Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/380

 in honor of George Bancroft, the historian. In January, 1853, it was attached to Boone County for election, revenue and judicial purposes. In 1855 by act of the General Assembly it was made a part of Kossuth and Bancroft County ceased to exist. The county was one vast level prairie through which the east fork of the Des Moines River flowed and its lands in early times were considered too wet for profitable cultivation but in later years the soil has been found to be exceedingly productive and has been converted into fine farms of increasing value. No county-seat was established during the brief period that Bancroft had an existence and no organization of a county government was perfected. BELKNAP COUNTY was created by act of the General Assembly in 1874, embracing townships seventy-four, seventy-five, seventy-six and seventy-seven in ranges thirty-eight, thirty-nine and forty in the eastern portion of Pottawattamie County. In compliance with the Constitution the proposition to establish this county was submitted to a vote of the electors residing in the county of Pottawattamie which it was proposed to divide and at this election was rejected so that Belknap County ceased to exist. The name was given in honor of General William W. Belknap, a distinguished Iowa officer in the Civil War and afterwards Secretary of War in the Cabinet of President U. S. Grant. BENTON COUNTY was created by act of the Legislature of Wisconsin Territory in 1837 and embraced at that time all of the territory between its northern and southern lines west to the Missouri River and was attached to Jackson County temporarily. It was named for Thomas H. Benton who was for thirty years United States Senator from Missouri. In November, 1840, Benton County was attached to Linn and in February, 1843, was reduced in size to its present limits, containing twenty