The Iowa District was a region of north-central North America west of the Mississippi River claimed by the United States . From June 28, 1834, to July 4, 1838, it was part of the Michigan Territory and, later, the Wisconsin Territory . It included not only the area which became the state of Iowa , but parts of what would become Minnesota , North Dakota and South Dakota . In September 1834, at an extra session of the Sixth Legislative Assembly of Michigan, the Iowa District was divided into two counties . A border was drawn due west from the lower end of Rock Island in the Mississippi River. The territory north of this line (which started just south of the present-day Davenport ) was named Dubuque County, and all area to the south of the line was named Des Moines County.
18-558: The Wisconsin Territory was trimmed back on July 4, 1838, and the entirety of the Iowa District became the new Iowa Territory . This Iowa -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Michigan-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Minnesota -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This North Dakota –related article
36-637: A Treasurer and an Auditor. Territorial officers of Iowa Territory from 1838 to 1846. Legislative powers were vested in a Territory of Iowa Legislative Assembly , which like that of Wisconsin Territory was divided into an upper house called the "Council" (although some legislative histories refer to the Council as the Senate) of 13 members, and a House of Representatives of 26. 45°N 96°W / 45°N 96°W / 45; -96 Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota
54-481: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This South Dakota -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Wisconsin -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when
72-709: The Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory still exists. Fort Ripley is now the Minnesota National Guard 's Camp Ripley . The first school in the Territory was located at Fort Snelling, as was the first Post Office. The first justice of the peace in Minnesota was at Mendota , as was the first church, St. Peter's Catholic Church , which was built in 1840. The first territorial governor, Alexander Ramsey , requested that Congress approve funds for five military roads in
90-567: The Mississippi River . The territory north of this line (which started just south of the present-day Davenport ) was named Dubuque County, and all south of it was Des Moines County. When Michigan became a state in 1836 the area became the Iowa District of western Wisconsin Territory —the region west of the Mississippi River . The original boundaries of the territory, as established in 1838, included Minnesota and parts of
108-736: The Dakotas ) effectively became unorganized territory . The area was closed to white settlers until the 1830s, after the Black Hawk War ended. It was attached to the Michigan Territory on June 28, 1834. At an extra session of the Sixth Legislative Assembly of Michigan held in September, 1834, the Iowa District was divided into two counties by running a line due west from the lower end of Rock Island in
126-471: The Dakotas , covering about 194,000 square miles (500,000 km ) of land. Burlington was the provisional capital; Iowa City was designated as the official territorial capital in 1841. Fort Snelling was located on the western side of the Mississippi placing it within the Territory until statehood. When Iowa became a state on December 28, 1846, no provision was made for official organization of
144-702: The Territory: Mendota/Fort Snelling to the confluence of the Big Sioux River with the Missouri River ; Point Douglas to Fort Ripley; Fort Ripley Road/Swan River to Long Prairie Indian Agency; and Point Douglas to Superior. A budget was approved in 1850 for four of these roads, with the Point Douglas–Fort Ripley Military Road being the first. Additional funds were later appropriated for a survey of
162-889: The West Plains Trail, East Plains Trail, and Woods Trails. They connected Fort Garry and the Selkirk Settlement in British North America with Fort Snelling and the American Fur Trading Company at Mendota . Later, the Oxcarts became synonymous with St. Paul's Kellogg Street and the riverboat landing on the Mississippi River. Fort Ripley lay along the East Plains Trail. In 1850, 10 years after
180-562: The end of the Second Great Awakening (1790–1840), of the three churches with regular services in the Minnesota Territory, 1 was Methodist , 1 was Presbyterian , and 1 was Catholic . The Roman Catholic diocese of Saint Paul of Minnesota was established by Pope Pius IX on July 19, 1850, and consisted of the entirety of the Minnesota Territory. Because of this original territorial designation, to this day
198-458: The entirety of the present-day state of Minnesota and the majority portions of modern-day North and South Dakota east of the Missouri and White Earth Rivers. At the time of formation there were an estimated 5,000 settlers living in the Territory. There were no roads from adjoining Wisconsin or Iowa . The easiest access to the region was via waterway , of which the Mississippi River
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#1732779867304216-474: The remainder of the territory. Morgan L. Martin , the Wisconsin territorial delegate to congress, pushed through a bill to organize a territory of Minnesota which would encompass this land. While the bill passed in the house, it did not pass the senate. In the following session a bill by Stephen A. Douglas was introduced in the senate but also did not pass. The situation was resolved when Minnesota Territory
234-887: The route to the Big Sioux/Missouri, the Fort Ridgely and South Pass Wagon Road and the Wagon Road from Fort Ripley to Fort Abercrombie . Private trails were cut as well, the most well known of which was Dodd Road from 1853. It was named after its builder, Captain William B. Dodd, and significant portions of it still exist. When the region was still part of the Wisconsin Territory , the Red River Trails were further developed by Joe Rolette . There were three main trails, now identified as
252-682: The southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa . The remainder of the territory would have no organized territorial government until the Minnesota Territory was organized on March 3, 1849. Most of the area in the territory was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase and was a part of the Missouri Territory . When Missouri became a state in 1821, this area (along with
270-577: Was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and the western portion became unorganized territory and shortly after was reorganized as part of the Dakota Territory . The Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849, encompassing
288-558: Was founded in 1852. The Upper and Lower Sioux Agencies were created in 1853. All of these were also located adjacent to waterways. The primary territorial institutions were in the three main settlements. St. Paul was made the territorial capital , Minneapolis was selected as the site of the University of Minnesota , and Stillwater was chosen for the Territorial Prison . The military reservations were federal land, of which
306-547: Was organized on March 3, 1849, the day before the close of congress. In the 1840 United States census , 18 counties in the Iowa Territory reported the following population counts: The executive powers of the Territory were vested in a Governor, a Secretary (who in case of the death, removal, resignation, or absence from the Territory of the Governor had gubernatorial powers and would perform gubernatorial duties),
324-471: Was primary. The primary mode of transport was the riverboat . Minnesota Territory had three significant pioneer settlements: St. Paul , St. Anthony/ Minneapolis , and Stillwater , plus two military reservations: Fort Snelling and Fort Ripley . All of these were located on waterways. A reservation for the Winnebago people had been created at Long Prairie in 1848. The Chippewa Agency, at Crow Wing ,
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