[Image: Cropped map of 1871–1914 Europe; Text: Irish-Danish-German Heritage]

(Europe, 1871–1914)

Iowa

Irish–Danish–German Heritage

Iowa lies in the Midwestern United States. Its county seat is Des Moines.

Relevant families:

Relevant counties:

Des Moines, capital of Iowa
[Image: Des Moines through bridge]

Maps:

Map of United States highlighting Iowa
Full
[Image: Map of United States]
Labeled close-up of state and surrounding states
[Image: Cropped map of United States]
Profile of Iowa
CapitalDes Moines
 Source: State Capitals of the Fifty States, About Education, About.com, http://geography.about.com/od/lists/a/statecapitals.htm.
Admission to the Union28 December 1846 (29th admitted state)
 Source: States and Their Admission to the Union, About Education, About.com, http://americanhistory.about.com/od/states/a/state_admission.htm.
NicknameThe Hawkeye State
 Source: State Symbols, Travel Iowa, http://www.traveliowa.com/aspx/general/dynamicpage.aspx?id=37.
MottoOur liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.
 Source: State Symbols, Travel Iowa, http://www.traveliowa.com/aspx/general/dynamicpage.aspx?id=37.
Population2010 U.S. Census: 3,046,355 (30th most populous state)
 Source: Resident Population Data (Text Version) – 2010 Census, United States Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php.
Map of United States at Iowa admission on 28 December 1846 (29 states)
[Image: Map of United States]

Iowa. The name is that of a tribe of Indians who inhabited this region when it was first visited by the whites. The word means “sleepy ones” or “drowsy ones.” These Indians called themselves Pa-hu-cha, which may be translated “as of the dusty nose.” By the Algonquin tribes they were called I-o-was, by other Indian tribes they were called Mas-cou-tin, and by the French they were called Prairie Nadoussis. Marquette called them Pa-hou-tet. Father Andre, a Jesuit priest, settled amongst them in 1675. The Iowa River was named from the Algonquin name of the Indian tribe and the State was named from the river.
State Capital, Des Moines. It is on the Des Moines River and was named from the river. The river name comes from the Indian word Mikonang, meaning “road.” The French spoke the word as if it was spelled Moingona, and then shortened it to Moin, and called the river “La riviere des Moines.”

Source: Excerpted from Anonymous 1908, 7; bold in the original.

Note: Marquette is French Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette (1637–1675), who worked in the Great Lakes area of New France in the future United States and Canada and, with Louis Jolliet (1645–1700), explored the Mississippi River (see “Jacques Marquette 1673,” Virtual Museum of New France).

Iowa … is situated within parallels 39° 30′ and 43° 30′; and longitude between 13° and 20° Washington. While there is quite an extreme between the heat of August and the cold of January, the climate is wonderfully well adapted to the raising of crops appertaining to the temperate zone, and to this must be attributed the marvelous development of the state.

Iowa takes its name from a tribe of Indians which formerly held possession of its territory. The name is usually interpreted to mean “The Beautiful Land.” Though various other significances have been given to the word, such as “This is the Place,” “The Drowsy or Sleepy Ones,” “The Tribe Beyond the River,” there is a basis for all of these but “The Beautiful Land” and “This Is the Place” appeals to present inhabitants as most appropriate.

Source: Excerpted from McCulla 1914, 9; ellipsis added.

Population of Iowa and the United States
Census dateIowaUnited States

Sources: United States Census Bureau data from:

2 August 17903,929,214
4 August 18005,308,483
6 August 18107,239,881
7 August 18209,638,453
1 June 183012,860,702
1 June 184043,11217,063,353
1 June 1850192,21423,191,876
1 June 1860674,91331,443,321
1 June 18701,194,02038,558,371
1 June 18801,624,61550,189,209
1 June 18901,912,29762,979,766
1 June 19002,231,85376,212,168
15 April 19102,224,77192,228,496
1 January 19202,404,021106,021,537
1 April 19302,470,939123,202,624
1 April 19402,538,268132,164,569
1 April 19502,621,073151,325,798
1 April 19602,757,537179,323,175
1 April 19702,824,376203,211,926
1 April 19802,913,808226,545,805
1 April 19902,776,755248,709,873
1 April 20002,926,324281,421,906
1 April 20103,046,355308,745,538
Map of counties of Iowa
[Image: Map of Iowa]

Source: Public-domain image by United States Census Bureau, Iowa County Selection Map, uploaded 16 March 2004, formerly at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/stout19.gif.

The following is a Victorian trade card for Arbuckle Bros. coffee of New York City:

Iowa trade card
[Image: Iowa map and industries (glucose factory and corn)]

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