Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-10-14

ceive these warrants in payment for
taxes.
Iowa was part of the Louisiana
purchase, sketch of the subdivision of
which We printed yesterday. It was
successfully part of the district of
Louisiana, the territory of Louisiana and
the territories of Michigan, Wisconsin
and Iowa. The first legislative session
of Wisconsin territory was held at Bel
mont, Iowa county, now in La Fayette
county, Wisconsin. in 1886, and Peter
Hill Engle, of Dubuque, was speaker Of
the house. The second session was
held at Burlington, now IN Iowa,
November 9th, 1887, and special ses-
sion was held the following June at the
same place. The officers of both houses
| were chiefly from what ls now Iowa.
The relations with Wisconsin terminated
with the establishment of the territory
of lowe, July 8. 1888, by act of congress
approved June u, 1888. To this divis-
ion Of the territory there was consider
able opposition. Population had CEN
tered about Dubuque, in the adjacent
lead regions of Wisconsin, and extended
along the great river. At this time the
town of Csssville, on the east bank of
the Mississippi, in Grant county, Wis
consin. became ambitious for capital
honors, and hoped to hold that place for
an undivided territory. Spectators en-
tered the game. Large hotels and other
buildings were erected and much money
invested. This created considerable
anti.division interest and that plan was
strongly urged. The town of Cassville
now points with pride" to these build
ings and its once great expectations.
But the better sense of the great ma
jority prevailed and Iowa came into e1-
istence.
Iowa territory included all of the
present state, all of Minnesota and of
Dakota east of the Missouri and White
Earth rivers. Here was another field for
anti-dlvlsion schemes and renewal of
fight of the people for proper form and
| boundaries for state. There were ad-
mlnistration influences and all kinds of
local interests. The population was
chiefly along the Mississippi river. The
movement for statehood was begun very
early. In 1910 the territorial legislature
provided by law for taking the sense of
the people upon the question of calling
convention to form constitution, and
it was voted down. Special interests
brought up tho question again and Feb.
ruary 16, 1912, an act provided for piva
Uoce upon the question of constitution
al convention. 1t was lost on popular
vote. The third time it was submitted
in April, 1914, and carried, the vote be.
ing 1921 for and 4,3Os against. The
population of Iowa was 1912 In 1910
and 49,, ,214 in 1850, some years after ad-
mission.
Under this territorial law the dele
gates were elected in August and the
convention met October 7, l842. There
was stroug pressure to carry the limits
of the state northward, and the majori-
ty insisted upon going westward to the
Missouri. The convention followed this
boundary to the mouth of the Big Sioux
or Calumet river and thence in north
easterly line to the Minnesota river, and
down that and the Mississippi. This took
Iowa to st. Paul. and the people reject
ed it. Congress then proposed an alto.
gether different western line, the exten-
sion of the former western line of Mis-
souri,, longitude II deg. 80 min. to a
point where it intersected the parallel
passing through Ghe mouth of Blue
Earth river. This cut off from Iowa the
entire Missouri slope and extended far
into Minnesota. In April, 1s45, the
people rejected the proposed constitu-
tion as the Iowa historian says,
"largely induced to do 80 because of the
boundaries offered by congress" But
the legislature again submitted the in
strument in August, 1S45, and it was
again defeated. The issue was for a
state wider east and west and shorter
north and south. This resolution was
never overcome.
| Accordingly, January II, 1s46, the
J legislature provided directly for an
election OF delegates to constitutional
} convention, which met at Iowa City the
18th of May following, and formed q
constitution with the present bounda.
rles. This constitution was adopted
, August 8. lS46. Meanwhile congress
: adopted the boundaries this convention
J selected. Governor Clarke, by procla-
J nation called an election for state off.
cers, fixing the date for it, October 26,
, lS46. and the officers then 80 chosen
y entered upon their duties in December
!, following. On December 2sth the state