Misc. Records
Where to Emigrate and Why - Frederick B. Goddard, Peoples Publ. Co., 1869
IOWA.
IF in all the broad domain of the United States there is any region pre-eminent for its combined advantages of admirable territorial position, salubrious climate, the number and size of its water-courses, fertility of soil, and sunny beauty of undulating scenery, surely it must be the noble State of Iowa.
Iowa occupies nearly a central position between the two oceans, on parallels of latitude which run through the lower New England States, portions of New York and Pennsylvania, and the northern halves of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Minnesota bounds it upon the north and Missouri upon the south. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers form its eastern and western boundaries, and their innumerable tributaries, many of them navigable, traverse the State in every direction.
The most distinguishing features of Iowa, are its admirably diversified prairies, which cover at least three-fourths of the State. These natural meadows, covered with nutritious grasses, stretch out in a series of graceful undulations, like the swell of the sea, and in the season of flowers are clothed with a brilliant vesture of honeysuckles, jessamines, and violets. Frequent fringes of hazel or willow indicate the course of clear, winding brooks, hastening to swell the tide of larger streams, whose grove-belted margins can be traced until the green foliage seems to mingle with land and sky, and soften into hazy blue. It has been said of Iowa, that the monotony of its very beauty and fertility becomes tiresome.
While there are no mountains in Iowa, portions of its northern surface are hilly and rugged, abounding in lakes, and rapid rivers tumbling over rocky ledges. This section of Iowa is not so well timbered as farther south, and is better adapted to grazing than tillage, although possessing frequent valleys and stretches of rolling prairie, unsurpassed for beauty and fertility by any portion of the State. Along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and others of the larger streams, are numerous limestone bluffs, often rising to the height of more than a hundred feet. Frequently the water-courses have worn deep ravines in these bluffs, and carved them into fantastic resemblance of old feudal castle, with turrets, and bastions, and battlements. These elevations are generally covered with verdure, and slope back into the prairie in successive undulations.
Iowa has a length from east to west of 300 miles, and a breadth of 208. Its area embraces 55,045 square miles, equal to 35,228,800 acres. There are yet to be disposed of in this State, more than three million acres of public land.
Iowa owes its prosperity mainly to its agricultural resources and advantages. Prairie farms are easily and cheaply opened, and are more quickly made profitable than forest lands, which must first be cleared. "Compared to the lifetime of labor it takes to open a farm in the woods, the facility with which one can be established on the prairie is most striking and gratifying to the settler; and as sufficient timber for all ordinary purposes is generally within reasonable distance, the comparative absence of forests is not so important as it otherwise would be, and artificial groves of that useful and ornamental tree, the locust, can be easily and quickly raised. Nothing can exceed the beauty of a prairie cottage, surrounded by its grove of locust, and wherever met with, it marks the abode of taste and comfort."
Emigrants are quick to perceive these advantages; and the vast area of high rolling and easily tilled prairies of Iowa has already attracted thither more than a million inhabitants, who are noted for intelligence, industry, and patriotism. In other respects also, Iowa is unfolding herself; and revealing her bounties to those who have the energy to secure them. The raising of live stock is an important interest and has received much attention.
It is estimated that the area of the coal fields of Iowa can not be less than 20,000 square miles. These large deposits, in conjunction with the abundant water-power afforded by her numerous and unfailing streams, must, under the necessities of an advancing civilization, make Iowa prominent as a manufacturing State. Already this branch of industry has attracted a large amount of capital and skilled labor.
Iowa has also demonstrated her claim to be numbered among the great mineral-producing States of the Union. In addition to her coal fields already mentioned, is a large tract of territory in the northeastern portion of the State, of which Dubuque is the center, which furnishes a considerable proportion of the lead produced in this country. These mines are very productive, and furnish profitable employment to many people. Mines of zinc, copper, and iron, also are known to exist in the State, but have not been much developed.
"The railroad system of Iowa, in common with all the Northwestern States, has rapidly expanded during the last ten years. In 1860 the State had six hundred and seventy-nine miles of road in full operation, representing a capital of $19,494,633.
"On the 1st of January, 1862, the number of miles completed and in progress of construction was two thousand and eighty-seven; of these, eight hundred and ninety-two had been finished, at a cost of $21,382,557. Since that time these lines have been steadily prosecuted and others projected. The completion of this system will make Council Bluffs, on the Missouri River, opposite Omaha, the eastern terminus of the Pacific Railroad—the point of intersection of four extensive lines connecting with the railways of all the Northwestern States. The nature of the country renders the construction of such lines easy and economical; advantages which are fully appreciated and energetically acted upon. The facilities of Iowa for domestic trade are very great. These have been extensively realized. A very large export and import trade has grown up, which, through the advantages afforded by the rivers and railroads of the State, is enlarging at an accelerating ratio."
The future of Iowa was never so full of promise as at present. All parts of the State are rapidly advancing in population, in wealth, and in all that can contribute to the fulfillment of its brilliant destiny.
In reference to the supply of timber in Iowa, PARKER, in his " Hand-Book of Iowa," says:—
Along the streams there are thousands of acres covered with an excellent growth of oak, walnut, ash, lime, maple, hickory, elm, and cottonwood. These varieties differ in different localities. Along the Iowa and Cedar rivers there is a large amount of oak of all varieties, and the valley of the Des Moines is abundantly supplied with walnut and other valuable timber. I have seen on the banks of the Mississippi as fine a growth of oak as could be desired; trees three or four feet in diameter, standing in a body, miles in length, and three miles in width. The Missouri has heavy timber all along its banks. Hickory sand walnut are abundant on the Iowa, Skunk, Cedar, and other rivers. Besides the full-grown timber, there are thousands of acres of a vigorous young growth, that has at last conquered the prairie fires, and is now rapidly coming to maturity. In addition to these, there is a vast amount of locust being cultivated. This grows here with a rapidity that is seldom equaled elsewhere. I have seen trees at the age of ten years that would make eight posts of sufficient size for fencing. Thus, there is an abundance of timber for present purposes, and it is believed, by those best informed, that, notwithstanding the constant demand, the supply is every day increasing, both from natural and cultivated sources.
He also thus describes that portion of the State lying west of the Des Moines River, designated as "Western Iowa":—
The face of the country, through this region, is quite different from that of all the prairie regions east, being more rolling, hilly, and rough; there being less sloughs, mire-holes, and swamps; streams of water being more pure, clear, and swift, being formed from thousands of springs, everywhere bursting from the hillsides, glens, and ravines. The altitude is considerably greater at this place than at the Mississippi, on a line due east. Near the Missouri and all the large streams, high and precipitous mountain bluffs range up and down the streams, while the region contiguous is generally very rough and hilly; but gradually, as it extends back, becomes more even, and finally, just beautifully rolling as it ascends to higher grounds toward the dividing ridges. The valleys formed by this roughness of surface are immensely rich, of very easy cultivation, and capable of producing to an enormous extent; and, what is a strange peculiarity, the crops are not materially affected by either flood or drought, the soil possessing the peculiarity of sustaining and maturing crops through severe and prolonged drought. The river bottoms are sometimes extremely wide, beautiful, and level; in some places the Missouri bottom is fifteen or twenty miles wide, with an occasional fine, clear lake, well stored with excellent fish.
The highest hills are covered with verdure, grass, or timber, and, if cultivated, would produce good crops of various kinds of grain or vegetables. Although the soil is light, and to appearante poor, it is loose and sandy, and very easy to cultivate. The soil on the bottoms and in the valleys is a black, rich, sandy loam, and often from five to ten feet in depth..
Throughout the whole region, fine rivers, creeks, and smaller streams of water occur, which afford an abundance of power for mills and machinery; and the endless number of springs and small rivulets furnish an abundant supply for farming uses and stock. Every lake and stream of any size is alive with excellent fish.
CLIMATE, HEALTH, &c.—Our climate is one of the most delightful in nature. Our spring usually commences in March, and by the middle of April the prairies are green, with mild, beautiful weather. In May, all the face of nature is covered with flowers, and the foliage of the prairies bends before the breeze like the waves of an enchanted lake, whilst the whole atmosphere is scented with the breath of flowers. At all seasons of the year, a gentle breeze is fanning the prairies, and a day is never so sultry but that a cooling breath comes to moderate the melting temperature. The evening twilights are beautiful, in most seasons of the year, continuing nearly two hours after sunset. Ten months in the year our roads are hard, smooth, and dry. In autumn, the weather, with little exception, is usually pleasant and fine until near December. Winter brings us very little snow, some years not amounting to more than six or eight inches altogether; the weather through the winter being mostly made up a cool, sunshiny days and clear frosty nights. High, dry, salubrious, and rolling, with most excellent water and a bracing atmosphere, consumption was never known to seize a victim here. On the streams the ague and fever sometimes intrudes, with fevers, occasionally, of other types; but, as the country becomes settled and cultivated, these disappear and are unknown.
In order that the emigrant may more clearly comprehend the surface features, productions, and general resources of Iowa, we propose to give, somewhat in detail, a description of several characteristic or representative counties of the State, which, in a general way, will apply to all. With various inconsiderable local modifications, the same climate, fertility of soil, and natural advantages, extend throughout the State.
We find in the Iowa State Register, a leading and influential journal, a series of interesting articles upon Iowa counties, which we are assured have been carefully prepared; and may be received as reliable. Beginning with a county lying on the Missouri, opposite the mouth of the Platte River, in the western border of the State, we extract:―
MILLS COUNTY.—This is generally conceded to be one of the best counties in the State, in the character of its soil, and its general advantages, for agricultural purposes. It is making rapid progress in population and wealth. A larger area of the land has this year been brought into cultivation than in any four years heretofore. Farms are being opened, buildings erected, and orchards planted, in all parts of the county. It contains already many independent farmers, who have amassed fortunes from the products of its generous soil. * * *
SURFACE FEATURES.—The bottom along the Missouri River is from three to seven miles in width, and comprises nearly one-fourth of the territory. This bottom is a deep, sandy loam, of extraordinary fertility, producing as fine crops of corn as may be found in any part of the world. Adjacent to these bottom lands, and stretching irregularly with the general course of the river, rise the bold bluffs of the Missouri. In many places they rise so abruptly as to seem almost perpendicular, and present to the beholder a grand appearance, when seen at a distance. They present toward the river a continued succession of projecting spurs, with small, deep, intervening valleys, generally lined with a small growth of timber. Occasionally larger valleys break through the bluffs, discharging small rivulets, having their source in springs a few miles back. The general elevation of the bluffs is remarkably uniform. The bluffs, and the narrow strip of broken land adjacent, form a division or belt, of perhaps a mile wide, between the bottoms and the available prairie land. The general surface of the prairie is high and rolling. But little of it is so broken as to be undesirable for cultivation. The soil is a light loam, with no clay subsoil. The valleys along the several streams which pass through the county are large, and as fertile as any to be found elsewhere. * * * * *
TIMBER.—Mills County, as a whole, is well supplied with timber. It is estimated that over one-tenth of the surface is covered with timber. The principal varieties are bur-oak, pin-oak, black walnut, hickory, white-ash, red elm, white elm, hackberry, mulberry, maple, linn, and cottonwood. The groves of stately cottonwood along the Missouri bottom, furnish a large portion of the fencing and building material to the county. There are many steam saw-mills engaged along the river, sawing lumber, almost exclusively from the cottonwood. The bluffs contiguous to the river bottom afford a large quantity of hard wood, while on Keg Creek, above and below Glenwood, are many fine groves. The extensive and beautiful valley of the Nishnabotna is not so well supplied with timber. It will be seen that while the west half of the county is abundantly blessed with timber, the east half is not so fortunate in this respect. The deficiency of timber, however, is amply overbalanced by the wonderful beauty and fertility of the great valley of the Nishnabotna and its tributaries. The streams in the east part of the county afford an abundance of good wood for fuel, and it is annually increasing by the rapid growth of young timber.
Wild grapes abound in the greatest profusion along the great valley of the Missouri. The vines, which cling to the trees in all the groves along the creeks and rivers, rarely fail to yield abundantly every year. Other wild fruits, including strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, plums, and crab-apples, are also quite common.
Limestone, suitable for walls, and for building purposes, is found in abundance at the base of the bluffs, near the southwest part of the county. There are also several good quarries on Silver Creek, and the Nishnabotna River. Sandstone is found in the northeast part of the county, which is used for building purposes.
Excellent brick are manufactured at Glenwood, Pacific City, and at several other places in the county. Good lime is made from the limestone of the county, and, sand being abundant, there is no lack of good building material. In addition to the building material which the county itself affords, the Council Bluffs and St. Joseph Railroad is now supplying large quantities of pine lumber.
MODEL FARMS, &c.—Some of the finest farms in the West are to be found in Mills County. Eight miles from Glenwood, on Silver Creek, is that of Judge L. W. Tubbs. It contains 1,260 acres―800 fenced and in cultivation. It is so situated that living water passes through each hundred acres, and about the middle of the farm are fine springs of pure, living water. The farm includes 120 acres of fine native timber; besides which, Judge Tubbs has planted 40 acres of artificial grove, chiefly black walnut, maple, and cottonwood. He raised this year 200 acres of wheat, and 300 acres of corn, besides grass, oats, &c. He put out this year four and a half miles of hedge, which is doing well. He has 300 growing apple-trees, Concord grapes, small fruits, &c., in abundance. His fences, buildings, &c., are all new, and in good condition.
H. W. Summers & Bros., near White Cloud, ten miles east of Glenwood, are the owners of a farm of 2,500 acres―1,750 of which are in cultivation. They have this year 1,200 acres in corn, 30 acres in artificial timber, and the rest in wheat, oats, &c. Twelve hundred acres in one cornfield on the Nishnabotna this year, is worth traveling some distance to see.
Just south of the Summers farm is that of Isaac L. McCoy, the prince of cattle merchants in Mills County. He has 500 acres of corn, and intends to feed 400 head of cattle this year. He deals more extensively in hogs and cattle than any other man in southwestern Iowa.
Within a few years, D. M. Solomon, Esq., of Glenwood, purchased, at an average of $1 per acre, an even square section of land, being 640 acres. During the last spring he planted thirteen miles of hedge, inclosing the entire section, and dividing it into twenty-three separate lots, embracing fields, meadows, orchards, feeding lots, stock yards, house lot, garden, grove lots, &c. Sixty acres are set apart for artificial timber for wind-breaks and shade. Two lanes, each sixty feet wide, lead from the sides to the center. The outside fences are set in thirty-three feet from the section lines, leaving room for roads. All the plants were set five inches apart. This improvement is made without building any fences, or making any preparatory cultivation of any portion of the land, except to put the hedge lines in suitable condition. No grain has been raised, or ground broken therefor, nor is it the intention to raise any until the hedge is grown and complete.
REAL ESTATE.—The prices of unimproved prairie land range at this time from $5 to $12 per acre—the average selling price being about $6 per acre. The prices are gradually rising. There is not much timber land in the market, but when it can be had, the prices range from $25 to $45 per acre. Heavy cottonwood on the Missouri is worth from $75 to $100 per acre. This, of course, is the most valuable timber land in the county, and affords immense quantities of lumber.
The prices of improved land, of course, depend upon the location, quality, state of improvement, and other circumstances. During the present season a number of improved farms have sold at from $25 to $30 per acre. There are not many farms in the market.
EDUCATIONAL.—The last annual report of the County Superintendent, Rev. L. S. Williams, for the year beginning October 4, 1866, and ending October 4, 1867, gives the following statistics in regard to educational matters in Mills County:—
Number of sub-districts 40
Number of male pupils 1,234
Number of female pupils 1,198
Number of pupils in attendance 1,922
Average attendance 1,084
Number male teachers 33
Number female teachers.. 34
Average compensation of male teachers per week . $10.73
Average compensation of female teachers per week 4.87
Aggregate paid teachers during the year $8,166.29
Indian Creek is the only township that paid female teachers more than males. In that township the average weekly compensation of female teachers was $12.58, while that of male was $7.50.
LUCAS COUNTY is in the middle of the second tier of southern counties, there being five on the east, and five on the west.
The principal streams are Chariton River, Whitebreast, Otter Creek, North and South Cedar, Wolf Creek, and English Creek.
There are also numerous smaller streams, affording an abundance of stock water. None of the streams are reliable for mill purposes.
Along all the principal streams are heavy bodies of timber, affording a bountiful supply convenient to nearly every portion of the county. Timber is most abundant on Grand River and Whitebreast, but Wolf Creek and the other streams mentioned have many fine groves. The timber is chiefly oak, walnut, hickory, soft maple, and cottonwood.
This county has not yet proved itself to be equal to some others in Iowa as a coal-bearing county, but there is an abundance for all practical purposes. Most of the banks which have been opened are on Whitebreast. A good article is obtained within 4½ miles of the county seat. Coal is also found on North Cedar, and there is no reason to doubt that it is sufficiently abundant to meet the future demands of a populous county. The veins are generally from to 3 feet in thickness, and so far, have only been worked by drifting from the sides of the banks along the streams where there were exposures from the action of the water. When the demand renders it necessary to adopt a more thorough system of mining, there is no doubt that thicker deposits and a better quality of coal will be obtained. Such has been the experience of miners in other portions of the State.
Good building stone is obtained within a mile and a half of Chariton on a branch of Whitebreast. It is abundant in other parts of the county. A good quality of quicklime is manufactured from stone obtained in various localities. Brick of excellent quality is made in the immediate vicinity of the county seat, and there is no difficulty in obtaining sand in abundance for building purposes along all the principal streams. The quality of building material has been tested by the erection of a large number of substantial brick buildings within a few years.
The well-water obtained in all parts of this county is of the very best quality, and is found in great abundance at a depth of from 20 to 30 feet, except along the bluffs of the streams, where, as usual in other parts of the State, it is not so easily obtained. Along the streams mentioned, there are many excellent springs, which flow abundantly at all seasons of the year. The water generally flows over a limestone formation, and is therefore what is termed "hard," but is clear and cold. In this most essential element for life, health and comfort, Lucas County is not behind any other.
The finest farming lands in the county are the rolling prairies, the soil of which is a rich, deep, black vegetable loam, formed by the accumulations of ages. But a small proportion of the prairie land of this county is what may be termed "flat," and but little of it what is usually called "broken." It is nearly all susceptible of easy cultivation. The soil partakes somewhat more of a sandy character than in the counties east of the Des Moines River. After heavy showers, the water is soon absorbed, which gives to the soil its moist character so favorable to the growth of vegetation.
As an agricultural county, Lucas ranks among the best, though as yet new and undeveloped. As a grain-growing county, it has already proved eminently successful, but within the last few years very great advances have been made in the manner of cultivation and the character of stock. Fine farms are rapidly appearing nearly all over the county. One farm in Warren township contains over 1,000 acres. A few years ago it sold for $10,000, but could not now be purchased for $30,000. The proprietor has 500 acres in tame grasses. His neighbor has a farm of about 300 acres fenced in fields of 40 acres each with hedge of the Osage Orange. He has about five miles of hedge, much of which has attained a growth sufficient for protection, and has proved entirely satisfactory. Around Chariton are several vineyards, all of which are doing well. The Concord is the grape generally cultivated, and has invariably proved a success.
Three of the best townships of this county—Pleasant, Washington, and Union—are as yet but sparsely settled, owing to the fact that most of the lands in them are owned by non-residents. A large proportion of it is owned by the heirs of one who, at an early day, entered whole townships of land in this part of Iowa, embracing many thousand of acres. He lived in the East, and on his way home from Iowa, after having entered this land, he died. Much of it stills belongs to his heirs. A large portion of the land entered was timber, and it is said the settlers have gratuitously bestowed much labor upon it in the way of clearing off the timber. Within three miles of the county seat, good improved lands sell at from $10 to $12 per acre, and in parts of the county more distant, at from $5 to $8. The cost of oak and hickory wood in winter is from. $4 to $5 per cord, and coal from 15 to 16 cents per bushel. Brick sell at about $7 per 1,000.
DALLAS COUNTY.—Dallas is one of the counties of central Iowa. It is well watered by several large streams, with their tributaries coursing through nearly every portion of it. The Des Moines River crosses the northeast corner township, mining in a southeasterly direction, and affords to that portion of the county a heavy body of excellent timber.
In Lincoln township there are several clear, cold water lakes. One called Pilot Lake, is two miles across, and is a beautiful body of water, with the dry, rich prairie land approaching up to its margin on all sides. The general character of the surface around these lakes is not marshy or swampy, but dry, undulating, and very fertile. Some two or three miles south of Pilot Lake, in the same township, is another, known as Goose Lake, which possesses the same general characteristics. There are several smaller lakes in this part of the county. Springs are numerous along all the streams. In the vicinity of Redfield are some of the finest that I have seen in the West. They are also abundant along North Coon, and in the vicinity of Adel may be seen breaking out in various places along the banks of the river. There is no difficulty in obtaining good well-water in nearly every portion of the county. The wells are usually from twenty to twenty-five feet deep.
The Coon rivers, as they flow through this county, afford many of the finest mill-sites to be found in Iowa, or the West. North Coon, running the entire extent of the county from northwest to southeast, passes through about fifty sections of land, on nearly every one of which a head of six feet could be obtained—the head waters of this stream are about 150 miles north. Although this stream affords an immense power for machinery, but comparatively little of it has yet been brought into use. South and Middle Coon also afford many splendid mill-sites, some of which are occupied. The supply of water is constant and reliable the year round. Of the mills and factories in operation on these streams I shall speak hereafter.
The surface of the county is generally undulating, the depressions along the streams being deep, with the timber in many places extending up on the high land. The timber in the bottoms, immediately along the streams, is black walnut, bur-oak, cottonwood, sugar, or hard maple, soft maple, elm, linn, and some other varieties; while the various kinds of oak and hickory grow on the high ridges. One-tenth of the county is timber land.
MINERAL RESOURCES.―A number of coal banks have been opened in different parts of the county, and there is no reason to doubt that coal abounds in at least fourteen of the sixteen congressional townships. Indications are visible along all the principal streams of the existence of workable beds of coal. So far as the banks have been opened, the veins are found to be from three to five feet in thickness, and the product equal in quality to the average coal of the State.
PRICE OF LAND.—Unimproved prairie lands sell at from $5 to $10 per acre, except in the immediate vicinity of important towns, where it is held at higher prices.
One of our correspondents thus describes Floyd County:—
It is situated seventy miles west of the Mississippi River; the counties of Clayton, Fayette, and Chickasaw lying between it and the river; and Mitchell County between it and Minnesota, upon the north. The Cedar River is the principal stream, averaging about sixty yards in width, and running in a southeasterly direction through the county. It rises nearly one hundred miles distant, in Minnesota, is rapid in its course, affords abundant water-power, and is remarkable for the purity of its waters, and the abundance of heavy timber and excellent stone quarries along its course. There are also several other streams of considerable size in the county, the principal of which are the Little Cedar River, Flood Creek, Shell Rock and Lime rivers. The general course of all these streams is southeast, and several of them afford good water-power.
The surface of the county is gently undulating or rolling, with no high hills, and very little flat or perfectly level land, which so often causes malarial diseases.
The soil of the prairie lands is deep and exceedingly fertile. It is well suited to growing the grains and fruits of the Middle and New England States. The silica, alumina, and other component parts of the soil, are in such proportion as to render it sufficiently dry for tillage, and yet not liable to suffer from drought. A good crop is almost certain. Most of the subsoil is clayey, which would be retentive of fertilizers, should they ever be required; while on the margin of the streams limestone or gravel is frequently found beneath the surface.
The latitude is that of Central New York and Massachusetts. The climate is milder and the atmosphere more invigorating than in those regions. The spring is remarkably early; the sky much like that of New England; the atmosphere less humid; the cold less severely felt; the weather less changeable; while the steady breezes and a plentiful supply of excellent water render this section of country comparatively free from the scourge of pulmonary consumption, and more congenial to health than most of the Atlantic States.
A correspondent of the Iowa Homestead, writes:―
The fact that there are over two million acres of Government land in northwestern Iowa, waiting for settlers to accept as a gift, looks strange, when so many are going so much farther to fare so much worse. People will follow navigable streams, railroads, or old emigrant routes. The Mississippi River leads to Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Missouri to Dakota and Montana, and the old California route passes to the south of this region. Railroads have been chartered and endowed with land grants, but have not yet been built, but the rapid increase of wealth and population in Iowa and Minnesota, has brought us to the time when three great lines are soon to be built through this part of the State, viz., the Dubuque and Sioux City, McGregor and Sioux City, and Sioux City and St. Paul roads. By the time the last-named road can be built, a road will be built from St. Paul to Lake Superior, the head of the largest lake navigation in the world, as at Sioux City it connects with the longest river navigation on the globe. Within two months three hundred miles of railroad will be completed from Sioux City south to Kansas City; and from Kansas City a road is being built south to meet a railroad coming north from Galveston Bay, on the Gulf of Mexico. This road will connect the iron, copper, and lumber regions of the North, with the cotton and sugar regions of the South, through the grass, grain, and fruit region of the center.
The following extracts relate to leading towns of Iowa:―
DES MOINES, the capital of Iowa, is now a magnificent city of fifteen thousand inhabitants, and it has all the attributes and the business and energy of an eastern city of four times its population. It has its high way-side retreats, its suburban villas, large and costly churches and school-houses, first-class hotels, street railways, gas-works, public libraries, the court-house, the State arsenal, the United States Post-office building, large and commodious business houses, free bridges, water-power, diamond coal banks, steam printing-presses, several live railroad lines, telegraph lines, and many other essential elements—too numerous to mention—that count in the making up of a first-class city.
IOWA CITY, the former capital, is situated on Iowa River, eighty miles from its mouth. It is embowered in beautiful groves, and. surrounded by very fertile prairies. The State University and other institutions of learning located here, afford excellent educational advantages. Its population is six thousand. Its manufacturing facilities, though undeveloped, are promising.
DAVENPORT, on the Mississippi, is one of the largest cities in the State, having a population of seventeen thousand. The railroad connections are extensive, and the manufactures, though yet in their infancy, are important and growing. Its religious and literary institutions are of high order. The scenery around Davenport is unsurpassed, even in that beautiful country.
DUBUQUE, settled by a French trader in 1788, is the largest city in Iowa and the depot of the lead regions, a place of very active trade, having a population of nearly twenty thousand. It is well built, and furnished with all the institutions of an advanced civilization. Its railroad and river commerce have a large capital and numerous employees.
PRICE OF LAND, ETC.
The following is extracted from the April (1868) Report of the Department of Agriculture:—
ADVANCE OF LANDS SINCE 1860.—Returns to our circular from a majority of the counties of Iowa, embracing all sections of the State, and furnishing a fair basis for an estimate, show an average increase of about seventy-five per cent in the value of farm lands since the census of 1860. Dubuque, Story, Calhoun, Marion, Delaware, Sac, Montgomery, Shelby, Chickasaw, Fayette, and Lucas, report an advance of from ten to twenty-five per cent. Clarke, Jackson, Des Moines, Decatur, Adams, twenty-five to thirty-three per cent. Jefferson, Black Hawk, Muscatine, Cedar, Linn, Clayton, Cherokee, and Wayne, forty-five to fifty per cent. Louisa and Jasper, seventy-five per cent. Warren, Pottawattomie, Allamakee, Appanoose, Benton, Clinton, Palo Alto, and Marshall, one hundred per cent. Crawford, Audubon, Jones, Emmett, and Winnebago, one hundred and fifty per cent. Fremont two hundred and fifty, and Monona as high as three hundred per cent. Harrison, Kossuth, Sioux, and other counties report lands "rapidly advancing," without fixing the percentage of increase.
PRICE OF LAND.—Wild or unimproved lands range in price from $1.25 to $25 per acre, the former being the minimum price for public lands remaining unsold. The average value of these lands, now in private hands or the property of speculators, is probably $6 to $8 per acre. To indicate the general character of these unimproved lands, we give extracts from letters of correspondents in different quarters of the State. In Muscatine there are unimproved lands contiguous to the county seat held at $150 to $200 per acre, while in the valley of Cedar River lands can be bought at prime cost, $1.25 per acre. The former is bluff land, covered with a dense growth of young oak and hickory timber, the soil a black loam for about six inches, lying on a subsoil of tough yellow clay, thought to be peculiarly suited to the culture of the grape in particular, and nearly all fruits in general. The soil of the bottom land is a black sand, and, when it does not overflow, will produce excellent crops of corn. In Clinton the average is fixed at $12 per acre, a large proportion being as good farming land as any in the State, mostly owned by non-residents. Linn County, $10, prairie, all good, mostly first-rate wheat and corn land. Dubuque, $10 per acre, quite rolling, mostly covered with hazel brush, and a young growth of red and white-oak timber; soil a black loam, with clay subsoil. Allamakee, $7 to $10 per acre, well adapted to the cereal and root crops; the portions too hilly for cultivation being fitted for pastures and vineyards. Chickasaw and Mitchell, $5 per acre, mostly prairie of the best quality for general farming. Winnebago, $3, prairie land of good quality, but not convenient to timber that can be purchased at a reasonable price; will produce good crops of wheat, oats, barley, and potatoes, and fair crops of corn. Kossuth is sparsely settled, and much of the land can be secured under the homestead laws, though in favorable locations land is worth $3 to $5, and rapidly advancing; the greater portion of the county is prairie, with belts of timber along the rivers and creeks. In Emmett and Palo Alto these lands are held at $2.50 to $4 per acre, principally prairie, with scarcity of timber; considerable Government land still vacant. In Sioux and Cherokee, $1.25 to $5, prairie, with little timber. Sac, $6 per acre, three-fourths of the county unimproved, but as good as any taken up. Calhoun and Crawford, $3 per acre, land of best quality; the former contains 300,000 acres of these lands. Audubon, $5, prairie, with about ten acres of timber to the quarter section; a rich alluvial soil. Harrison, $5 to $10, varying from level bottom to high, rolling prairie; soil first-rate, capable of producing forty to eighty bushels of corn, fifteen to forty bushels of wheat, and other crops in proportion. Cass, $2.50 to $10 per acre, prairie, good soil. Adams and Union, $4; Montgomery, $2.50 to $5; Fremont, $2 to $8; Clarke, $4.50; good, tillable land, some of it of the very best quality; timber scarce. Decatur, $5, northern half mostly prairie, the southern half timber; soil good, two or three feet deep, no better land for corn, oats, vegetables, &c. Wayne, $3, quality good. Lucas, $5; Appanoose, $8; rough lands $4 to $5; timber $6 to $20; soil equal to that of lands under cultivation. Jefferson, $10, chiefly prairie; some timber; the former consisting of as fine farming lands as can be found in the State. Keokuk, $6, good prairie. Marion, $7.50 per acre, embracing all qualities of land, from best to poorest. Warren, $8, light alluvial soil, adapted to growth of cereals. Jasper, $8, capable of producing sixty to a hundred bushels of corn, or twenty to forty bushels of wheat to the acre. Marshall, $8, good prairie. Story, $5, capable of producing sixty bushels of corn, eighteen bushels of wheat, or forty bushels of oats per acre. Hamilton, $4, prairie, suited to grain or stock-growing. Black Hawk, $10 per acre. Benton, $5 to $15, prairie, best quality, said to be capable of producing seventy-five bushels of oats, forty bushels of wheat, and one hundred bushels of corn, when properly cultivated. Des Moines, $12, and Louisa, $15; quality of soil good.
MINERALS.—Of the mineral resources of Iowa, coal is the most valuable and abundant, and is said to underlie an area of not less than 20,000 square miles, in all embracing a country equal to two-fifths of the whole State. The Iowa River runs near the eastern boundary of these deposits, which extend southwest into Missouri. It is upward of 200 miles in the direction of the valley of the Des Moines across the great coal-field, while westwardly it extends nearly to the Missouri River. The beds are of immense thickness, in some places said to be one hundred feet or more, and lying near the surface are capable of being worked easily and at small expense. This vast bed of mineral wealth has as yet been very slightly developed, though there are inducements for working it to far greater extent than at present. Our Marion County reporter writes:—
"We probably have more timber land than any other county in the State, and of coal unquestionably more. There is a seven-foot vein of coal underlying nearly the whole of the county; and in the northeastern corner we have veins ten feet thick. The coal in this township will average 350,000 cubic feet to the acre."
The lead mines of the northeast, of which Dubuque is the center, are continuous of those of Wisconsin, and are being extensively and profitably worked. Zinc occurs in the fissures along with the lead, and copper is also found in this region and along the Cedar River. Iron ore exists in considerable quantities, but is not much worked. Many portions of the State are underlaid with limestone, and building stone of several varieties exists, the Annamosa quarries, of Jones County, ranking among the best in the State. Gypsum also appears in limited quantities, and peat abounds in a number of counties, one bed in Sac County containing over 300 acres, from three to nine feet in thickness.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.—Corn, wheat, oats, and hay, are the great staples of Iowa, being grown to a greater or less extent in every county in the State, with the addition of rye, barley, buckwheat, tobacco, &c., in limited quantities. The corn crop of 1866 reached over 52,000,000 of bushels, with an acreage of upward of 1,600,000, the crop being valued at about $23,000,000, or an average of between $14 and $15 per acre gross. The wheat crop of the same year reached nearly 16,000,000 bushels upon something less than 1,000,000 acres, the crop being estimated at about $22,000,000, or an average of about $22 to the acre, gross product. The wheat crop is the principal market product, other crops being largely worked up at home and sent abroad in more condensed form, as beef, pork, wool, &c. Our Cherokee correspondent says:―
"Rye is not much raised, but is a profitable crop. Potatoes are also productive and much depended upon, and sugar-cane is cultivated to some extent."
Hop-raising is attracting considerable attention in some counties, and in Jackson and Jones they are reported as successfully and profitably grown; in Sioux they grow wild in abundance, and as large and good as any that are cultivated.
In Jones County several cheese factories have been established the past year, and dairying is becoming a prominent branch.
Our correspondents estimate the net profits of wheat culture at an average of $7 to $10 per acre. Our Sioux reporter says:―
"We have raised as high as fifty bushels of wheat to the acre; a field of ten acres yielding five hundred bushels of clean merchantable wheat."
Our Monona reporter writes:―
"Our main dependence is our immense crop of wild grass for pasture and hay used in rearing cattle, horses, and sheep. Corn and oats not unfrequently yield seventy-five bushels per acre, and in 1866 many fields of wheat all over our county yielded from forty to forty-five bushels per acre. Cattle, horses, and sheep, and all our crops have, for years in succession, commanded high prices."
From Marion our reporter writes as follows:―
"With many in this county wheat culture is a specialty, while others give much attention to grazing; but corn is king here, and is generally fed to hogs and cattle, and, indeed, to any thing that will eat it. This crop is easily produced at the rate of 40 to 50 bushels per acre, and is often so managed as to produce 80 to 120 bushels per acre. I have repeatedly, in this county and in Polk County, had a yield of 110 to 113 bushels to the acre at a cost of 10 cents per bushel; and I have produced 41¼ bushels of May wheat (fall) per acre, at a cost in the bin of 34 cents per bushel, sold at $1.25 per bushel. I have also produced of spring wheat 37½ bushels at 40 cents per bushel, sold at $1 per bushel; of white rye, 35 bushels at 30 cents, sold at 75 cents; oats, 77½ bushels at 9 cents, sold at 25 to 30 cents; beef, at a cost of 2¾ cents per pound, sold at 6 cents gross; pork, at 4 cents, sold at 8 cents; wool, at 20 cents, sold at 50 cents per pound hay, at $2.50 per ton, sold at $5 to $10. I have raised horses at $50, when 3½ years old sold at $150. Such is not the rule, however, for the reason that farming is generally done very loosely and unskillfully, and consequently with much less profit than if well and thoroughly done."
Our Jefferson reporter says:―
"Corn is made a specialty in this county. One man, with a good pair of horses and proper implements, can cultivate, in a moderately good season, 40 acres, occupying his time from the 1st of March until the 1st of December, which, at an average of 40 bushels per acre, would yield 1,600 bushels; which, at 60 cents per bushel, would yield $960. Rent of land, $100; wages of man, at $20 per month, $180; board of man, at $1.50 per week, $54; board of team, at $7 per month, $63; total, $397; leaving a balance in favor of the crop of $563."
But a small proportion of winter wheat grown, the spring varieties generally succeeding better upon the prairies, while the former is chiefly confined to the timber lands, and in most localities not cultivated to any considerable extent.
Drilling wheat appears to be in little favor in Iowa, and is not practiced at all in most counties, the crop being generally sown broadcast from the middle of March to the middle of April, though a small proportion is put in earlier, and some as late as the first of May. Winter wheat is sown the latter half of September, and early in October in some localities. The crop is principally gathered during the last two weeks in July, extending into the first week of August, depending much upon the time of sowing.
A correspondent on the western border says:―
"Wheat is nearly always sown on corn stubble without removing the stalks, the ground sometimes receiving a shallow plowing; but more is cultivated with a double shovel or common cultivator; others sow the seed and harrow in. The largest crops of wheat ever raised in Monona County have been cultivated upon the latter plan, many of them yielding 45 bushels to the acre. With all of these plans of seeding the ground is well rolled."
Our Lucas reporter says:—
"We plow for wheat four or five inches deep, sow broadcast, harrow twice, and then let alone till harvest."
In Jefferson County, "the best mode of culture for spring wheat is to plow the previous fall, and shallow plowing is preferable; for fall wheat the ground should be plowed deep in June, and replowed before sowing, that the wheat may take deep root, thus securing it against the drying winds of winter and the frosts of March." Plowing is generally done in the fall, and sometimes reported in the spring. In 1866, the average yield of wheat per acre in Iowa was 16 bushels.
Wild prairie grasses, blue-joint, white clover, wild red-top, marsh and slough grass, sedge, wild pea or vetch, and buffalo grass, are the principal natural grasses; of Iowa, while timothy, red clover, red-top, and other tame varieties are cultivated with success. Our Jefferson correspondent says:—
"After prairie grass, the varieties most natural to our pastures are blue-grass and white clover; they seem indigenous to our soil and climate, and wherever the prairie grass is eaten out, they appear without sowing."
In Monona County they have a variety of wild grass called tassel or broad-top grass, covering thousands of acres, and yielding five tons of hay to the acre, claimed to be equal to timothy or clover for wintering cattle. In many counties the wild grasses of the prairies furnish the pastures for stock, and animals subsist upon the range during five or six months of the year, at the expense only of herding and salting. Cultivated grasses will generally extend the season during which stock may subsist entirely upon pastures, one to two mouths, at an expense of from $1 to $2 per head. Our Decatur reporter says:—
"This county excels in timothy and clover; pastures fifteen to twenty years old yield from two to two and a half tons of hay to the acre, without manure. Cattle can feed on pastures eight months of the year."
In Linn County stock subsist on the prairie grass exclusively six months, and timothy seven months, the cost of the former nothing but herding and salt, the latter $1 to $2 per month. In the northwestern part they have no cultivated grasses, but an abundance of wild grasses of the best quality, upon which farm animals feed seven months of the year, at an expense of about $3 per head for the season.
Fruit culture is yet in its infancy in Iowa, and, owing to want of judgment in the selection of varieties of the large fruits and the proper care of the young trees, experiments have not been universally successful, yet results have satisfactorily demonstrated that hardy fruits may be grown successfully and profitably, in every section of the State.
Jefferson County reports that locality well adapted to fruit culture, several varieties of apples doing well and making a profitable crop, the trees being planted much closer than in the East or South. Pears also do well; and grapes are a sure and highly remunerative crop; as per the following statement of our reporter: "On one acre, 1,300 roots, at 10 cents, $130 ; subsoiling with plow, $25; planting, $15; trellising, $100; total cost, $270; average yield of each vine, 5 pounds; 6,500 pounds at 10 cents, $650 ; leaving a profit of $380 for the first crop."
In Jasper, many farmers, with orchards planted ten years ago, have plenty of fruit, and are selling their apples at $2 per bushel; grapes sell at 20 to 25 cents per pound. In Mitchell, on the northern border, hardy apples, pears, cherries, and plums do well; a few grapes flourish; orchards are yet young; one garden of 30 apple-trees, yielded as many bushels as trees; strawberries, raspberries, currants, &c., grow nicely. Keokuk County, one apple orchard of 300 trees, last year produced 1,200 bushels, which sold, in the orchard, at $1.25 per bushel. Marshall, some varieties of apples and pears do well; most orchards not yet in bearing; small fruits and berries yield immensely; one acre of Concord grapes, three years old, yielded $1,000 worth of fruit, at 20 cents per pound; five and one-half rods of Wilson strawberries yielded 135 quarts, at 30 cents, $40.50. In Clinton County, an orchard of 300 apple-trees, ten years set, in 1866, produced 900 bushels of fruit, sold in the orchard, at $1.50 per bushel; in 1867, produced 500 bushels, sold at $1.25 per bushel.
SYNOPSIS OF IOWA TAX LAW.
"Taxes are due in November of each year, and become delinquent, if not paid, on the first day of February following, when interest accrues at the rate of 1 per cent a month for the first three months, 2 per cent a month for second period of three months, 3 per cent a month for the third period of three months, and 4 per cent for each month thereafter.
"The first Monday in October, after delinquency, all lands are offered for sale for the tax, interest, and costs, and if not all sold, they are again offered the first Monday in each succeeding month. The purchaser has the right to pay subsequent taxes whenever the same become delinquent; and to redeem the land, the owner must pay all taxes, interest, costs of sale, and a penalty of 30 per cent, with interest on the whole at the rate of 10 per cent per annum.
"After three years from the date of sale, the right to redeem expires, except as to minor heirs and insane persons."
CORRESPONDENCE.
INDEPENDENCE, BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA,
July 28, 1868.
DEAR SIR : Yours of the 21st inst, came to hand a day or two since. I can only give hastily written answers to your questions at present, but in future should you wish to continue your researches, I may be able to write you more fully in regard to the beautiful prairies upon which we live.
* * Our soil is mostly the black, ranging from black sand to the muck. Along our rivers a sandy soil may be had if preferred. Our county is well timbered and watered. It has a population of thirteen thousand souls. We have about ninety school-houses and various churches. A railroad runs directly through the center of our county, making all portions easily accessible to market; there being two healthy vigorous towns, one at the eastern and the other at the western border of the county, with this place (Independence) very near the center.
The price of the lands, ranges from $5 to $25 per acre, owing entirely to the location. Good homes can be secured within one mile of church and school privileges, for from $5 to $10 per acre. I say homes—I mean land to be converted into homes.
The climate is one of the healthiest in the world—at least we think so. The winters are very cold, but spring, summer, and autumn, are perfectly delightful. * * * * * Wheat brings from $1 to $2 per bushel; oats from 30 to 80 cents; corn ditto, often reaching $1. Barley, from $2 to $3. There were many thousand acres of wheat raised in this county this year, most of which will yield 25 or 30 bushels per acre.
The price of labor is from $1 to $2 per day, or $18 to $20 per month. Supply is not equal to the demand, especially at this season of the year.
As to the class most needed. We need or invite all classes, all races, regardless of their sex, State, color, or religion. All who have a disposition to work, who desire to make comfortable homes by emigrating to the West, can find a multitude of opportunities on the rich prairies of Iowa. There are several thousand acres yet uncultivated in this region, that are only waiting for the powerful hand of industry to turn over the sod, when they will yield an abundant harvest.
The majority of our population is American.
Respectfully,
F. C. LITTLE. P. M.
F. B. GODDARD, Esq.
WINTERSET, MADISON COUNTY, IOWA,
August 13, 1868.
* * * First-class prairie land throughout the county. Improved farms worth from $15 to $40 per acre. Raw prairie is worth from $5 to $12.
Labor is worth from $1.50 to $2; mechanics' labor from $2.50 to $5 per day. Supply good in some of the branches. Masons, bricklayers, and stone-cutters are most needed.
Climate pleasant in summer, and cold in winter, with a great deal of snow; very healthful.
Number one building stone; the best there is in the State. Also good limestone. Building and limestone in any quantity within the limits of our city. Good timber within one and two miles of town. Coal is not very plenty near us. Mines within seven miles. * * * There are six streams running across this county; four of the streams are well timbered.
The crops consist principally of corn and wheat. The soil and climate of this county are well adapted to the raising of wheat and corn. Wheat is worth $1.20 per bushel; corn, 55 cents. Crops never have been better than they are this season.
Last summer we commenced to build our public school-house, which will be completed this fall in time for the winter term of school. It is built of stone, two stories high, and will cost $30,000.
NATIONALITY.—This question would be hard to answer, from the fact that our people are made up from so many different nations. I believe that the majority of our people of foreign birth are Germans, and they make the best of citizens.
Truly yours,
F. M. CASSIDAY.
FRED. B. GODDARD, Esq., New York City.
JEFFERSON, GREENE COUNTY, IOWA,
July 31, 1868.
In reply to the inquiries contained in your circular, I would say that―
1st. The farming lands of Greene County, Iowa, unimproved, are worth from $3 to $8 per acre. Improved farms are worth from $25 to $40 per acre. The soil is a dark vegetable mold, varying in depth from two to four feet.
2d. We need farm laborers principally in Greene County. Such laborers receive $1.50 per day. Employment can always be found on the railroad and in the coal mines a few miles east of here.
3d. Climate mild and healthy.
4th. Timber enough to supply fuel and fence material.
5th. Wheat and corn, principal crops; wheat worth $1.50 per bushel; corn, 75 cents. No better county in the west for raising stock.
6th. Chicago & Northwestern Railroad runs through the center of Greene County from east to west.
7th. The best of school and church advantages.
8th. Population, with very few exceptions, American. Respectfully yours,
O. J. McDUFFIE.
F. B. GODDARD, Esq.
MANCHESTER, DELAWARE COUNTY, IOWA,
July 30, 1868.
F. B. GODDARD Esq
* * * The quality of lands in this county is generally very good, principally prairie. Wild lands can be bought from $6 to $15 per acre; improved lands from $15 to $30 per acre. * * * A man can, with two crops, pay for 80 or 160 acres of land and fence it; breaking costs $3.50 to $4 per acre; fence $1 per rod, post and board; or 60 cents, post and wire. Wild lands are being taken up very fast, and have increased in value from 25 to 50 per cent. during the last six months.
The soil varies, mostly black loam; in places sandy. Excellent building stone in this county, and lands are lower here than in some counties west. People seeking homes in this county will have the same advantages they do in Eastern States. Principal fruit, plums, currants, strawberries, apples in small quantities,— and increasing; all of the small fruits adapted to a northern climate. Country healthy; have been a resident for twelve years. Summers have been hot, but not dry. Iowa has never suffered with drought. Her broad prairies are fruitful every year.
Yours truly,
V. CHILDS.
FROM FLOYD COUNTY.
Dr. J. W. SMITH writes us a most interesting letter, from which we can only make a few extracts:—
* * * I am a physician, a graduate of Yale; have practiced my profession for twenty years in this place. This is a very healthy region; water plenty; excellent land near this town is held pretty high, but some miles distant, in this and adjoining counties, there is plenty of unimproved land—price from $3, upward. Good quality from $4 to $10. * * * Common labor, $1.50 to $2 per day; in harvest, $3 per day, with board.
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.