Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/437

 paper was printed the first year at the office of the Northern Vindicator, at Estherville in Emmet County.

The beauty of the lakes and groves of Dickinson County annually attracts thousands of tourists from a distance during the summer. Hotels, cottages, scores of boats of all classes and other accommodations have made Okoboji and Spirit Lake most delightful summer resorts. DUBUQUE COUNTY as originally established in 1834 embraced more than half of the future State of Iowa but was reduced to its present limits in 1837. It lies on the Mississippi River in the third tier south of the Minnesota line and embraces an area of six hundred one square miles. The county was named for Julien Dubuque, the first white man who made his home within the limits of Iowa. The first election was held in October, 1836, in which the citizens voted for delegate in Congress and members of the Territorial Legislature of Michigan. John King was the first county judge after Iowa Territory was created. Further particulars of the early settlements of the county have been given elsewhere. EMMET COUNTY, originally included in the limits of Fayette, was created by act of the Legislature in 1851 with its present boundaries and named for the Irish patriot Robert Emmet. Its northern boundary is the Minnesota line, it is the fourth county from the western limits of the State and contains twelve townships embracing an area of four hundred four square miles. East and west branches of the Des Moines River flow southeasterly through the county and it contains several beautiful lakes. In 1856 George and William Granger, R. E. and A. H. Ridley, Henry and Adolphus Jenkins, Jesse Coverdale and D. W. Hoyt made claims in the vicinity of a beautiful grove where Estherville stands. A strong stockade was built near the river in 1857 to protect the settlers from the