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90-663: The area was referred to as the Pembina District after the U.S. Army Major Stephen Harriman Long made surveys during the 1823 expedition to the Red River of the North and placed an International boundary marker north of Pembina clearly defining the border between the United States and British North America . Prior to 1823, the Pembina settlement was believed by both countries to be within

180-562: A "Great Desert" (leading to the term "the Great American Desert "). Long was born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire , the son of Moses and Lucy (Harriman) Long. Long's Puritan ancestors came from England during the Puritan migration to New England . He received an A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1809 and an A.M. from Dartmouth in 1812. In 1814, he was commissioned a lieutenant of engineers in

270-578: A consulting engineer with various railroads. Initially he helped to survey and build the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad . In 1826, he received his first patent for his work on railroad steam locomotives. Long received many more patents for locomotive design and worked with other Army engineers in planning and building the railroad. Long also received patents in 1830 and 1839 for pre-stressing the trusses used in wooden covered bridges. In 1832, along with William Norris and several other business partners, he formed

360-663: A costly failure and so instead of exploring the Missouri River, President James Monroe decided to have Long lead an expedition up the Platte River to the Rocky mountains and back along the border with the Spanish colonies. Exploring that border was vital, since John Quincy Adams had just concluded the treaty with Spain, which drew a new U.S. border to the Pacific. Major Long was the leader of

450-463: A decline in air quality. Other factors negatively affecting Iowa's environment include the extensive use of older coal-fired power plants , fertilizer and pesticide runoff from crop production, and diminishment of the Jordan Aquifer . The 2020–2023 North American drought has affected Iowa particularly: As of January 2024, Iowa was in its 187th consecutive week of at least moderate drought ,

540-484: A people depending upon agriculture." On the map he made of his explorations, he called the area a "Great Desert." Long felt the area labeled the "Great Desert" would be better suited as a buffer against the Spanish, British, and Russians, who shared the continent with the United States. He also commented that the eastern wooded portion of the country should be filled up before the republic attempted any further extension westward. He commented that sending settlers to that area

630-428: A stern paddle wheel. On September 17, Long's party arrived at Fort Lisa , a trading fort belonging to William Clark 's Missouri Fur Company . It was about five miles south of Council Bluffs , Iowa. Long's group built their winter quarters nearby and called it " Engineer Cantonment ." Within a month, Long returned to the east coast, and by the following May, his orders had changed. The Yellowstone Expedition had become

720-525: A suitable alternative. In early 1850 Long's objections to the location were rebuffed. Senator Solon Borland, ignoring Long's objections to the location of Napoleon, reported to the Corps of Topographical Engineers that the situation at Napoleon had been discussed before the bill which would create the Marine Hospital at Napoleon was passed. The erection of the hospital at Napoleon without delay was then ordered. In

810-559: Is Des Moines . A portion of the larger Omaha, Nebraska, metropolitan area extends into three counties of southwest Iowa. Other metropolitan statistical areas in Iowa include Iowa City , Cedar Rapids , Waterloo-Cedar Falls , Ames , Dubuque , Sioux City , and the Iowa portion of the Quad Cities . Iowa is home to 940 small towns, though its population is increasingly urbanized as small communities and rural areas decline in population. During

900-595: Is a line along 43 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude. The southern border is the Des Moines River and a not-quite-straight line along approximately 40 degrees 35 minutes north, as decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in Missouri v. Iowa (1849) after a standoff between Missouri and Iowa known as the Honey War . Iowa is the only state whose east and west borders are formed almost entirely by rivers. Carter Lake, Iowa ,

990-574: Is categorized as the Central forest-grasslands transition ecoregion. The Northern, drier part of Iowa is categorized as part of the Central tall grasslands . There is a dearth of natural areas in Iowa; less than 1% of the tallgrass prairie that once covered most of Iowa remains intact; only about 5% of the state's prairie pothole wetlands remain, and most of the original forest has been lost. As of 2005 Iowa ranked 49th of U.S. states in public land holdings. Threatened or endangered animals in Iowa include

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1080-573: Is derived from the Iowa River , and ultimately from the ethnonym of the indigenous Ioway people . The Ioway are a Chiwere -speaking Siouan Nation , who were once part of the Ho-Chunk Confederation that inhabited the area now corresponding to several Midwest states. The Ioway were one of the many Native American nations whose territory comprised the future state of Iowa before the time of European colonization. When Indigenous peoples of

1170-587: Is notable for the Iowa Caucuses , an influential event in national politics, as well as its high levels of voter turnout and foundational leadership in civil rights including early adoption or support of black suffrage , women's rights , and same-sex marriage . Iowa's standard of living is ranked among the best states and it performs highly on metrics such as governance, education, infrastructure, and safety. Like many other states , Iowa takes its name from its predecessor, Iowa Territory , whose name in turn

1260-520: Is part of the Driftless Area , consisting of steep hills and valleys which appear as mountainous. Several natural lakes exist, most notably Spirit Lake , West Okoboji Lake , and East Okoboji Lake in northwest Iowa ( see Iowa Great Lakes ). To the east lies Clear Lake . Man-made lakes include Lake Odessa, Saylorville Lake , Lake Red Rock , Coralville Lake , Lake MacBride, and Rathbun Lake. Before European settlement, 4 to 6 million acres of

1350-439: Is sometimes confused with his initial expedition to the Red River in modern-day Texas and Oklahoma. The expedition to the Red River of the North was a separate, later appointment which completed a series of explorations conceived of by Lewis Cass and implemented by David Bates Douglass , Henry Schoolcraft , and others besides Major Long. The 1823 expedition was denoted primarily as a scientific reconnaissance (one of its members

1440-518: Is the only city in the state located west of the Missouri River. Iowa has 99 counties , but 100 county seats because Lee County has two. The state capital, Des Moines , is in Polk County . Iowa's bedrock geology generally decreases in age from east to west. In northwest Iowa, Cretaceous bedrock can be 74 million years old; in eastern Iowa Cambrian bedrock dates to c. 500 million years ago. The oldest radiometrically dated bedrock in

1530-631: The 1900 census , though Iowa now has a predominantly urban population. The Iowa Economic Development Authority, created in 2011 has replaced the Iowa Department of Economic Development and its annual reports are a source of economic information. Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east along with the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west. The northern boundary

1620-529: The American Steam Carriage Company . The business was dissolved in 1834 due to the difficulties in placing Long's locomotive designs into production. From June to November, 1836, Long led two parties of about 15 each to conduct a survey of a route inland from the shores of the Penobscot Bay at Belfast, Maine to Quebec for the proposed Belfast & Quebec Railroad which had been chartered by

1710-559: The District of Louisiana . The area was populated mostly with Chippewa ( Ojibwe ), fur trappers , and Métis , that was a mixture of French and Indian. After trying unsuccessfully to get a British land grant, because the land was under a monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk acquired controlling interest in the HBC and received 116,000 square miles of land in

1800-584: The French and Indian War , transferred ownership to their ally, Spain. Spain practiced very loose control over the Iowa region, granting trading licenses to French and British traders, who established trading posts along the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers . Iowa was part of a territory known as La Louisiane or Louisiana , and European traders were interested in lead and furs obtained by Indigenous people. The Sauk and Meskwaki effectively controlled trade on

1890-808: The Indiana Territory ) that surrendered much of Illinois to the U.S. enraged many Sauk and led to the 1832 Black Hawk War . The Sauk and Meskwaki were forced to sell some of their land in the Mississippi Valley to the U.S. in 1832 in the Black Hawk Purchase Treaty and sold their remaining land in Iowa in 1842, most of them moving to a reservation in Kansas. In 1837, some the Potawatomi from Illinois were resettled in Iowa, while many Meskwaki later returned to Iowa and settled near Tama, Iowa ;

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1980-577: The Late Archaic period , Native Americans in Iowa began utilizing domesticated plants. The subsequent Woodland period saw an increased reliance on agriculture and social complexity, with increased use of mounds, ceramics, and specialized subsistence. During the Late Prehistoric period (beginning about AD 900) increased use of maize and social changes led to social flourishing and nucleated settlements. The arrival of European trade goods and diseases in

2070-760: The Meskwaki Settlement remains to this day. In 1856 the Iowa Legislature passed an unprecedented act allowing the Meskwaki to purchase the land. However, in contrast to the unprecedented act of the Iowa Legislature, the United States Federal Government, through the use of Treaties, forced the Ho-Chunk from Iowa in 1848, and forced the Dakota from Iowa by 1858. Western Iowa around modern Council Bluffs

2160-576: The Michigan Territory . Subsequently, the region was successively a part of Iowa Territory , Wisconsin Territory , and finally Minnesota Territory . When Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858, and its western boundary was set at the Red River, the western part of the Pembina region again became unorganized territory. Organization of Dakota Territory on March 2, 1861 marked the final establishment of organized territorial government. The portion of

2250-427: The Mississippi River , averages 52 °F (11 °C). Snowfall is common, with Des Moines getting about 26 days of snowfall a year, and other places, such as Shenandoah getting about 11 days of snowfall in a year. Spring ushers in the beginning of the severe weather season. As of 2008, Iowa averaged about 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year. As of 2015, the 30-year annual average of tornadoes in Iowa

2340-524: The Selkirk Concession of 1811. The area of land within the grant became known as the Assiniboia Territory , and extended south to the watershed of the Red River near the 45th parallel north . The current community of Pembina was within the area. The Treaty of Paris (1783) did not clearly set northern United States/Canadian boundaries. According to the treaty the boundary line was to leave

2430-618: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . Upon the reorganization of the Army in 1816, he was appointed a Major on 16 April and assigned to the Southern Division under Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson as a topographical engineer. In 1817, Major Long headed a military excursion up the Mississippi River to the Falls of St. Anthony near the confluence with the Minnesota River . As a result of his recommendations,

2520-587: The U.S. Congress established the Territory of Iowa . President Martin Van Buren appointed Robert Lucas governor of the territory, which at the time had 22 counties and a population of 23,242. Almost immediately after achieving territorial status, a clamor arose for statehood. On December 28, 1846, Iowa became the 29th state in the Union when President James K. Polk signed Iowa's admission bill into law. Once admitted to

2610-629: The War of 1812 , and Fort Shelby in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin , also fell to the British. Black Hawk took part in the siege of Fort Madison. Another small military outpost was established along the Mississippi River in present-day Bellevue . This poorly situated stockade was similarly attacked by hundreds of Indigenous people in 1813, but was successfully defended and later abandoned until settlers returned to

2700-646: The Yellowstone Expedition (sometimes called the Atkinson-Long Expedition). This was planned to explore the upper Missouri, and Long spent the autumn designing the construction of an experimental steamboat for the venture, Western Engineer . Departing from St. Louis in June 1819, it was the first steamboat to travel up the Missouri River into the Louisiana Purchase, and the first steamboat to have

2790-584: The interior least tern , piping plover , Indiana bat , pallid sturgeon , the Iowa Pleistocene land snail , Higgins' eye pearly mussel , and the Topeka shiner . Endangered or threatened plants include western prairie fringed orchid , eastern prairie fringed orchid , Mead's milkweed , prairie bush clover , and northern wild monkshood . The explosion in the number of high-density livestock facilities in Iowa has led to increased rural water contamination and

Pembina Region - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-665: The 18th and early 19th centuries, Iowa was a part of French Louisiana and Spanish Louisiana ; its state flag is patterned after the flag of France . After the Louisiana Purchase , pioneers laid the foundation for an agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt . In the latter half of the 20th century, Iowa's agricultural economy began to transition to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing, financial services , information technology , biotechnology , and green energy production. Politically, Iowa

2970-663: The Americas first arrived in what is now Iowa more than 13,000 years ago, they were hunters and gatherers living in a Pleistocene glacial landscape. By the time European explorers and traders visited Iowa, Native Americans were largely settled farmers with complex economic, social, and political systems. This transformation happened gradually. During the Archaic period (10,500 to 2,800 years ago), Native Americans adapted to local environments and ecosystems, slowly becoming more sedentary as populations increased. More than 3,000 years ago, during

3060-672: The Army established Fort Snelling to guard against Native American incursions against settlers in the Upper Mississippi Valley . Long recorded his experiences of the expedition in a journal, which was first published as Voyage in a Six-oared Skiff to the Falls of St. Anthony , by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1860. In March 1819 he married Martha Hodgkiss of Philadelphia, the sister of Isabella Hodgkiss Norvell, wife of US Senator John Norvell . Soon afterwards he led

3150-610: The Army of the Potomac in Virginia and fought under Union General Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley . Many died and were buried at Andersonville. They marched on General Nathaniel Banks ' ill-starred expedition to the Red River. Twenty-seven Iowans have been awarded the Medal of Honor , the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government, which was first awarded in

3240-503: The Civil War. Iowa had several brigadier generals and four major generals— Grenville Mellen Dodge , Samuel R. Curtis , Francis J. Herron , and Frederick Steele —and saw many of its generals go on to state and national prominence following the war. Following the Civil War, Iowa's population continued to grow dramatically, from 674,913 people in 1860 to 1,624,615 in 1880. The American Civil War briefly brought higher profits. In 1917,

3330-470: The Depression. The crisis spurred a major, decade-long population decline. After bottoming out in the 1980s, Iowa's economy began to reduce its dependence on agriculture. By the early 21st century, it was characterized by a mix of manufacturing, biotechnology, finance and insurance services, and government services. The population of Iowa has increased at a slower rate than the U.S. as a whole since at least

3420-510: The Indochina War. An exception was required for this resettlement as State Dept policy at the time forbid resettlement of large groups of refugees in concentrated communities; an exception was ultimately granted and 1200 Tai Dam were resettled in Iowa. Since then Iowa has accepted thousands of refugees from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Bhutan, and Burma. The farm crisis of the 1980s caused a major recession in Iowa, causing poverty not seen since

3510-459: The Louisiana Purchase into two parts—the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana, with present-day Iowa falling in the latter. The Indiana Territory , created in 1800, exercised jurisdiction over this portion of the District; William Henry Harrison was its first governor. Much of Iowa was mapped by Zebulon Pike in 1805, but it was not until the construction of Fort Madison in 1808 that

3600-531: The Marine Hospitals that Long oversaw, the hospital at Louisville, Kentucky, remains today. Iowa This is an accepted version of this page Iowa ( / ˈ aɪ . ə w ə / EYE -ə-wə ) is a state in the upper Midwestern region of the United States . It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to

3690-464: The Mississippi in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Among the early traders on the Mississippi were Julien Dubuque , Robert de la Salle , and Paul Marin . Along the Missouri River at least five French and English trading houses were built before 1808. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte took control of Louisiana from Spain in a treaty . After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase , Congress divided

Pembina Region - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-687: The Northwesternmost point of the Lake of the Woods (the current boundary) "on a due West Course to the river Mississippi " which is much farther south. Jay Treaty (1796) boundaries issues were still unresolved in 1801. The Treaty of Ghent (1814-1815). The Rush–Bagot Treaty (April 16, 1818) was a treaty of disarmament and peaceful negotiations creating a demilitarized boundary. The following Treaty of Washington (1871) set up peaceful international arbitration. Indian treaties further open land to expansion and this

3870-524: The Pembina District became part of the Michigan Territory, and was subsequently assigned to Wisconsin and Iowa Territories. For a brief period after the admission of the States of Iowa (December 28, 1846) and Wisconsin (May 29, 1848), some or all of the region reverted to unorganized status. Establishment of Minnesota Territory on March 3, 1849 was followed by organization of Pembina County , encompassing

3960-476: The Protohistoric period led to dramatic population shifts and economic and social upheaval, with the arrival of new tribes and early European explorers and traders. There were numerous native American tribes living in Iowa at the time of early European exploration. Tribes which were probably descendants of the prehistoric Oneota include the Dakota , Ho-Chunk , Ioway , and Otoe . Tribes which arrived in Iowa in

4050-453: The Red River. They missed it, ran into hostile Native Americans and had to eventually eat their own horses to survive before they finally met the other part of the expedition at Fort Smith (now a city on the western border of the state of Arkansas). In his report of the 1820 expedition, Long wrote that the Plains from Nebraska to Oklahoma were "unfit for cultivation and of course uninhabitable by

4140-570: The Spring of 1850 Long requested $ 10,250 in order to begin construction at Napoleon but it wasn't until August that construction finally started thanks to flooding which hampered building the foundation and cellar. Delays continued to dog the construction and by the Spring of 1851 the supervisor wrote Long suggesting suspension of the work as contracts were expiring due to delays and sickness had been rampant thanks to Spring floods. Work resumed in October 1851 and

4230-421: The State of Maine on March 6, 1836. In his report to Governor Robert P. Dunlap of Maine, Col. Long recommended a route into Quebec of 227 miles from "Belfast to the Forks of the Kennebec, and by a line of levels thence to the Canadian line." However a then provision in the Maine Constitution which prohibited public loans for purposes such as building railroads as well as the financial panic of 1837 intervened to kill

4320-399: The U.S. established tenuous military control over the region. Fort Madison was built to control trade and establish U.S. dominance over the Upper Mississippi, but it was poorly designed and disliked by the Sauk and Meskwaki, many of whom allied with the British, who had not abandoned claims to the territory. Fort Madison was defeated by British-supported Indigenous people in 1813 during

4410-403: The Union, the state's boundary issues resolved, and most of its land purchased from Natives, Iowa set its direction to development and organized campaigns for settlers and investors, boasting the young frontier state's rich farmlands, fine citizens, free and open society, and good government. Iowa has a long tradition of state and county fairs. The first and second Iowa State Fairs were held in

4500-435: The United States borderlands with Canada, exploring the Upper Mississippi Valley, the Minnesota River , the Red River of the North and across the southern part of Canada. During this time he determined the northern boundary at the 49th parallel at Pembina. In that same year, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society . Following his official military expeditions, Major Long spent several years on detached duty as

4590-455: The United States entered World War I and farmers as well as all Iowans experienced a wartime economy. For farmers, the change was significant. Since the beginning of the war in 1914, Iowa farmers had experienced economic prosperity, which lasted until the end of the war. In the economic sector, Iowa also has undergone considerable change. Beginning with the first industries developed in the 1830s, which were mainly for processing materials grown in

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4680-478: The architect of the Washington Monument. Long was commissioned to build the Marine Hospital at Napoleon, Arkansas in 1849. Napoleon, Arkansas was situated at the southern mouth of the Arkansas River. After a completing a survey Long had objections to building at Napoleon because of the tendency for flooding and likelihood that the town would face destruction in the future thanks to the unwieldy Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers. He had petitioned for Helena, Arkansas to be

4770-412: The area in the mid-1830s. After the war, the U.S. re-established control of the region through the construction of Fort Armstrong , Fort Snelling in Minnesota , and Fort Atkinson in Nebraska . The United States encouraged settlement of the east side of the Mississippi and removal of Indians to the west. A disputed 1804 treaty between Quashquame and William Henry Harrison (then governor of

4860-550: The area, Iowa has experienced a gradual increase in the number of business and manufacturing operations. The transition from an agricultural economy to a mixed economy happened slowly. The Great Depression and World War II accelerated the shift away from smallholder farming to larger farms, and began a trend of urbanization. The period after World War II witnessed a particular increase in manufacturing operations. In 1975, Governor Robert D. Ray petitioned President Ford to allow Iowa to accept and resettle Tai Dam refugees fleeing

4950-427: The armed forces, over one-sixth of whom were killed before the Confederates surrendered at Appomattox . Most fought in the great campaigns in the Mississippi Valley and in the South . Iowa troops fought at Wilson's Creek in Missouri , Pea Ridge in Arkansas , Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and Rossville Gap as well as Vicksburg, Iuka, and Corinth. They served with

5040-437: The boundary of British North America . Several attempts at formal recognition and naming failed to pass Congress. In 1849 Father Georges-Antoine Belcourt described the area, referred to as Pembina district or department, as a country about 400 miles from north to south and more than five hundred miles from east to west. The region was considered unorganized territory from 1818 until June 28, 1834, when Congress assigned it to

5130-404: The capital at Bismarck , and Dakota (present-day South Dakota) with Yankton as the capital. A final solution was found on November 2, 1889, when both North and South Dakota became separate states. 48°20′N 97°50′W  /  48.333°N 97.833°W  / 48.333; -97.833 Stephen Harriman Long Stephen Harriman Long (December 30, 1784 – September 4, 1864)

5220-421: The construction followed almost exactly. In 1838 he was appointed to a position in the newly separated U.S. Corps of Topographical Engineers. Like most of their officers Major Long remained loyal to the Federal government during the Civil War, and he became Colonel of the Corps in 1861 until its merger back into the U.S. Corps of Engineers in 1863. He died in Alton, Illinois in 1864. Like most engineers, Long

5310-437: The expense of more rural counties. Iowa, in common with other Midwestern states (especially Kansas , Nebraska , North Dakota , and South Dakota ), is feeling the brunt of rural flight , although Iowa has been gaining population since approximately 1990. Some smaller communities, such as Denison and Storm Lake , have mitigated this population loss through gains in immigrant laborers. Another demographic problem for Iowa

5400-425: The fairgrounds were being used as an army supply depot; and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States . Iowa supported the Union during the Civil War , voting heavily for Abraham Lincoln , though there was an antiwar " Copperhead " movement in the state, caused partially by a drop in crop prices caused by the war. There were no battles in the state, although the Battle of Athens , Missouri, 1861,

5490-423: The first scientific exploration up the Platte , which planned to study the geography and natural resources of the area. His party of 19 men included landscape painter Samuel Seymour, naturalist painter Titian Peale , zoologist Thomas Say and Edwin James , a physician knowledgeable in both geology and botany. James led the first recorded ascent of Pikes Peak during this expedition. On June 6, 1820, they traveled up

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5580-476: The fur trade in Northern Minnesota and Dakota, and fostered the development of the Red River Trails and a colorful chapter of ox cart trade between the Red River Colony and Fort Garry via Pembina and the newly developing towns of Mendota and St. Paul . In 1837 Congress authorized the building of seven Marine Hospitals. Long was commissioned to build the first hospital for the Treasury Department at Louisville, Kentucky. Long had been commissioned to build

5670-422: The historic Pembina region not incorporated into the State of Minnesota was apportioned to the States of North and South Dakota on their admission to the Union of November 2, 1889. Several events shaped the area of the Pembina Region within the United States. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) included almost all of current South Dakota, the southern half and some of the north-central part of Minnesota, that became

5760-446: The historic Pembina settlement. Pembina was represented by Joe Rolette in the Minnesota Territorial legislature. Rolette is renowned for subverting passage of a bill proposing to divide Minnesota Territory along an east-west line, which would have moved the State capital to St. Peter , and left Pembina once again in unorganized territory. When Minnesota became a state in 1858 the area became unorganized again. A provisional government

5850-420: The hospital along with his other duties but construction would be delayed until the Mexican War was over. It wasn't until the end of 1845 that work finally began. During the completion of the Louisville Marine Hospital, Long would also start work on building similar Marine Hospitals in Paducah, Kentucky; Natchez, Louisiana and Napoleon, Arkansas. These Marine Hospitals were based upon plans provided by Robert Mills,

5940-437: The late prehistoric or protohistoric periods include the Illiniwek , Meskwaki , Omaha , and Sauk . The first known European explorers to document Iowa were Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet who traveled the Mississippi River in 1673 documenting several Indigenous villages on the Iowa side. The area of Iowa was claimed for France and remained a French territory until 1763. The French, before their impending defeat in

6030-403: The longest stretch since the 1950s. 96% of areas are affected by drought. Iowa has a humid continental climate throughout the state ( Köppen climate classification Dfa ) with extremes of both heat and cold. The average annual temperature at Des Moines is 50 °F (10 °C); for some locations in the north, such as Mason City, the figure is about 45 °F (7 °C), while Keokuk , on

6120-481: The more developed eastern part of the state at Fairfield . The first fair was held October 25–27, 1854, at a cost of around $ 323. Thereafter, the fair moved to locations closer to the center of the state and in 1886 found a permanent home in Des Moines. The State Fair has been held annually since then, except for a few exceptions: 1898 due to the Spanish–American War and the World's Fair being held in nearby Omaha, Nebraska ; from 1942 to 1945, due to World War II , as

6210-509: The nation's breadbasket. There were two key results of this expedition—a very accurate description of Native American customs and life as they existed among the Omaha, Otoes, and Pawnees and his description of the land west of the Missouri River as a "desert". Major Long's 1823 expedition up the Minnesota River (then known as St. Peter's River), to the headwaters of the Red River of the North , down that river to Pembina and Fort Garry , and thence by canoe across British Canada to Lake Huron

6300-441: The north bank of the Platte and met Pawnee and Otoe people. On October 14, 1820, 400 Omaha assembled at a meeting with Long, where Chief Big Elk made the following speech: Long wrote that the Pawnee people were "respectable." After finding and naming Longs Peak and the Rocky Mountains , they journeyed up the South Platte River to the Arkansas River watershed. The expedition was then split, and Long led his group towards

6390-405: The northeast, Illinois to the east and southeast, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest, and Minnesota to the north. Iowa is the 26th largest in total area and the 31st most populous of the 50 U.S. states , with a population of 3.19 million. The state's capital , most populous city , and largest metropolitan area fully located within the state

6480-402: The northwest of the state receiving less than 28 inches (71 cm). The pattern of precipitation across Iowa is seasonal with more rain falling in the summer months. Virtually statewide, the driest month is January or February, and the wettest month is June owing to frequent showers and thunderstorms some of which produce hail, damaging winds or tornadoes. In Des Moines, roughly in the center of

6570-571: The project. Colonel Long received a leave of absence to work on the newly incorporated Western & Atlantic Railroad in Georgia . His yearly salary was established at $ 5,000, the contract was signed May 12, 1837, and he served as the chief engineer for the W&;A until November 3, 1840. He arrived in north Georgia in late May and his surveying began in July and by November he had submitted an initial report which

6660-505: The scientific contingent of the 1819 Yellowstone Expedition to explore the Missouri River. In 1820 he was appointed to lead an alternative expedition through the American West , exploring areas acquired in the Louisiana Purchase . The specific purpose of the voyage was to find the sources of the Platte , Arkansas , and Red rivers. Later, in 1823 he led additional military expeditions into

6750-400: The slow pace continued over the next three years. By August 1854 the hospital was finally finished but apparently the hospital did not accept its first patients until 1855. The city of Napoleon would be burned in 1862 by General Sherman, but the hospital survived. Federal Forces did not use the hospital for its intended purpose, instead patients were sent elsewhere. While the hospital did survive

6840-470: The state is the 2.9 billion year old Otter Creek Layered Mafic Complex. Precambrian rock is exposed only in the northwest of the state. Iowa can be divided into eight landforms based on glaciation , soils , topography , and river drainage. Loess hills lie along the western border of the state, some of which are several hundred feet thick. Northeast Iowa along the Upper Mississippi River

6930-532: The state was covered with wetlands, about 95% of these wetlands have been drained. Iowa's natural vegetation is tallgrass prairie and savanna in upland areas, with dense forest and wetlands in flood plains and protected river valleys, and pothole wetlands in northern prairie areas. Most of Iowa is used for agriculture; crops cover 60% of the state, grasslands (mostly pasture and hay with some prairie and wetland) cover 30%, and forests cover 7%; urban areas and water cover another 1% each. The southern part of Iowa

7020-583: The state, over two-thirds of the 34.72 inches (88.2 cm) of rain falls from April through September, and about half the average annual precipitation falls from May through August peaking in June. Iowa's population is more urban than rural, with 61 percent living in urban areas in 2000, a trend that began in the early 20th century. Urban counties in Iowa grew 8.5% from 2000 to 2008, while rural counties declined by 4.2%. The shift from rural to urban has caused population increases in more urbanized counties such as Dallas , Johnson , Linn , Polk , and Scott , at

7110-736: The support of the Committee on Territories, for the creation of the West and East River Territories. In 1868, after the discovery of gold in the Black Hills (1876), there was a proposal to separate the western half into the "Territory of Lincoln" and the eastern half as the Dakota Territory. In February 1872 the Senate Committee on Territories reviewed a bill to create the Pembina Territory with

7200-429: The war it wouldn't last long. Long's observations and objections had been accurate. By March 11, 1868, the river had eroded the land to 52 feet from the hospital's doors. Less than a month later, and nearly four years after Long's death, a corner of the hospital fell into the Mississippi River. The entire town of Napoleon was swallowed twenty-eight years after Long first objected to building the hospital at Napoleon. Of

7290-558: Was 47. In 2008 , twelve people were killed by tornadoes in Iowa, making it the deadliest year since 1968 and also the second most tornadoes in a year with 105, matching the total from 2001. Iowa summers are known for heat and humidity, with daytime temperatures sometimes near 90 °F (32 °C) and occasionally exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). Average winters in the state have been known to drop well below freezing, even dropping below −18 °F (−28 °C). As of 2018, Iowa's all-time hottest temperature of 118 °F (48 °C)

7380-475: Was an American army civil engineer, explorer, and inventor. As an inventor, he is noted for his developments in the design of steam locomotives. He was also one of the most prolific explorers of the early 1800s, although his career as an explorer was relatively short-lived. He covered over 26,000 miles in five expeditions, including a scientific expedition in the Great Plains area, which he famously confirmed as

7470-407: Was college-trained, interested in searching for order in the natural world, and willing to work with the modern technology of the time. Topographical engineers had basically two unique points of view that set them apart from the other pioneers — geographical and technological. In 1818 he was appointed to organize a scientific contingent to accompany soldiers of Col. Henry Atkinson 's command on

7560-590: Was fought just across the Des Moines River from Croton, Iowa , and shots from the battle landed in Iowa. Iowa sent large supplies of food to the armies and the eastern cities. Much of Iowa's support for the Union can be attributed to Samuel J. Kirkwood , its first wartime governor. Of a total population of 675,000, about 116,000 men were subjected to military duty. Iowa contributed proportionately more soldiers to Civil War military service than did any other state, north or south, sending more than 75,000 volunteers to

7650-517: Was geologist William H. Keating ) and an evaluation of trade possibilities, but probably had undisclosed military objectives as well, and certainly was viewed with suspicion by British authorities in Canada. This expedition for a time was joined by the Italian adventurer Giacomo Beltrami , who argued with Long and left the expedition near Fort Garry. The 1823 expedition encouraged American traders to push into

7740-456: Was out of the question. Given the technology of the 1820s, Long was right. There was little timber for houses or fuel, minimal surface water, sandy soil, hard winters, vast herds of bison , resident Native Americans, and no easy means of communication. However, it is ironic that the Native tribes had been living there for centuries and that, by the end of the 19th century, the "Great Desert" had become

7830-457: Was recorded at Keokuk on July 20, 1934, during a nationwide heat wave; as of 2014, the all-time lowest temperature of −47 °F (−44 °C) was recorded in Washta on January 12, 1912. Iowa has had a relatively smooth gradient of varying precipitation across the state; from 1961 to 1990, areas in the southeast of the state received an average of over 38 inches (97 cm) of rain annually, and

7920-401: Was set up that lobbied for territory status. The main reason to organize the area was to induce settlement with a more localized government. After the Dakota Territory was organized there was still a move for more local territorial control because of the distance to the territorial capital. Factions were attempting this in different areas of the territory. South Dakota introduced legislation, with

8010-403: Was the beginning of the seeking of territorial status. The Treaty of 1818 (October 20, 1818) was a land swap, exchanging British possessions south of the new 49th parallel boundary for US possessions that extended north of the border. After a border survey in 1823, the Hudson's Bay Company could not continue to assume that Pembina stood on British soil and moved into southern Canada. In 1834,

8100-517: Was used as an Indian Reservation for members of the Council of Three Fires . The first American settlers officially moved to Iowa in June 1833. Primarily, they were families from Ohio , Pennsylvania , New York , Indiana , Kentucky , and Virginia who settled along the western banks of the Mississippi River , founding the modern day cities of Dubuque and Bellevue near the site of Julien Dubuque's 1785–1810 lead mining operation. On July 4, 1838,

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