The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-02-06
AN OLD GLOBE.
What Was Known of the State OF Iowa
One Hundred and Sixty Years Ago.

This globe we have in mind is owe,
seven feet in diameter end made Of
wood, by Capucin monk. Father lie.
grand, in 1929, and is, to-day, preserved
in the public library of Dion, the French
ancestral home of Father Laurent. On
the proper place of its huge surface is
marked the then known geography OF
what is now the State of Iowa and adj
jacent territory, and, as elsewhere ap-
pears in the report of the Academy Of
Science meeting, transcripts of this
part of the globe (relating to Iowa)
have been carefully made by M. Guig-
nard, Librarian of Dion, and transmit
ted to the academy.
What was known of Iowa and what
was Iowa 100 years agoP We find the
great river flowing by her eastern Dor
der and then known as the mississippi"
Lake ''Pepin" is located near st. Paul,
and is an immense widening of the
river, which, from this point north breaks
into many streams.
The River des Moingona is easily re-
cognizable from its name and course as
the Des Moines, and is quite accurately
traced, but widens into an immense
lake near the Minnesota line, and at a
point quite above is marked the spot
inscribed. ITO this point came the
Baron Lahontan." 1t is probable that
the Baron got mixed up in travelling
over those marshy prairies, for, though
he evidently struck Lake Obokoji and
Spirit Lake. he evidently got over on
the Missouri. This river is down, but
1t runs parallel with the Moingona. or
Des Moines, up into Iowa and comes to
a sudden end. Between these rivers
was the apparent missionary ground of
the Jesuit fathers, for this country is
thickly lined with the names of Indian
tribes, while north of the Des Moines
we find few Indian settlements.
OF the Indians, the Panis appear the
most numerous. Others are the Esa-
napes, Panibousas, Paoutaouas, Ala
ouez. Mahas, Tintons, Osages, Apanas,
Panisassas, Cansas and the Illinois, the
latter being put on the West bank Of
the Mississippi river, near-St. Louis.
The only bluffs marked on the great
river are located near Muscatine and
below in Illinois.
There is river flowing from Lake
Panis in Missouri eastwardly. which Is
named "Meschasepi," evidently cor
ruption of or the original of Mississippi.
The Ouabache (Wabash) empties In
to the Mississippi where the Ohio joins
it, and the fathers evidently supposed
the two rivers were one and the same.
Fort st. Louis is marked on the Illi-
nois river, about 100 miles from Its
mouth.
Salt Springs are located very near
the celebrated Hot Springs OF Arkan-
sas, and it Is probable that the famous
Arkansas baths had been tried by these
early missionaries, let US hope with
great relief to those pioneer fathers
who were traversing the malarial
swamps of the West 200 years ago in
the service of their Master.
Many other singular features appear
In these e1tyaits from the old globe.
They are the earliest map of Iowa ex-
tant, so far as known, and will be stud
led with deep interest by students of
history and geography. They settle
the question Of the origin of the name
of Iowa's capital and river, which but
for the elegance of the present combi-
nation should be changed from Des
Moines to Moingona. The present name
has no meaning; the other name would
perpetuate the memory OF what appears
to have been Iowa's most powerful
tribe Of Indians.