Iowa: Where Does the West Begin? By Zina Abbott

Ever since the founding of the United States of America, the land considered the West has steadily moved farther west. For the sake of “Western” novels, some say the West is anything west of the Mississippi River. Others say it is west of the Missouri River. The state of Iowa is smack-dab between those two rivers. In fact, the Missouri and Mississippi form its western and eastern borders.

 

 

Map of when Native American ceded their land to the United States

Iowa became part of the United States of America after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, but uncontested U.S. control over what is now Iowa occurred only after the War of 1812 and after a series of treaties eliminated Indian claims on the state. The tribes known to inhabit Iowa in 1804 were the Sauk (Sac) and Meskwaki (Fox) on the eastern edge of Iowa along the Mississippi; the Ioway along the bank of the Des Moines River; the Oto, Missouri, and Omaha along the Missouri River, and the Sioux in the Northern and Western parts of the State. Before white settlement could begin, agreements to remove these tribes from their land began. The early to mid-nineteenth century saw immigration into Iowa of the Potawatomi and Winnebago, followed by the emigration from Iowa of nearly all Native Americans.

Beginning in the 1830s Euro-American settlements appeared in the Iowa Territory. By 1850, there were over 190 thousand people living in Iowa. Nearly 90% of the population at this time was from America, with Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania contributing the most settlers. Although most immigration from other parts of the world would come later, in 1850 the immigrant groups based on size were as follows: those from Germany were the largest, followed by the Irish, then those from England, Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Czechoslovakia. Most settlement took place in the southern and eastern counties, often near rivers, and close to rail lines. The factors that prompted settlement in Iowa included  the completion of railroads to the Mississippi, the advertising of Iowa lands by railroad and steamship companies, the publication of favorable guides and articles, drought in the Ohio Valley, and a cholera epidemic in other states.

 First Iowa School House

Iowa was a state many immigrant groups passed through on their way farther west. In 1846-48, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fleeing persecution in Illinois crossed the Mississippi and strung their camps out across southern Iowa. Although it was officially a state, it was still largely unsettled country—the West. Some of my ancestors, primarily from England, were part of the wave of immigrants who had joined that church while in Europe and either rode the railroad to the westernmost terminals, or sailed up the Mississippi River in steamboats until they reached Iowa. From there, they crossed in covered wagons until they reached Council Bluffs on the Iowa side of the Missouri River and Florence on the Nebraska side of the river to continue their journey west. One of my family lines with the surname of England crossed Iowa in the Martin Handcart Company, but did not continue farther west with that same company after reaching Florence, Nebraska (Another story for another time).

Iowa became a state in 1846. The first state capitol was Iowa City on the Iowa River. Iowa City had been the third capitol of Iowa Territory and the first capitol of the new state. The cornerstone of the Old Capitol Building was placed on July 4, 1840. In 1842, it housed the Fifth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa and then became the first capitol building of the State of Iowa on December 28, 1846.

Iowa City 1854

The University of Iowa was founded on February 25, 1847, just 59 days after Iowa was admitted to the Union. The Constitution of the State of Iowa refers to a State University to be established in Iowa City "without branches at any other place." The original campus consisted of the Iowa Old Capitol Building and ten acres.

In 1855, the first classes of the State University of Iowa were held in the Iowa City Old Capitol Building. This university became the first public university in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis. (Is there any doubt in your mind why I chose to feature this university in a few of my books?) In addition, Iowa was the world's first university to accept creative work in theater, writing, music, and art on an equal basis with academic research.

When the capitol of Iowa was moved to Des Moines in 1857 because it was determined the city was more centrally located, the Old Capitol Building became the first permanent "home" of the University, it became a permanent part of the University of Iowa at Iowa City and is still there today. It can be seen on the 1868 Birdseye Map of Iowa City in the center of two other buildings that were part of the university at that time.

By 1860, almost the entire state was settled and farmed by Euro-Americans. Subsistence frontier farming was replaced by commodity farming after the construction of railroad networks in the 1850s and 1860s. 

The charge of the First Iowa Regiment, with General Lyon at its head at the Battle of Wilson's Creek

When it came to the American Civil War, Iowa contributed a disproportionately larger number of young men to fight as soldiers. For example, last year, I wrote several books about the Kansas frontier and Fort Ellsworth, which was established by a volunteer unit from Iowa led by Lieutenant Ellsworth. During my research for several books, I continually ran into military units comprised of Iowa Volunteers. Afterward their military obligations were complete—both for fighting the Civil War and the frontier wars with Native Americans that followed, these former soldiers returned to Iowa to help transform the state into an agricultural powerhouse.

1881 Railroad map for Iowa

Especially as the railroads were built across Iowa, this state supplied a great deal of food to the rest of the nation. This 1881 railroad map shows the number of east-west rail lines that crossed Iowa.

Iowa is part of the West. If nothing else, along with being a breadbasket for the East, this state should be considered one of the great gateways to the West.

 

My most recently published book, Figgy Pudding by Francine, includes several chapters set in Iowa City. My hero is a professor there at the university. Whether or not the university had an astronomy department, I don’t know. In my books, it did. To find the book description and link with purchase options, please CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Iowa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Iowa

file:///C:/Users/drech/Documents/Blogs-%20Planned%20&%20Posted/10%20Sweethearts%20of%20the%20West/21-11-30%20Iowa-Where%20Does%20the%20West%20Begin/iowa_history_timeline.pdf

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/History_of_Iowa_From_the_Earliest_Times_to_the_Beginning_of_the_Twentieth_Century/1/13

The Westbound Surge

I’ll be writing in another multi-author project next year which will be set in the 1880s. This is very “modern” for me and the research has been fascinating. Up until now, all my books have been either set in Regency era England (1805) or the American Midwest from 1855-1865. With the 1880s comes more technology, more developed towns and cities in the West, as well as opening up the possibility of setting some stories in Canada (where I’m from).

The rapid development of technology spurred the population growth of North America as well as the westward movement of people. The ability to more easily communicate made the expansion of business also possible. And “rapid” transportation meant you could travel all across the continent in less than ten days. In fact, in 1876, the Transcontinental Express from New York to San Francisco made the trip in 83 relaxing, comfortable hours. Imagine! Three and a half days! That really shrank the world for people of that time. Of course, the poor, penniless, mail order bride couldn’t afford that ticket, but even she could reach her new life in a week or less, depending on her destination. 

The consolidation and reorganization of the railroads in the late 19^th century lead to rapid industrial growth in many areas including the opening of hundreds of millions of acres of very good farm land ready for mechanization, lower costs for food and all goods, and a huge national sales market. Of course, all this growth and prosperity didn’t benefit everyone. While the average annual wage for an industrial worker rose by 48% between 1860 and 1890 (from $380 to $564), there was still abject poverty and inequality leading to contentious social issues. And the ability to travel broadened people’s knowledge and perspective, making them more involved in these various struggles and triumphs.

Railroads were the major growth industry, with the factory system, mining, and finance increasing in importance. Immigration from Europe, and the eastern states, led to the rapid growth of the West, based on farming, ranching, and mining. The rapid economic growth in America also fueled this influx of millions of European immigrants, especially due to the wage increases making the opportunities seem so very attractive to these new comers.

I’m thrilled with the research I’ve been able to do and am overwhelmed with story ideas for this exciting time period in history.

In the meantime, check out my Orphan Train series to learn a little bit about the early stages of these developments as three young women accompany a trainload of orphans to their new lives in the Midwest.

Book 1, Sophie’s story, starts the series off in its origins in New York City.

She’d happily give him her heart … if only it wouldn’t cost her the only home she’s known

Sophie Brooks thought she had everything she could want in life. Friends, loved ones at the orphanage where she was raised, a job that gives her purpose, and a chance to help children every day … what more could she need? But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger has her wondering if a life—and love—outside the orphanage might be exactly what she never knew she needed.

Renton Robert Rexford III has never wanted for anything. Until he meets Sophie. The charming, intelligent beauty draws him like no other.  But, thanks to a disapproving benefactor who threatens to pull the orphanage’s funding, his pursuit of her could cost Sophie everything she holds dear. She’s all he wants in the world, but how can he ask her to give up so much when all she’d get in return is his heart?

It’s not long before Sophie is forced to weigh her loyalty to the only home she’s ever known against the needs of her heart. Can love prevail—or is the cost simply too high?  

Available now on Amazon, Free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Eating Out in the 1850s

In my latest Sweet, Historical, Western Romance (A Bride for Alastair), my characters are returning to Boston after an extended stay in Missouri. They, of course, hadn’t left any food supplies in the house, except a few dried goods like tea, as they weren’t sure how long they’d be away. In those days, although the arrival of the rails had greatly sped up travel times, it still took at least a week to make the trip one way. But that doesn’t change the fact that you gotta eat.

Interestingly, the word restaurant, from a French word, only applied to eating establishments serving French cuisine. Most famous in the East is Delmonico’s in New York which opened in the 1830s. But aptly named “eating houses” also existed, besides saloons, as well as street vendors. The further West one travelled, the more people had to rely on eating “out” as fewer people had homes. By the time one got as far as San Francisco, nearly everyone ate in restaurants most of the time as so many were living in tents or hovels. This led to cooks coming from all over the world and created a diverse eating experience. The first three Chinese restaurants in the United States were opened in San Francisco in the 1850s.

Hotels served food, of course, to their patrons. In order to protect respectable woman from unwanted advances, a separate dining space in large hotels called a ladies’ ordinary was set aside for families or ladies travelling alone. At this time, women were not permitted to dine alone or unaccompanied by a male escort in restaurants and the public rooms of luxury, urban hotels. A ladies’ ordinary provided a socially acceptable venue where respectable women could dine alone or with other women.

I find this hard to believe as I don’t like them, but in the mid 19^th century, one of the most common dishes ordered at any eating establishment was oysters. From my research, it seems like all across the country they were very popular. I can’t imagine them being very good in the middle of the country, but I suppose near the coasts they would be fresh enough.

One thing I found fascinating, because “respectable” women didn’t usually eat in restaurants, a solution had to be found as the nation prospered - wealthy women could work up an appetite while out shopping. Thus the ice cream saloon came about. These decadent eateries allowed women to dine alone without putting their bodies or reputations at risk. The first ones served little more than ice cream, pastries, and oysters, but as women became more comfortable with eating out, these establishments expanded into opulent, full-service restaurants with sophisticated menus. Although ice cream saloons or parlors had an air of dainty domesticity, they also developed more sultry reputations. At the time, they were one of the few places where both men and women could go unchaperoned. As a result, they became popular destinations for dates and other illicit rendezvous.

The research I had done for my book centered around Boston, so I’ve found researching this article absolutely fascinating. I think some of these tidbits are going to have to turn up in future books <grin>.

Secrets divide them. Could love build a bridge to help them overcome their deceptions?

Jane was full of resentment and fear when the man she had married by proxy came to collect her. She resented the circumstances that required her to marry and was afraid of being tied to a stranger, especially a stranger she had to keep secrets from.

Alastair Fredericksburg, Fred to his friends, had arranged successful proxy marriages for a few of his friends but still had mixed feelings about marriage due to his sister’s unhappy union. He was understandably hesitant when his friends Ella and Carter McLain contacted him requesting that he arrange a marriage for their friend, Jane.

When a sudden inheritance that would solve many of his sister’s problems is dependent on his marriage, Fred can’t decide if it’s the Devil or Providence watching out for him. Since Carter had already sent Jane’s proxy, Fred quickly signs and registers their marriage. After making sure his sister was secure, Fred boarded the westbound train to claim his wife.

Jane was certain it was only the sweet wine they had been drinking that had caused her to agree to Ella’s rash suggestion. She had failed to tell Ella of the secrets that made her an ineligible match for Alastair Fredericksburg. Would she be able to keep her secrets from her new husband? And could they ever be happy while divided by deception?

Available from Amazon. Free with your KU subscription.

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FASCINATING HISTORY

Post by Doris McCraw
writing as Angela Raines

Photo property of the author

In 1879 the city of Colorado Springs was a growing place. According to the city directory as of August 20, 1879, the population was five to five thousand five hundred people living there. They added there was probably another thousand who were making a temporary home for 'health' or 'pleasure' purposes.

What fascinated me was the business. Again according to the city directory ... "at the end of July 31, 1879 lumber, grocery, flour, feed, grain, dry goods, boots and shoes, hardware, drugs, etc. etc. were sold to the amount of $2 million. In addition to this about $175,000 worth of wool was marketed here. El Paso County, of which Colorado Springs is the capital, now stands at the head of the wool-producing counties of the state. Probably 200,000 head of sheep are now pastured upon its luxuriant grasses. The wool clip from these past seasons aggregated over 800,000 pounds. Seventy-seven individuals and firms are engaged in wool growing in the county, most of them residing in, and all drawing their supplies from Colorado Springs. This is also the center of a large trade in horses and beef cattle. There are six liveries and three banks one of which is a national and two private banks also in the city."

Photo property of the author

As I've perused this early city directory I've found a lot of pieces of history to dig into. As stated above, wool and cattle were a side by side growing concern. Of the wool growers, two were women, Mrs. Sarah B. Reed, and Mrs. R. Gamble. Mrs. Gamble was also involved as a stock grower.

Out of twenty physicians in town, three were women a fourth was in the nearby town of Manitou Springs. All four women were married and doing well in their chosen field.

There were four stage lines, four printers, two plumbers/gas fitters, three sewing machine agents, and eight music teachers.

It is from these gems, along with historic newspapers, that characters and stories arise in my writing. Both fiction and non-fiction.

When I started my 'spicy' story "Duty" for the collection in "Hot Western Nights", I thought of these women who were working in what most think of as a man's job. Being surrounded by these pieces of history and military installations created my hero and heroine. It is a wonderful gift to have so much inspiration close at hand.

Below is a short excerpt from the story "Duty".

Riding toward the ranch house, as evening approached, Dan took in the corals, barn, and bunkhouse. Everything appeared in even better shape than it seemed when he looked it over before riding down. Like a small town with a road through the middle, with gates at each end. But it was quiet, too quiet. For a second time today Dan called out, as he closed the gate behind him, "Hello?"

He heard a door open at the side of the house. Turning that way, he saw someone step out. The sun broke through and Dan was greeted by a vision in a worn gingham dress. Her hair draped across her shoulders and down her back. Her stance showed no apparent fear.

She was tall, but not overly so. She stood quietly. So taken by her unexpected appearance, Dan failed to see the rifle barrel sticking out the window.

"Yes, may I help you?" came Miranda's rich voice as she spoke to Dan.

"Pardon ma'am, I was riding through and wondered if I might water my horse and pick up some supplies before moving on? I'll pay for the supplies if you have them to spare?" Dan asked as he shook the water from his hat.

Purchase from Amazon here

What inspires you? What kind of stories do you enjoy reading or writing? Are you like me and fascinated by those little tidbits of history?

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

Angela Raines Books

Angela Raines - Facebook

Angela's Mountain Angels - facebook group

The RV Life in the West

by Rain Trueax

All of my books are set in the American West. It's where I live and love and where I know. They have varied from historic to contemporary along with some paranormals (which are hard to put in a box as they are kind of contemporaries with some fantasy). One of the contemporaries is about the RV lifestyle.

Detainment of American Citizens in the West

Detainment of American Citizens In The West

 During World War II, between 1942-1946, Americans became suspicious of their neighbors, Japanese citizens of our country, because the citizenry believed the Japanese might have sympathies to their homeland of Japan, after the bombing attack on Pearl Harbor. Well, considering that Americans are a blend of just about every country on Earth, I found this piece of history particularly grievous. Unfortunately, this fear caused innocent people to suffer and to live in Internment Camps sprinkled across the western United States. This could be considered profiling at its worst.

By Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized local military commanders to designate "military areas" from which "any or all persons may be excluded." 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

This power was used to declare that all people of Japanese ancestry were excluded from the entire West Coast, including all of California and much of Oregon, Washington and Arizona, except for those in government camps. Approximately 5,000 "voluntarily" relocated and some 5,500 community leaders were arrested after Pearl Harbor and were already in custody. The majority of mainland Japanese Americans were "evacuated" from their West Coast homes over the spring of 1942. The United States Census Bureau assisted the internment efforts by providing confidential neighborhood information on Japanese Americans. The Bureau denied its role for decades, until 2007 when it was proven to be true. How frightening to learn that the Supreme Court of these United States. in 1944, upheld the constitutionality of the removal when Fred Korematsu's appeal for violating an exclusion order was struck down. The Court limited its decision to the validity of the exclusion orders, avoiding the issue of the incarceration of U.S. citizens. Doesn’t that make you wonder how our Constitution can be so loosely interpreted?

Fred Korematsu (later awarded the American Freedom Award by President Bill Clinton. Died in 2005)

Just to be clear, most of these Japanese Americans were second and third generation Japanese. Included in this scandalous act were Italian Americans and German Americans.

Major Karl Bendetsen and Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt, head of the Western Command, each questioned Japanese American loyalty. DeWitt, who administered the internment program, repeatedly told newspapers that "A Jap's a Jap" and testified to Congress, “I don't want any of them [persons of Japanese ancestry] here. They are a dangerous element. There is no way to determine their loyalty... It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen, he is still a Japanese. American citizenship does not necessarily determine loyalty... But we must worry about the Japanese all the time until he is wiped off the map.”  

General John L. DeWitt

March 27, 1942: General DeWitt's Proclamation No. 4 prohibited all those of Japanese ancestry from leaving "Military Area No. 1" for "any purpose until and to the extent that a future proclamation or order of this headquarters shall so permit or direct."

May 3, 1942: General DeWitt issued Civilian Exclusion Order No. 34, ordering all people of Japanese ancestry, whether citizens or non-citizens, who were still living in "Military Area No. 1" to report to assembly centers, where they would live until being moved to permanent "Relocation Centers."

Notice to Japanese Americans and Instructions for Relocation

These edicts included persons of part-Japanese ancestry as well. Anyone with at least one-sixteenth (equivalent to having one great-great grandparent) Japanese ancestry was eligible. Korean-Americans and Taiwanese, [citation needed] considered to have Japanese nationality (since Korea and Taiwan were both Japanese colonies), were also included.

Internment was popular among many white farmers who resented the Japanese American farmers. "White American farmers admitted that their self-interest required removal of the Japanese." These individuals saw internment as a convenient means of uprooting their Japanese American competitors.

Japanese-American Children pledging Allegiance 

Austin E. Anson, managing secretary of the Salinas Vegetable Grower-Shipper Association, told the Saturday Evening Post in 1942:"We're charged with wanting to get rid of the Japs for selfish reasons. We do. It's a question of whether the white man lives on the Pacific Coast or the brown men. They came into this valley to work, and they stayed to take over... If all the Japs were removed tomorrow, we'd never miss them in two weeks, because the white farmers can take over and produce everything the Jap grows. And we do not want them back when the war ends, either."

Heart Mountain Detainment Center in Wyoming

Can you imagine what kind of press these declarations and presumptions would make in today’s news? Fear and hatred can cause people to say and do the most horrendous things.

After the dust settled from World War II and people began to reconsider how the Japanese American were treated, the government made laws protecting American citizens.

Beginning in the 1960s, a younger generation of Japanese Americans who were inspired by the Civil Rights movement began what is known as the "Redress Movement," an effort to obtain an official apology and reparations from the federal government for interning their parents and grandparents during the war, focusing not on documented property losses but on the broader injustice of the internment. The movement's first success was in 1976, when President Gerald Ford proclaimed that the internment was "wrong," and a "national mistake" which "shall never again be repeated"

The campaign for redress was launched by Japanese Americans in 1978. The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) asked for three measures to be taken as redress: $25,000 to be awarded to each person who was detained, an apology from Congress acknowledging publicly that the U.S. government had been wrong, and the release of funds to set up an educational foundation for the children of Japanese American families.

President Jimmy Carter

In 1980, under mounting pressure from the Japanese American Citizens League and redress organizations, President Jimmy Carter opened an investigation to determine whether the need to put Japanese Americans into internment camps had been justified by the government. He appointed the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) to investigate the camps. The Commission's report, titled “Personal Justice Denied,” found little evidence of Japanese disloyalty at the time and recommended the government pay reparations to the survivors. On February 24, 1983, the commission issued a report entitled Personal Justice Denied, condemning the internment as unjust and motivated by racism and xenophobic ideas rather than real military necessity. The Commission recommended that $20,000 in reparations be paid to those Japanese Americans who had been victims of internment.

President Ronald Reagan signing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988

 U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which had been sponsored by Representative Norman Mineta and Senator Alan K. Simpson – the two had met while Mineta was interned at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. The Act provided redress of $20,000 for each surviving detainee, totaling $1.2 billion. The question of to whom reparations should be given, how much, and even whether monetary reparations were appropriate were subjects of sometimes contentious debate.

President George H. W. Bush 

On September 27, 1992, the Civil Liberties Act Amendments of 1992, appropriating an additional $400 million to ensure all remaining internees received their $20,000 redress payments, was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush, who also issued another formal apology from the U.S. government on December 7, 1991, on the very day of the 50th-Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack: "In remembering, it is important to come to grips with the past. No nation can fully understand itself or find its place in the world if it does not look with clear eyes at all the glories and disgraces of its past. We in the United States acknowledge such an injustice in our history. The internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry was a great injustice, and it will never be repeated."

Detainment at Heart Mountain, Wyoming at a Dance

Some Japanese and Japanese Americans who were relocated during World War II received compensation for property losses, according to a 1948 law. Congress appropriated $38 million to meet $131 million of claims from among 23,000 claimants. These payments were disbursed very slowly. The final disbursal occurred in 1965.  In 1988, following lobbying efforts by Japanese Americans, $20,000 per internee was paid out to individuals who had been interned or relocated, including those who chose to return to Japan. These payments were awarded to 82,210 Japanese Americans or their heirs at a cost of $1.6 billion; the program's final disbursement occurred in 1999.

Under the 2001 budget of the United States, it was also decreed that the ten sites on which the detainee camps were set up are to be preserved as historical landmarks: “places like Manzanar, Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, Topaz, Amache, Jerome, and Rohwer will forever stand as reminders that this nation failed in its most sacred duty to protect its citizens against prejudice, greed, and political expediency”.

On January 30, 2011, California first observed an annual "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution", the first such commemoration for an Asian American in the U.S. On June 14, 2011, Peruvian president Alan García apologized for his country's internment of Japanese immigrants during World War II, most of whom were transferred to the United States.

The United States is a relatively young country. We’re still working things out to allow all of our citizens to receive fair and equal treatment, in wartime and in peace. Although it is disturbing to learn that these terrible things were done and that we still don’t have a perfect government, I am hopeful that we can get our act together and find ways to allow everyone in this country the freedom and civil liberties they deserve.

Before I go, I wanted to lift the mood a touch and wish you all a very merry Christmas and a New Year filled with love, prosperity, and happiness!

Sarah McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery, Victory Tales Press, Prairie Rose Publications and Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press, imprints of Prairie Rose Publications. She welcomes you to her website at

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