St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-05
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The HaWkeye State Has Had
No Less Than Four
Capitols.
The First Was an Old Wooden
House at Bel
mont.
Some Legislative Sessions in
Churches at Bupling-
ton.
The Beautiful Marble Pal.
ace at Present at DeS
Moines.


besides using two churches for state
house purposes. Iowa was once part
of Michigan territory, then part of
Wisconsin, but by act OF congress she
was called into existence July 4, 1888,
and became full-fedged territory her
self. Eight years later, Dec. rs, 1916,
she was ushered into statehood, and be-
came the twenty-ninth i'll the sister
hood of states.
While yet a part of Michigan two
townships and two counties were or
ganized. the counties being named Des
Moines and Dubuque. The first cap
ital in the territory of Wisconsin was
Belmont, small town in the south
western part of the territory, where
the first territorial legislature was
assembled by proclamation of Gov.
Henry Dodge. Maj. Henry Smith, who
was the member from DeS M0ines
county, agreed if the legislators would
move the capital to Burlington he would
put up building suitable for them to
meet in. Dec. 3. 1856, an act was passed
locating the seat of government at
Burlington till March 4, 1889,
unless public buildings were sooner
completed at Madison. During the
summer of 1887 Maj. Smith
erected building on Water street, be-
tween Columbia and Court, fronting the
river. 1t was small two-story frame,
with inside stairs leading to the upper
story. The house of representatives oc-
cupied one story and the council the
other. In this building the second SEES
sion of the Wisconsin legislature met
N ov. 6. 1887, and held their sessions till
the night of Dec. II, when the building
took fire and burned to the ground. The
council met afterward in the west room
of McCarver's building and the house
over Weber and Remy's store.
The Capitol at Burlington.
Burlington continued to be the capt.
tai of Wisconsin till July 4. 1888, when
il became the capital of Iowa. 1t was
then a village built mostly of logs. The
population was not much over 800. The
first Iowa territorial legislature met
here in Old Zion church Nov. II, 1888.
1t was a small brick affair, standing on
Third street. between Columbia and
Washington, where it remained till 1881,
when it was tom down. The building,
however, was found to be too damp and
the next session of the legislature was
held in the Catholic church on Column
bia street, near Fourth. This church is
still standing.
At the first legislative session steps
were taken to locate permanent seat
of government. A joint resolution was
passed Jan. calling upon w. w. Chap
man, the territorial delegate to ask con-
gress for a donation Of four sections OF
public land on which to locate
seat of government. the capital
m n OFT
years, OF till buildings should
be ready for occupancy at Iowa City,
and an act was passed providing for
commissioners to locate it. The act also
contained a section requiring the gov
ernor to ask congress for four sections
of land for the location, and he was au-
thoriZed to draw the $4,000 voted by
congress in the act organizing the terri
tory to be used in the erection OF public
buildings. Commissioners were ap-
pointed, and. after a preliminary exam
inaton of the most eligible places for
town, they fixed upon Iowa City.
The New Building at Iowa City.
The work of erecting capital here
was commenced at once. but the under
taking met with many drawbacks. the
principal block being lack of money.
Over fifteen years were consumed in
the construction of the building,
ground being broken in March.
1910. and the last work being done
in the fall of 1855. Before the
close of 1912 the representatives room
and four rooms below were made ready
for occupancy. the walls and ceiling
having received but one rough coat of
plaster, the senate or council occupying
one of the four rooms below. This build
ing has never been finished, for nothing
has been done to the west pOrtlcO but
to lay the foundation and steps for it.
Four territorial and six state legislat-
ures held their sessions at Iowa City,
and three constitutional conventions.
An act was passed at Burlington Jan.
10. 194l, providing that the next session
of the legislature should be held at
Iowa City If a building should be fur
nished to meet in without expense to the
territory. 10 make good these assur
| ances, Walter Butler erected Oh Wash
ington street, but few rods east of the
capitol square, just east of Whetstone's
| drug store, a c0mmOdiOuS frame build
ing two stories high. The council cham
Der was in the first story, and the rep
resentatives' hall in the second.
| The building was used sby the legis
| latures and some Of the state
| O0lCeTS iii lhC HtW CapltOi was lcdUy
| for occupancy. 1t remained in its orig
! inal location till the MARCEL of improve
ment crowded it two blocks and half
away on Dubuque street, where it has
since done duty in various ways, such
as third-class hotel, cheap boarding
house and broom shop. 1t shows the
| finger-marks of time. 1t has long been
unacquainted with paint. and it seems
| to be waiting for friendly fire to come
| along and make room for something
b tier to take its place. But one session
O the legislature was held in it.
TE.e Move to Des EEoines.
The state officers had been in the oc-
cupancy of the new state house but a
| few wears and not single room in it
| had been completed when the general
assembly in February, 1874, memorial
lied congress for five sections OF land
| for q site for a new state capital.
| Two weeks thereafter a commission
was appointed to locate a section
| of government land near the center
of the state. The grant was allowed by
| congress, and the commissioners made
selection IN Jasper county, which was
| called Monroe City. One whole section
was laid off into lots, and several of
| them were sold. Two years later. how
| ever, the money pald Ior lotS was re-
| turned to the purchasers, the city va
! Gated and the five sections granted for
seat of government were turned over to
the agricultural college.
About this time the craze took posses
sion of many that the capital must be
located very near the geographical CEN
ter of the state, and this location was
made to satisfy this craze. Jan. Is, 1856,
before the old capitol was finished,
commission was appointed to locate
capital within two miles Of the junction
| of the Des Moines and Racoon rivers.
and to lay out town. A clause was
inserted in the constitution adopted in
1857 making Des Moines the permanent
capital Of the state. A site for capitol
was selected in 1856 Oh ten acres of
ground on high elevation in East Des
| Moines. The first time this elevation
j ,n,, hrn,n min To Tho nffnrnfinrn Of ,,rhit 20