Van Buren County, Iowa
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Van Buren was created on December 7, 1836 from Des Moines County. The County was named for Martin Van Buren, the ninth president of the United States. The County Seat is Keosauqua.

Counties adjacent to Van Buren County are Jefferson County (north), Henry County (northeast), Lee County (east), Clark County, Missouri (southeast), Scotland County, Missouri (southwest), Davis County (west). Cities and Towns Include Birmingham, Bonaparte, Cantril, Farmington, Keosauqua, Milton, Mount Sterling, Stockport.

In the spring of 1837 the first court and county commissioners meeting was held at Farmington. On December 16, 1837, the Legislature of the Wisconsin territory passed an Act changing the county seat from Farmington to Rochester. This Act was vetoed by the territorial governor. At an election held in 1838, the city of Keosauqua edged out Bentonsport for the honor of being the county seat.

Another legislative Act approved on January 25, 1839, required the town to contribute at least $5000 in lots or materials for the erecting of a courthouse, if it wished to remain the county seat. On May 30, 1840, the county commissioners accepted a contract in the amount of $6500 from John Fairman and James Hall to build the courthouse. Sewall Kenny and Henry King were appointed as building agents. On January 7, 1841, the county commissioners rescinded the appointment of the building agents, transferring that responsibility to Edwin Manning, who finished the courthouse at a cost of $6712 in September of 1843.

The Van Buren County Courthouse is the oldest in Iowa and second oldest in the nation that has been in continuous use since its completion in 1843. It is of Greek Revival Style of architecture. Its massive support structure, framing material, and finish trims were taken from nearby trees. The brick was also of local production. At the time of its building, the courtroom on the second floor was the largest auditorium in Iowa unbroken by columns or pillars. Although the 10 foot square tower, which rose 16 feet above the comb of the building and the two walnut circular staircases have been gone for over 140 years, much that remains of the building is original. Major restoration of interior of the courthouse took place in 1981-83, with exterior renovations completed in 1997.

The first legal death penalty in Iowa, the only one in Van Buren County, was handed down in the courtroom in 1845, a case on a change of venue from Washington County. The subject was found guilty and hanged north of the courthouse in “Hangman’s Hollow” on April 4, 1846.

The walls of the courthouse display pictures of many of the attorneys and judges that practiced in the courtroom. Included in those is a picture of U.S. District Court Judge, Henry C. Caldwell, who was the last judge named by President Abraham Lincoln. Other buildings making up the courthouse complex include a Law Enforcement Center located directly north of the courthouse. It was completed in 1993 with an addition added in 1998, replacing an old jail that was built in 1856. The county office building, located directly south of the courthouse was built in 1896, replacing one that was built in 1855 and destroyed by fire in 1896. An annex addition was constructed to the east of the county office building in 1978-79. See also County History for more details.

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Extended History

From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

This county, which is one of the oldest, and, in many respects, among the most important in the state; is situated in the extreme southeast, being the second west from the Mississippi River, and bounded on the south by Missouri. It is twenty-four miles east and west by an average of about twenty north and south, and contains a superficial area of near four hundred and eighty square miles.

At an extra session of the sixth Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, on the 6th day of September, 1834, an act was passed organizing the country west of the Mississippi River, and creating the counties of Dubuque and Des Moines. The third act passed by the first Legislature of the Territory of Wisconsin, which met in November, 1836, at Belmont, was an act dividing Des Moines County into Lee, Van Buren, Des Moines, Henry, Louisa, and Muscatine; the limits of Van Buren at that time extending westward indefinitely.

The county was organized December 7, 1836, and the first court convening in the county was held at Farmington, April 10, 1837, by Hon. David Irwin, Judge of the Second Judicial District of the Territory of Wisconsin—W.W. Chapman, United States District Attorney, and H. G. Stewart, Clerk. James M. Wood was the only practicing attorney of record at this court. A grand jury was empanelled, composed of the following persons, to wit: Isham Keith, Alexander Keith, Samuel Clayton, Elijah Pusdom, Sr., John Whittaker, James Hill, Charles H. Price, James Smart, Abington Johnson, Jonas F. Denny, James Jordan, Obadiah Cook, William Judd, Thomas Summerlin, John Moffatt, A. V. Syhawk, J. G. McCutcheon, William Brattain, Sr., Abel Galland, Jacob Crow, Lewis Crow, Joseph A. Swazey, and John Patchett. Isham Keith was appointed foreman. No petit jury was empanelled at this term; indeed at that time there was not more than enough inhabitants in the county, whose boundaries extended to the Missouri River, to form grand and petit juries. Several persons were indicted by the grand jury, among whom was N. Doose, for exercising the office of constable in the county by authority of the State of Missouri. The next court was also held at the same place in April, 1868, the same judge presiding. At this court Charles Mason, afterwards judge of the District of Iowa, was appointed prosecuting attorney pro tem, for the county. The first petit jury in the county was empanelled at this term to try an indictment for house-breaking. The party was found guilty and fined fifteen dollars. At this time the Indians were more numerous in the county than the whites, but the latter soon took possession of and improved the beautiful and productive valley of the Des Moines, and the red man was obliged to retire to the west. About this time, or shortly after, commenced a controversy about the location of the permanent county seat, which is doubtless seriously felt in its effects to the present day. Van Buren is emphatically a county of many towns, and nearly all of them have been competitors for the county seat. We may mention Keosauqua, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Rochester, Columbus, Rockport, Bentonsport, Lexington, Farmington, and Utica. All these towns were once in Van Buren County, but some of them it would be difficult to find at the present time, especially those with the more pretentious and high-sounding metropolitan names. By an act of the First Territorial Legislature, approved January 25, 1839, Benjamin F. Chastain of Jefferson County, Michael H. Walker of Lee County, and Stephen Gearheart of Des Moines County, were appointed commissioners to locate the county seat. The same legislature had previously passed an act locating it at Rochester, but the Governor vetoed the bill. The bill appointing commissioners also provided for holding the first term of District Court, after its passage, at Keosauqua, bur forever after to be held at the place selected by the commissioners. The location was made at Keosauqua.

Several enactments of the first Territorial Legislature pertain to the early history of this county. By an act approved January 15, 1839, the Des Moines Mill Company was incorporated, in which William Duncan and his associates were authorized to construct a dam across the river at a certain point named. The bill stipulated that they should build a lock not less than 130 feet long and 35 feet wide, for the passage of steam, keel, flat-boats, rafts, and other water crafts. This was the beginning of Iowa legislation concerning a river which has certainly proved a prolific subject of legislation from that day to this. An act approved January 19, 1839, also incorporated The Plymouth Mill and Manufacturing Company, and authorized E. B. Kimball, H. King, Lewis R. Bissell, Martin A. Britton, and E. A. M. Swasey, and their associates, to construct a dam across the Des Moines River in the southwest quarter of section 26, township 68, range 8, with the same restrictions as those embraced in the other bill.

An act of the same legislature was approved January 23, 1839, establishing at different points some twelve seminaries of learning, three of which were in Van Buren County. One, styled The Farmington Academy, was to be at the town of Farmington. Henry Bateman, Martin A. Britton, John Crane, Stephen Miles, and their associates, were the corporators. Another institution, to be styled The Bentonsport Academy, was to be established in the town of North or South Bentonsport, as a majority of the citizens of the town might decide. The incorporators were S. Richards, G. W. Howe, H. P. Graves, H. Buckland, Bertrand Jones, Henry Smith, and their associates. South Bentonsport is now known as Vernon. Still another institution was located at Keosauqua, called The Keosauqua Academy. The incorporators were J. N. Lewis, C. H. Ober, John Carnes, John Fairman, S. W. Summers, James Hall, Wilson Stanley, and their associates. All these institutions were for the instruction of young persons of both sexes in science and literature.

The same legislature also authorized William Meek & Sons to construct a dam at Bonaparte; and Henry Eno, George W. Howe, and Seth Richards, one at Bentonsport, with the usual clause guarding the navigation of the river, by the construction of locks, etc.The first town in Iowa bearing the name of Iowa City was not that which is located in Johnson county, for on the 25th of January, 1839, certain commissioners were appointed to review, lay out, and establish a territorial road from Mt. Pleasant to Rome, in Henry County, from thence to Lockridge, thence to Smith's Crossing on Big Cedar, in Jefferson County, from thence to Iowa City, in Van Buren County.

In 1839 a conflict arose between the State of Missouri and the Territory of Iowa, relative to a strip of land lying along the border between Keosauqua and the present state line. Missouri claimed that the Des Moines Rapids, mentioned in her State Constitution as a point in her northern boundary, referred to the rapids in the Des Moines River at Keosauqua. Iowa claimed that the Des Moines Rapids in the Mississippi were the rapids meant. Both parties claimed jurisdiction over the disputed territory, and so intense was the feeling that a martial spirit began to develop itself; troops were organized, and history records no war more bloodless than the one which ensued, in which Van Buren County took a conspicuous part, some of her citizens acquiring great distinction as officers. After a manifestation of the most undoubted pluck and heroism on the part of Iowa troops, and the exhaustion of the supply of liquors on both sides, peace was declared, the enemy having concluded to yield her claim until the courts could decide the question. The tract was finally adjudged as belonging to Iowa, and thus ended the first war in which Iowa, and especially Van Buren County, acquired military laurels.

As showing the steady growth and progress of the county from the first settlement up to the present time, the following statistics will be read with interest; Its population in 1838 was 3,174; in 1840-6,166; in 1844-9,019; in 1846-9,870; in 1847-10,203; in 1849-11,577; in 1850-12,269; in 1851-13,000; in 1852-12,753; in 1854-13,843; in 1856-15,921; in 1859-15,879; in 1860-17,081; in 1863-15,862; in 1865-15,599; in 1867-16,298; in 1870-17,672.

In the Fall of 1849, the first steamboat ascended the river as far up as Keosauqua-the adventurous pioneer craft being the S. B. Science, Captain Clarke, Master. She brought goods for the Indian trading posts at Portland and other points above, with flour, meal, pork, and other necessary articles for the settlers. This was an occasion of much rejoicing. It is said the good boat brought a liberal supply of scertiappo (whisky) for both whites and Indians.

About this time, an affair of honor transpired between two of the settlers, A. W. Harland and one Bushnell. Russo King and M. Sigler were the seconds. Pistols were the weapons chosen, and it may be whisky was substituted for coffee. Fortunately no shooting occurred, their friends induced them to settle the difficulty by the less dangerous method now practiced by the ring. Harlan came off victor, and thus ended the first, and, so far as the historian can learn, the last appeal to the code of honor in Van Buren County.

The northwest corner of the county, near the old town of Iowaville, may be called historic ground, as it was here that the Sacs and Foxes fought a memorable battle with the Iowas, and there for a time Keokuk and his warriors had their home, while just over the line in Davis County the renowned and warlike Black Hawk, after his glory had departed, passed in retirement, being surrounded only by his family, the closing days of his life, and was there buried in the Fall of 1838.

KEOSAUQUA. - This is the county seat of Van Buren County, and is situated on the north bank of the Des Moines River, at the lower extremity of a peninsula, on what is known as the Great Bend, which, in the Indian language, the term Keosauqua (or Keoshauqua) is said to mean. It is the opinion of some, however, that this was the Indian name of the river before it received its French christening of Des Moines. The town is four miles south of Summit Station, on the Keokuk & Des Moines Railroad, and within about seven miles of the Missouri line. The first white man who settled on the sport where this place now stands was one John Silvers, who, in 1835, made a claim and built a small cabin on the bank of the river about where the old Keosauqua Hotel now stands. About the same time several other persons settled in the vicinity-among them E. Pardom, Isaac W. McCarty, John Patchett, and John Tolman, with his Indian wife. Silvers sold his claim in the Fall of 1836 to Meschack Sigler for $300. Mrs. Sigler was the first white woman who made her home at this place. In 1837, a company styled the Van Buren Company purchased Sigler's claim. This company was composed of James Hall, James Manning, Edwin Manning, John J. Fairman, John Carnes, and Robert Taylor. Sigler subsequently became one of the company, and Taylor soon sold his interest to William Billups and Simon Druillard. In 1837 they laid out a portion of the town, and in the Spring of 1839 the whole town was surveyed and the plat recorded. The first house in the new town was built by the Van Buren Company in 1837, and was occupied by Carnes & Fairman with the first stock of goods opened in the town. Fairman was the first post master, the name of the office being Portoro. At the land sales in 1838 James Hall was authorized by the company to purchase in his own name the tract of land on which the town was located. In 1839 the first brick house was erected by Edward R. Tylee, and in 1838 T. Lane opened the first tailor shop. The first physician was Cyrus H. Ober, and the first lawyer Isaac N. Lewis. The first hotel was kept in a one-story log house by Elisha Puett, who was a hard case, and as civilization encroached upon him, went to Texas. The first blacksmith was David Smith. In April, 1839, R. King laid out what is known upon the record as Des Moines City, immediately below and adjoining Keosauqua, where a flouring mill was erected and a dam built across the river, and where now stands a stone flouring mill with two run of stones.The first white child born in Keosauqua was a daughter to William Billups, and the first marriage solemnized was that of Lewis Lapplant and Nancy Hill, on the 27th of January, 1838, by Benjamin F. Green, a justice of the peace. The first newspaper was commenced in the Summer of 1843 by Jesse M. Shepherd and John T. Mitchell. It was called the Iowa Democrat and Des Moines River Intelligencer.Keosauqua is pleasantly located, partly in the bottom, and partly on a handsomely rounded bluff, which overlooks the valley of the Des Moines, and is well laid out. It contains a number of good residences, several fine business houses which do a good retail trade, a commodious brick school house costing upwards of $15,000, several good churches, the leading religious denominations all having organizations, as have the secret societies of Masons and Odd Fellows.Such are some of the facts in regard to the early history and present condition of a town that once bid fair to become one of the most important places in the Des Moines Valley. The sanguine expectations of the founders of this once promising town have not been realized, which is partly due to the fact of its peculiar situation in the bend of the river, which places it some four miles from railroad connection, and partly to the class of property holders, who, at an early day, secured the most valuable lands in the town and vicinity, and who, being comfortably situated, have had no desire to enter in the enthusiastic whirl of business speculation which is characteristic of the leading men of the Northwestern States. Yet possessing natural advantages for manufacturing unsurpassed in Iowa-the water power being the best on the Des Moines River, with coal and wood in abundance, and exhaustless supply of excellent building stone and potter's clay in the immediate vicinity-the day is not far distant when this, one of the oldest, will take its place among the most important and wealthy manufacturing towns west of the Mississippi.
FARMINGTON. - This town is very pleasantly situated at the crossing of the Keokuk & Des Moines and Burlington & Southwestern Railroads, on the left bank of the Des Moines River, some two miles north of the north boundary line of the State of Missouri. It is surrounded by a rich farming country, and has a good retail trade. The Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, Christian, German Lutheran, German Methodist, and Catholic religious denominations have organizations and houses of worship. The public schools are also in a flourishing condition and well supported.
BIRMINGHAM. - This place is situated in the north part of the county, eleven miles from Keosauqua and eight from Fairfield, and is surrounded by a wealthy and finely improved farming district, fruiting orchards, well cultivated fields, and happy homes, indicative of wealth and comfort, being visible in all directions. The town is situated on a rolling prairie, with plenty of coal and timber convenient, and is supplied with pure water from wells usually twenty or thirty feet deep. The buildings are mostly wood and neatly painted, while an attractive feature is a delightful park, neatly enclosed and ornamented with forest trees, and provided with a stand and other conveniences for holding public meetings. There are three churches, viz; Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Presbyterian, all of which have commodious frame houses of worship. The town also has an enviable reputation for educational advantages, having two good public schools and a college in successful operation for the accommodation of both sexes. Birmingham may be set down as a lively village, and with a class of enterprising business men as her leading spirits, she will continue to prosper.
BENTONSPORT. - Is a station on the Keokuk & Des Moines Railroad, on the left bank of the Des Moines River, and is surrounded by a wealthy agricultural section, which is, however, hid from view by the hills in the immediate vicinity. The dam across the river affords a vast amount of water power, which is partially employed in running a large flouring mill and some other machinery. It has considerable trade, and is quite an important shipping point.There are four churches, viz; Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Universalist, all brick except the last, which is frame. Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges exist, both in flourishing condition. The town forms an independent school district, has a good two-story brick school house and well graded schools, which are in charge of a corps of competent and experienced teachers.The other villages and railroad stations in the county are Independent, Doud, Kilbourne, Summit, Bonaparte, Willets, Mt. Sterling, Cantril, Milton, Iowaville, Portland, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Vernon, Lebanon, Pierceville, and Winchester.

Vanburen County Courthouse

Rochester was selected as the first county seat in 1838, but the governor refused to approve the act. Subsequently, a committee chose Keosauqua as the county seat and the governor approved this choice. A two-story brick courthouse completed in 1843. It is still in use today and is the oldest courthouse in Iowa. The framework is made of oak, which was strengthened by installing truss rods through the building. The style of architecture is Greek Revival. The solid brick walls are 22 inches thick on the first flood and 18 inches thick on the second.

For many years, the courtroom on the second floor was hailed as the largest auditorium unbroken by columns or pillars in Iowa. The interior is decorated with framed pictures of judges, old maps, and other historical memorabilia. Native walnut woodwork also accents the inside.

Van Buren County, Iowa
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Van Buren County Courthouse

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Van Buren County Vital Records

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Van Buren County Census Records

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Van Buren County Maps & Atlases

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Van Buren County Military Records

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Van Buren County Tax Records

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Van Buren County Genealogical Addresses

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Van Buren County Church & Cemeteries

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Van Buren County, Iowa History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Van Buren County Courthouse

See Also Iowa Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Van Buren County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Iowa

Van Buren County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Iowa

Van Buren County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Van Buren County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Iowa

Van Buren County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Van Buren County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Iowa Genealogical Addresses

Van Buren County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Iowa

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Van Buren County, Iowa
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy