The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-27
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THE GROWTH OF HALF A CENTURY.
BY Hon. ]. X. GRAVES,
(Dubuque.)

This period dates back to the time
when what constitutes the great and
prosperous State of Iowa, formed part
of Michigan territory, under Congress
sional act of June %, 1884, and later as
part of Wisconsin territory, by act of
July 4, 1886, and then by act of July 4,
1888, as Iowa territory. when Congress,
by act of Dec. %, 1916, admitted this
fair land of ours into the galaxy of
States, although our population was
then less than one hundred thousand
people.
1 shook hands and conversed recently
with one of my fellow citizens of
the city of Dubuque, who repre-
sented this vast expanse of country as
its delegate in Congress, when his scat
tered constituents lived from the west
ern shores of Lake Michigan westward
to the eastern boundary of California.
He saw half a dozen territories created
and carved from his district.
1t was mainly through his personal
efforts that Iowa secured admission as
a State under the euphonious and ex-
pressive name which he gave it-Iowa
the beautiful land. He was our first
representative on the floor of the Uni
ted States Senate, and yet this gentle
man, although past the allotted age Of
man, is still hale and hearty, and as
bright and active as the average men of
middle life.
He was a pioneer when the total pop
ulation of what now embraces the area
of Iowa, was less than eighteen thou
sand people, and he is to-day one of the
old settlers of our prosperous State,
whose present population goes beyond
two million souls He gave the names
to many Of the counties of Iowa-call-
ing Linn county, in honor of his warm,
personal friend and colleague, Dr.Linn,
of Missouri, while he perpetuated the
memory of his friend, "Old Bullion, ''lby
naming Benton county in his honor,
leaving the county adjoining Linn on
the east to be named in honor Of him
self. Strange, indeed, it seems that
any living individual should have wit
messed such marvellous growth and de-
velopment
Under the terms of the Spanish treaty,
made April 80, 1903, between the Unit
ed States and Spain, vast area, includ-
ing what now embraces Iowa, was
acquired by the United States and be-
came known as the Louisiana purchase.
When this section was in the owner
ship of Spain that empire granted a
| special permit to Julian Dubuque, "a
miner from the mines of Spain," to
prosecute his calling here, which he did
amongst the lead mines for many years,
and the city of Dubuque. the scene of
his active life, was named in his honor.
While her restless people toll and strug-
| gle on with the determination that their
Key City shall henceforward as hereto
fore be recognized as Iowa's CONNER
cial metropolis, her pioneer and founder
is quietly sleeping near by on the beau
tiful bluffs of that majestic river, whose
waters flow on unvexed to the sea.
Fifty years ago the Indians owned
and occupied most of the vast area of
our present Iowa, and the broad acres
were, indeed, desert wild.
The Blackhawk purchase was nego-
tiated fifty four years ago by Gen
eral Winfield Scott, while the Win
nebago treaty was concluded Sep
TENDER Is, 1882, by the same gen.
eral, and the Keokuk purchase was
closed in 1886, as was also the Sacs and
Fox treaty, and from the limits en-
braced within the provisions of these
several negotiations, the State Of Iowa
was carved, and has gradually grown
in wealth, population and intelligence,
until her geographical borders now en-
brace what the world has pleased to
call 1.-THE model State Of the Republic"
Fifty years ago there was but sim
gle line of railway in the civilized worli,
and that but few miles in length, ex-
tending between Manchester and Liv-
erpool in England, while to-day there
are one hundred and thirty-one thou
sand miles of railway in operation in
the United States, alone, of which Iowa
has over four thousand miles.
We have ably managed and prosper
Gus trunk lines stretching across the
State from east to west and from north
to south, giving close connection with
all points of the compass from ocean to
ocean and from Canada to the gulf.
There are two classes of missionary
laborers-on for mankind in far away
lands beyond the sea, where the wild,
untntored savage is sought to be sub
jugated and civilized, and the other
right here at home upon the vast plains
of what we in our boyhood days knew
as the ''great American desert" where
the advent of the railway has made the
waste places bloom and blossom as the
rose, while hourishing farms and pleas
ant homes denote the happiness md
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