Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-02-21

OLD ZION CHURCH At BURLINGTON.
French, and in 1903 it was acquired by the
United States, with all the great territory
west of the Mississippi by the Louisiana
purchase.
For the next 81 years the territory was
attached first to one state and then to an
other At first it was attached to the ter
ritory of Indiana, with General William
H. Harrison us governor, but it was not a
part of that territory. Two years later it
was made part Of the territory of Lous-
ana, which then embraced a tract almost
half rs large rs the Union. After Louisi-
ana had become n state the section now
known as Iowa was made a part of the
territory Of Missouri. When in 1921 Mis-
souri, was admitted, the rest of the pur-
chased territory was left to shift for itself,
and for ~ years it had no government
whatever. Then in 1884 it was tackled
on to the territory of Michigan, which also
included what Is now the state of Wiscon
sin.
Up to this timo the Indians had been the
real pOSsCssOrs of the land, and although
few settlements had been made they were
pioneer squatters. At this time, however,
IL treaty was made with the Indians, and
they gave up their titles. Then the land
WAS opened for settlement and was divided
into two counties of Michigan-Des Moines
and Dubuque. Two years later still an
other change was made, for Michigan in
turn became state, and the unsettled
counties were organized into tho territory
of Wisconsin. Here for the first time resi-
dents of what has bccome Iowa had some
share in the territorial government, for
they secured the removal of the capital
from Belmont, Wis, to Burlington
1t -.
Iowa first appeared. Originally it was the
name of IL small tribe of Indians, but in
1883 it was applied to all the unorganized
territory west of the Mississippi. At this
date Wisconsin was divided and the terri
tory of Iowa created, embracing all Of
Minnesota and the Dakotas. This was "a
vast section, with its northern boundaries
extending up To the British line and in
Guiding over 1874, 900 square miles. But
In all this great oxpanso of country there
were only TO- 500 people.
How tho people have poured into that
section during the last half century,
When Iowa first became "A state Horace
Greeley was advising the young men to go
west Did they do it? Well, over 1000
OOO people now live in what was once the
territory of Iowa, and the present popula-
ton of the state, which has an area of 90, %
475 square miles, is about 1000, 900.
But the event which will be observed at
the coming celebration is the admission OF
Iowa as IA state. The first statehood CON
vention was held in 1874, when IA consti-
tuition was formed and "A petition sent to
congress. asking admission. This was not
! granted. owing to the constitutional limits
set UP. but year later congress defined
the boundaries that would be accepted
1t was not until Dec. 2S, 1916, that the
limits were finally fixed and Iowa was nd
/ mitted ns IL state, the constitution having
been adopted at an election held Aug. 3.
1t has been proposed, in order to give
the celebration "A historical setting. that
the ceremonies be held at Burlington,
where the first legislature met. Those
early lawmakers might have been much
impressed with the dignity and RESPONSE