Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/351



Joseph Smith, Jr., son of the founder of the Mormon Church.

When Iowa became a State, the era of railroad building had not begun. Inland transportation was largely by canals, lakes and rivers. In the absence of these, stage coaches carried passengers and freight was transported by wagons. Navigable rivers were the natural highways and a liberal policy was pursued by the general government in removing obstructions and otherwise improving these arteries of inland navigation. The people of Iowa believed that by a system of dams and locks the Des Moines, Iowa and Cedar rivers could be made navigable for many miles during a large portion of the year. With the two rivers of the continent navigable to the ocean making the east and west boundaries of the State, Iowa products could reach the markets of the world by continuous water navigation. The improvement of the largest inland river flowing into the Mississippi, it was believed, would extend navigation far into the interior of the new State. Congress had been persuaded in August, 1846, to make a grant of lands for the improvement of the navigation of the Des Moines River. The grant conveyed for this purpose every alternate section of public land on each side and within the limits of five miles from the river. This grant was to become the property of the State as soon as it was admitted and to be devoted to the improvement of the river from its mouth to the Raccoon Fork.

The lands thus granted, and accepted by the State upon the conditions imposed by Congress, were to be selected by agents to be appointed by the Governor, and could only be disposed of as work of improvement of the river progressed. Jesse Williams, J. H. Bonney and Robert Cock were the commissioners appointed to select the lands. The population of Iowa at this time was 102,388.

The first Legislature convened at Iowa City on the 30th of November, 1846. The Senate consisted of