Iowa History Guide

The first people to travel through Iowa were most likely the Paleo-Indians. These ancient people travelled through Iowa near the end of the Ice Age, from 9500 BCE to 7500 BCE, hunting animals such as the bison, mammoth, and mastodon. Before 1673, the region had long been home to many Native Americans. Approximately seventeen different Indian tribes had resided here at various times including the Ioway, Sauk, Meskwaki (called Fox in many sources), Sioux, Potawatomi, Oto, and Missouri.

French explorers Joliet and Marquette first sighted Iowa in 1673 when they canoed the Mississippi River. In 1682 LaSalle explored the Mississippi River and claimed all lands drained by it for King Louis XIV of France. He named the region Louisiana, in honor of King Louis the Great.

During the early 1700s, only a few missionaries and fur traders visited the land now called Iowa; no permanent settlements were built. In 1788, Julien Dubuque, the first white settler arrived. He cleverly lived among the Mesquakie Indian tribe and together they successfully mined the lead deposits in the northeast corner of the state.

At that time about three quarters of the state was covered with prairie grass - most as tall as a house. The remaining land was timbered. As many as 17 Native American tribes populated Iowa then, yet only the Mesquakie remain today. Most of Iowa's land was included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and the remaining was "later acquired" from the Sauk and Fox tribes after the Black Hawk War of 1832. Most of Iowa's early settlers came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. The great majority of newcomers came in family units.

Iowa attained U.S. territorial status in 1838 when the Iowa territory was created. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 declared that Iowa would prohibit slavery in any form and be a free state; that officially occurred on December 28, 1846. The capital city, first located in Iowa City, was moved to Des Moines in 1857 so it was closer to the center of the state. Over 100,000 people lived in Iowa at that time.

Although no battles took place in Iowa during the Civil War (1861-1865), about 70,000 Iowans fought for the Union. After the war, Iowa's economy grew rapidly. By 1870, four railroads crossed the state connecting Iowa with the eastern market. New industries were developed and businesses opened. Iowa farmers led the nation in corn and livestock production. After the Civil War ended railroads began to traverse the state bringing increased opportunities for growth. As a result many religious communities settled in Iowa, among them the Amanas and the Quakers. Herbert Hoover, Iowa's only US President, was a Quaker.

During the early 1900s, land in Iowa increased in value. Farmers went deep into debt to buy land. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, many lost their lands. Farmers formed cooperatives to save their farms during this time. They joined together to buy supplies and sell their crops. World War II also helped Iowa's economy by increasing the need for pork and corn.

Since World War II, Iowans have continued to undergo considerable economic, political, and social change. In the political area, Iowans experienced a major change in the 1960s when liquor by the drink came into effect. During both the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Iowans had strongly supported prohibition, but, in 1933, with the repeal of national prohibition, Iowans established a state liquor commission.

Although Iowa produces a tenth of the nation's food supply, the value of Iowa's manufactured products is twice that of its agriculture. Major industries are food and associated products, non-electrical machinery, electrical equipment, printing and publishing, and fabricated products.

Iowa stands in a class by itself as an agricultural state. Its farms sell over $10 billion worth of crops and livestock annually. Iowa leads the nation in all corn, soybean, and hog marketings, and comes in third in total livestock sales. Iowa's forests produce hardwood lumber, particularly walnut, and its mineral products include cement, limestone, sand, gravel, gypsum, and coal.

Iowa Famous People

• Adrian Constantine (Cap) Anson (1851 - 1922) Known as the greatest baseball player of the 19^th century; born in Marshalltown.
• Amelia Jenks Bloomer (1818 - 1894) She headed the Iowa woman Suffrage Association and made popular loose fitting pants called "bloomers"; lived in Council Bluffs.
• Johnny Carson (1925 - 2005) Comedian that hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years, born in Corning.
• Carrie Chapman Catt (1859 - 1947) She led the campaign that ended with the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution allowing women to vote; lived in Charles City.
• William "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846 - 1917) Pony Express rider, cavalry scout, buffalo hunter, and showman in the late 1800s; born in LeClaire.
• Bob Feller (1918- ) Baseball player.  A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Many consider him to be the premier right-handed pitcher in baseball history.; born in Van Meter.
• Dan Gable (1948- ) Wrestler/Coach. Won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics without surrendering a point.  Two-time Olympic head coach (1980 and 1984).  As a coach at Iowa, he won 15 NCAA team titles in 22 years and 22 straight Big Ten Conference titles; born in Waterloo.
• Frank Gotch (1878-1917) World heavyweight wrestling champion from 1908 to 1915, the best known athlete of his era; born and raised in Humboldt.
• Fred Grandy (1948 - ) Actor made famous in the Love Boat and politician; born in Sioux City.
• Herbert Hoover (1874 - 1964) The 31^st President of the United States; born in West Branch.
• Fred Maytag (1857 - 1937) Founder of the Maytag Company; lived in Newton.
• Glenn Miller (1904 - 1944) Bandleader and Composer of many famous songs including "In the Mood," and "Moonlight Serenade;" born in Clarinda.
• Henry Wallace (1888 - 1965) Vice President of the United States and secretary of agriculture during the depression; born near Orient.
• Meredith Willson (1902 - 1984) Writer of the famous Broadway musical The Music Man; born in Mason City.
• John Wayne (1907 - 1979) Actor who became famous for his hero image in western and war movies; born in Winterset.
• Grant Wood (1892 - 1942) Artist. Painted his most famous painting "American Gothic" in 1930; born in Anamoso.