
upper Silurian, the Hudson River shales, Ga
lena limestone, Trenton limestone, ST Peter:
sandstone, and Potsdam limestone, sandston,
OF the lower Silurian--the last group occupies
the northeast corner of the State. BY tn,
lowans the coal measures are considered The
most permanent source of mineral wealth
but the lead mines in the Galena sandston,
have attracted much attention, and are likel,
10 become marked source OF wealth, ant
important in the value CT the productions o
the State. In addition to coal and lead low;
has an abundance of iron ore of the best quail
Ity, and other minerals III abundance not lesi
valuable in an economical point of view.
THE SOILS
The soils of Iowa, as has already beer
limited, are diversified aud excellent, and nc
state of the Union has more arabic land ac
Ndlng to the same number of acres. The
ys of the Iowa River. the Cedar and Des
IS, form a body of agricultural land,
b. taken as whole, for richness in or
elements, for amount of saline matter
PIE silicates, SO essen tial to the @rowtl
perfection OF cereals, present combina
bf elements that belong only to the most
of upland soils. II is said by those
acquainted with practical agriculture
u !. no State IN the Union furnishes greater
pin, iei,s-~..,d better combination Of soils The
state Mt large is one OF the most salubrious
countries of the globe, fact which must
alone be attributed to the excellent natural
drainage furnished by the universal rolling
surface. Every known product of the tenn
perate zone fiourishes by intelligent tillaoe
and most of the fruits thrive in different por-
tions of the State
IowA's ANCIENT OWNERSHIP sToRICAI. FRAG
MENTs.
The number and character Of the owners
OF what now constitutes the soil of Iowa
would not only furnish an interesting chapter
of history, but somewhat lengthy one. The
territory of Iowa, far back in American his
tory, mad been taken possession of by La
Sale, for his master, Louis XIV, Of France
Des Moines is a French name, given to the
river upon which the Capital City is now stu
ated. As the seat of government of Iowa has
peregrinatcd perhaps more than any other
State government in the Federal Union it may
not be uninteresting to give few fragments
of history concerning the migratory law.
making power ere it came to Des Moines to
stay. In 1897, al the peace of Ryswick, all
Europe acknowledged the claim of France to
theNaley the Mississippi, the richest domain
contained anywhere upon this green earth
France" the historian says, obtained, under
Providence, the guardianship of Iowa, not as
It proved for its own benefit, but rather as
trustee for the infant nation by which il was
events show that France and Frenchmen
made slow work in colonizing this great
Western world. When the South Sea bubble
collapsed and France had lost Canada it
readily yielded to Spain again this western
dominion. BY the treaties of st. Idelfonso
(Which followed great political changes in
France and SPAIN Of Oct. i, 1900,
the whole OF that extensive territory to
the youthful American Republic, and on the
10th day of March, 1904, the French flag gave
place to the American TO float over this fair
domain, as we hope forever BY an act of
Congress the Louisiana purchase was divided
INTO the Territory of Orleans and the District
oil Louisiana. The district comprising the pres
ent State OF Iowa was placed under the iuris-
diction of the Governor and Judges of Indi
ana. This act took effect Oct l. 1904. On
the 4th of July, 1905, the District of Louisiana
became Territory by that name On the
7th OF December, 1912, the State of Louisiana,
comprising the larger portion of the Territory
oi orleans, having been previously admitted
INTO the Union, the Territory of Louisiana be-
came the Territory of Missouri. In 1921 the
State OF Missouri was admitted into the
cnlon. From this time Iowa remained out
~ The cold, without any local government I'M
III June 20, 1884, when it was annexed to the
Territory Of Michigan.
FIRST SETTLEMENT AND THE MUCH MOVED
CAPITAL.
1t was during this interregnum that the first
settlement was made in Iowa, which occurred
III Lee County in 1882 In September 1874
the Legislative Assembly Of Michigan Terri
tory erected two counties on the west side of
the Mississippi River, Des Mones and Du-
bnque, the Iowa River being the boundary
line. These counties in 1896 had population
OF lo5al. In 1856, on the 18th OF July, the
Territory OF Wisconsin was organized, inelud-
ing all OF Michigan Territory not embraced
within the limits Of the State OF Michigan
Under this organized change the first legis-
lative body met in Iowa. This Legislature
mad met the year before at place called
Belmont, which name was nearly all there
was Of the town. The session at BURLINGTON
was opened in two-story frame house. built
for a temporary State-H House by Jeremiah
Smith, Jr.. a member Of the Council
DURING the winter this ,nip;ai,,ra S,,.o