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From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875
This, one of the oldest counties in Iowa, lies in the eastern part of the state, on the great bend of the Mississippi River; by the township survey, seventy-five miles from Missouri and one hundred and seventy-five from Minnesota. In shape it is nearly a parallelogram, with its southeast angle lying on the Mississippi River. The greatest length east and west on the north line is thirty miles, while the shortest is on the south – fifteen miles; the greatest breadth on the west line is eighteen miles, and nine on the east. It contains ten whole and three fractional townships, making an area of four hundred and thirty-two square miles, or 276,480 acres, which is subdivided into thirteen municipal townships.
At the close of the Black Hawk war in 1832, the Sac and Fox Indians ceded to the United States a strip of land along the Mississippi River, varying in width from forty to one hundred miles, and extending from Missouri on the south to the Sioux country on the north. In this tract there were several Indian villages, in which they were permitted to remain three years after the making of the treaty. One of these villages or lodges as they were called, was six miles down the Slough road from Muscatine, on the border of Keokuk Lake, and was the home of Keokuk and his band. There was another near Moscow, while Powesheik's village was situated on the west banks of the Cedar farther down. The noted Fox chief, Wapello, dwelt with his band, until 1836, at the place where the Town of Wapello, Louisa County, now stands, while Florence is noted as the home of the warlike Black Hawk, and the place from which he sounded the war-whoop, and rallied his countrymen to the last deadly conflict, in defense of their homes, their hunting grounds, and the graves of their fallen sires. Black Hawk afterwards lived at Wapello, where he was visited by Suel Foster, one of the oldest settlers of this county, who says of him that he was kind and dignified, and could talk both English and Indian. His wigwam was a rude affair, and constructed by setting posts in the ground, over which were lashed pole rafters, which were covered with large pieces of walnut bark. The cracks were stopped with moss and mud, which made it quite tight and comfortable for winter. The roof was as tight as a shingled roof, except a hole in the center for the smoke to pass out. There was no floor, the fire being made on the ground in the center of the cabin. At each side were bunks made of raw hide, which were used for seats in the day time and for beds at night. Black Hawk came out, was introduced, and talked for a few minutes, when he silently returned to his cabin and commenced smoking his pipe. Mr. Foster describes him as being a large, powerful, fine looking Indian, but seemed dejected and broken down, appearing extremely sour, morose, and unsocial, having been deposed, at the close of the war, by Keokuk, who was at that time head chief of the united tribes of Sacs and Foxes.
As there was considerable trade with these several lodges of Indians, and as it was more convenient for them to receive their heavy freight at what is now the Muscatine landing, Major George Davenport, whose principal trading post was on Rock Island, sent a Mr. Farnham, one of his agents, down from there in the Fall of 1833, who erected a small cabin on what is now Water Street, a little up the river from Iowa Avenue, and supplied it with a small stock of goods suitable for the Indian trade. He lived and carried on his trade here for some two years, when in the Fall of 1835, he died at Stephenson, now Rock Island, Illinois, and Major Davenport sold the trading house, including a claim of half a mile square, lying a quarter of a mile up and down the river from the cabin, to Colonel John Vanata. The first permanent white settlement made in the present limits of the county was made by Benjamin Nye, at the mouth of Pine Creek, in the Spring of 1834, which was really about one year after the Indians, by the terms of their treaty, had given possession of the territory. He laid off a town at that place which is some twelve miles above Muscatine, and called it Montpelier, which, however, never became a place of much note, and is now known only in history. In May of the following year, 1835, James W. Casey made a settlement and built a cabin a short distance below the trading house, and adjoining the claim of Colonel Davenport, near the foot of Broadway. He chose this spot because he knew it was an important consideration in selecting a town site on the Mississippi to find a place where there was a sufficient depth of water to admit of large boats landing at all seasons, and he had discovered, by sounding, that the deepest water and boldest shore were opposite the highest bluffs extending nearly down to the head of Muscatine Island. Thomas and Lewis Burditt came in a little later that same season and settled about four miles above Levi and Lot Thornton on the slough, while Doctor Eli Reynolds located up the river some three miles above, where he afterwards laid off a town to which he gave the name of Geneva. The next year Thomas M. Isett, Moses Couch, William St. John, Henry Reece, and a few others located at Bloomington, now Muscatine, William Chambers, Sr., with his four sons, Vincent, Anderson, William, Jr., and John Aaron Brewer, James H. Franklin, Henry Mockmore, and Robert Bamford located in the upper part of the county; Captain Samuel Holliday and Doctor Charles Drury, near Moscow; Arthur Washburn, at Montpelier; and Samuel and Hiram Gilbert and H. Burdett, near Muscatine.
In the early Spring of 1836, Colonel John Vanata brought on his family and laid out the central part of the town on the claim he had previously purchased of Colonel Davenport, and called it Bloomington. The surveying and platting was done in May by Major William Gordon. Captain Benjamin Clark had an undivided one-sixth interest in the town which he afterwards sold to Suel Foster. A few months afterwards J. W. Casey and others laid out a portion of the town lower down the river which they called Newberry. Charles H. Fish built a log cabin that same Summer on lots since occupied by Judge Woodward, and laid out an addition in the upper part of town, which was also half a mile square from the center of the Court House square east.
As these plats were all laid out on claims made some two or three years previous to the government surveys, some explanations of the manner of holding and conveying real estate is perhaps necessary. Previous to July 4, 1836, Iowa was included in Michigan Territory, but at that date the Territory of Wisconsin was formed, of which Iowa remained a part until the creation of a separate territorial government by act of Congress, approved June 12, 1838, and taking effect on the 4th day of the following July. In those early times the laws were but poorly understood and administered, in fact they were not well adapted to the condition of the early settler. In a measure to remedy these defects, a code of laws was invented to protect the rights of the claimant who had staked off, or in any other way marking the boundaries of a claim, which did not exceed certain limits. A clerk was appointed, who platted and recorded the claims, while a committee of arbitration was appointed to settle disputed rights. This court had the power, and sometimes used it, of dispossessing a trespasser by taking him and his family and goods out of the house, and forcibly moving them from the premises. These laws were cheap, simple, short and easy of administration, and it was a sorry undertaking for a settler to dispute their authority. Late in the Fall of 1837, the government surveyors run the township lines in this county, which were subdivided into sections and staked out the following summer. The original claimants, Vanata, Casey, Fish and others, in selling their town lots, sold only their rights under the claim law, to enter and obtain a perfect title by the payment of government prices, and the land office fees. The first public land sales in the territory took place in November, 1838, at Burlington. By the laws of Congress, counties had the privilege of taking a quarter section of land on which to locate the county seat. Muscatine County, by her commissioners, John Vanata, Aaron Asher and Ed. Thornton, selected the quarter on which the court house now stands, lying nearly in the center of the City of Muscatine. There were probably fifty buildings, and some two hundred people then living upon that part of the town plat included in the county quarter. The county commissioners decided to raise eighteen thousand dollars from the residents and lot owners, and accordingly made an equitable valuation of all lots in the quarter. For the other parts of the town, trustees were appointed to purchase the land at the land sales, who severally gave bonds in large amounts to deed the lots to the rightful owners, as should be determined by the claim committee or arbitration. The parties appointed were Charles A. Warfield for the east part, Samuel Foster for the fractional quarter south of the county quarter, and William St. John for all the balance in the north and west part of the town. The county commissioners gave a power of attorney to Adam Ogilvie to make deeds to the lots in that quarter, and to these parties must be traced the titles to all lots except those on the island in South Muscatine. This proved to be a very satisfactory arrangement, as but little difficulty occurred in adjusting the claims of all rightful owners. There was one lawsuit, however, grew out of it in the case of Suel Foster, who refused to deed to the city some unclaimed fractional lots lying between Water Street and the river, that according to the agreement by which Mr. Foster had been appointed a trustee to enter the tract, he was to have sold for the benefit of the city, but which he claimed to hold as compensation for extra time and trouble expended in completing the arrangements, holding that the citizens had no power to invalidate claims, and forfeit lots to the city. The case was decided against Mr. Foster, in the district court in 1847, and upon being carried up to the supreme court, that tribunal re-affirmed the decision in 1851.
A post-office was also established at Bloomington early in 1837, with –Stowell as postmaster, but absconding before his commission arrived, Edward E. Fay was appointed in his stead, and was therefore the first postmaster in the county. Adam Ogilvie opened a store in 1837, which was the first one opened by a permanent settler in the county.
On the 18th day of August, 1837, the steamer Dubuque, Capt. Smoker, exploded about seven miles below Bloomington, by which twenty-two lives, all deck passengers, were lost. The Dubuque was towed to Bloomington by the steamer Adventure, and seventeen of the dead were buried in one grave in the old cemetery, at the very spot, where the school house in District No. 1 now stands. The first hotel, the Iowa House, which had been partly constructed and opened late the preceding Fall by Robert C. Kinney, was completed early in the Spring of 1837. Among others who came into the county this year may be mentioned Adam Ogilvie, William Gordon, Pling Fay, Suel Foster, Giles Pettibone, Joseph Bridges, H. H. Hine, Myron Ward, Daniel and Isaac Mauch, George Bumgarder and J. Fish.
The early growth of the county, which had been from the first quite slow, became more rapid and substantial during 1838. In November of the last named year there were in the town of Bloomington, of all description, eighty-four houses, while good settlements had been made in other parts of the county. Of those who came in during 1838 there may be mentioned J. S. Parvin, Judge Williams, M. M. Berksheer, Samuel Lucas, Thomas Norford, D. R. and A. O. Warfield, and J. P. and J. W. Walton, who located at Bloomington or vicinity, and S. W. Stewart, at Moscow. In 1839, came John A. Parvin, Dr. James Weed, A. Smalley, with his brothers, Shepherd, John, William and Henry, William G. Woodward, S. Whicher, Fred. H. Stone, A. M. Winn, P. Jackson, George W. Humphrey, D. C. Cloud, J. Ziegler, H. Matthews, William Leffingwell, G. Daniels, J. M. Kane, Henry Funk, Mrs. Dibble with her daughter, Mrs. B. S. Olds and daughter, Jacob Israel, J. A. McCormick, G. H. Hunt, H. O. Jamison, John McCloud, G. A. Springer, and P. Fayberget. The Winter of 1838 set in very severe and unusually early, so that navigation was suddenly closed at so early a date that the settlers on the upper Mississippi were prevented from securing their usual winter supplies. Dry goods, sugar, coffee, etc., were conveyed from St. Louis by wagons. Salt retailed at six dollars per bushel, while it is said that two barrels of flour, all there was in the town of Bloomington, sold for twenty-five dollars each.
In 1839 occurred the excitement in regard to the Missouri and Iowa boundary line, which was dignified by the name of "Missouri war." The Sheriff of Clark County, Missouri, in accordance with the claim of that state, proceeded to collect taxes in Van Buren County, when he was arrested on the charge of usurpation, and brought to Bloomington for safe keeping. Gen. J. E. Fletcher, of Muscatine, was ordered to call out the Second Brigade of Militia, John Vanata was commissioned Colonel and C. E. Hastings appointed Captain of the horse company, while two infantry companies were raised in Muscatine County by volunteering, and some by draft. They marched to Burlington, where a compromise being effected, they returned, more harmed by whisky than Missourians.
Among the early settlers came a man by the name of Dana, with his wife and beautiful boy of five summers. He died of fever after arriving here, and the boy followed him the next day. His widow, Mrs. S. B. Dana, being left alone in a strange land, bore the affliction with becoming fortitude and patience, and as the inspiration of that great grief conceived and wrote that beautiful song, "Pass under the Rod," which has thrilled and soothed so many aching hearts through the land.
In the earlier years of the settlement of this county there were many Indians about, who made themselves very troublesome as beggars and petty thieves, but who were never beligerent, as they had not forgotten their dearly bought experience obtained in the Black Hawk war. They were mostly social, and afforded much amusement, in a measure compensating the settlers for the pleasures they had left in their Eastern homes. In the Spring of 1839 Stephen Wicher gave a large social party, which event for those days was of a novel kind. His guests were composed of the entire elite of the town, and about twenty Indians with their squaws, who came dressed in calico breeches, roundabouts, moccasins ornamented with beads, and trinkets of various kinds attached to their persons. The Indians were also rigged out in their best for the party, with painted faces, gay blankets, buckskin breeches, and fantastic wammises ornamented with their war trophies, jewels in their ears and noses, brass bands on their arms, long ornamented pipes, weazel and skunk skin tobacco pouches, war clubs trimmed with feathers, bears' claws and tusks, and strings of highly ornamented wampum. This was probably the most peculiarly constructed social gathering that ever met in the state. The first thing on the programme of the evening was a war-dance by the Indians. The large front room being cleared, and nothing lacking but music, Mrs. W. brought out some tin pans, a fire-shovel and tongs, which with a few sticks made ample music. Kiskekosh, the noble chief, first stepped on the floor alone, divested of nearly all his garments, and presenting a fine, well-formed and powerful form, led the dance in a majestic, savage style. Soon one and another of the men joined, until the floor was nearly filled, the whole circling around in all sorts of savage and fantastic shapes and forms of attitude, keeping time with the din of the pans and tongs, at the same time uttering low gutteral sounds-hew-wa-wa-hew-ha-wa-we-ho-hew-ha-woo—which increased in loudness and tone until it became a savage howl, and then charged at each other until the ladies were greatly frightened. The doors being closely guarded so as to allow no one to escape, the tumult soon became general. As the dance subsided one of the painted warriors suddenly sprang at and kissed one of the fairest of the fair white ladies, who, not appreciating the honor done her, screamed a scream more piercing and frightful than the howling of the Indians. As a return for this extraordinary entertainment, the Indians insisted that the whites, especially the "white squaws," should have a dance. A violin was accordingly procured, and several dances were performed in the most elegant frontier style, which appeared to delight the Indians as much as their performance had the whites. The entertainment was kept up until the wee small hours, when the parties dispersed to their respective homes and wigwams, thus ending one of the most brilliant and social entertainments in the history of Iowa.
A good story is told by Suel Foster, of an Indian scare which occurred in the Winter of 1836-7. There was a man by the name of Maine then living on the island some two miles below Muscatine, who kept a barrel of whisky for traffic with the Indians, who were very fond of that article. On one noted occasion, when there had been a new arrival in his family, this old man having taken a little too much himself, was troubled by several Indians, who, having already drank enough to make them feel quarrelsome, insisted upon having more whisky, which he refused. The Indians, determined not to be refused, threatened him to such an extent that he started towards town to secure help. As he left, an Indian fired – at the whisky-barrel, and tapped it in the head. The crack of the rifle brought a neighbor woman who was helping in the house to the door, and finding the Indians sucking at the bullet vent in the whisky-barrel, she resolutely caught up a hoe, drove the Indians off, and set the barrel on end. But the affrighted Maine, when he heard the rifle imagined that his family and the woman there were being murdered, and he alone would escape to tell of their fate. The nearer town he got the faster he ran, and the more piteous were his cries for help. The villagers were alarmed, and as soon as he could get breath to utter an audible word, he said; "The Indians have murdered all my family, and as I ran they fired at me, but I have out-run 'em. Go down! Go down"!! There was a hasty gathering of guns and what means of defense could be found, and guards were placed to protect the village. The "landlord," R. C. Kenney, who is said to have been the fattest, laziest, quietest, can't-run-man in the town, exclaimed: "God of Heaven, what shall we do! John Champ, take my horse, and go to Moscow and give the alarm; tell them that the Indians have killed all the folks on the island, and that we will run in that direction, and they must come and meet us." The braves who charged on the whisky-barrel got so shot with the fire-water, that they set fire to the rank grass, discharged their guns, and after screaming and yelling at a fearful rate for a while, quietly entered their canoes, and left for Coa-Kack Island.
The origin of the word Muscatine, or Musquitine as it was formerly called, is somewhat uncertain, and is differently explained by those who ought to be informed, though there are none who doubt that the county and town both derived their name from the island. According to the historian Bancroft, the name was derived from a tribe of Indians who were located near the great lakes two hundred years ago. Antoine Le Claire, founder of Davenport, who for years was very familiar with the languages spoken by the Indians that once occupied this country, and was himself of French and Indian extraction, says it is a combination of an Indian and French word: Mus-quo-ta, the Indian word, means prairie; to which was added the French termination "tine," forming the compound word Musquotine, or Musquitine, meaning little prairie. He further says that the Indians used to call the island Mus-quo-ta-menis, which means prairie island.
The first District Court ever held in Muscatine County, was convened at the house of Samuel Parker, in Bloomington, now Muscatine, on Monday, April 24, 1837. Honorable David Irwine, Judge of the Second Judicial District, and Associate Judge of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Wisconsin, presiding; W. W. Chapman, U. S. Attorney; John S. Abbott, was appointed Clerk. The following is the first grand jury empaneled for the county, and on the part of the United States: Robert Bamford, foreman, Benjamin Barton, Edward E. Fay, Robert C. Kinney, Jonathan Pettibone, Eli Reynolds, A. L. McKae, Joseph Mounta, Thomas I. Starks, Nathan Paisons, Samuel Parker, William Sparkes, Christopher Barnes, John Briggs, Levi Chamberline, Norman Fullington and Andrew Pace. Alexander W. McGregor was admitted to the bar during this term, while the principal other business transacted was granting licenses to different parties to run ferries across the Mississippi River. Judge D. Irwine held a second term, in May, 1838; while the first one under the territorial government of Iowa, was convened October 8, 1838, by Honorable Joseph Williams, who was one of the Judges of the Iowa Territorial Supreme Court, and presiding Judge of the Second Judicial District. The first meeting of the Supervisors was held at the house of Robert C. Kinney, in Bloomington, at which session Samuel Shorteridge, James R. Strithers and S. C. Hastings, were appointed assessors of the County of Muscatine, and were allowed two dollars per day. The first taxes were collected by James Davis, for which service he was allowed fifteen dollars. In 1838, an annual license tax of one hundred dollars was assessed on liquor saloons and peddlers of brass or wooden clocks.
Muscatine County has a war record of which it may well be proud. Probably no county in the truly patriotic and loyal State of Iowa, responded more promptly, or furnished more men for the late war of the Rebellion. When treason reared the bloody arm of rebellion, and the muttering thunder of civil war reverberated along the horizon of the republic, the noble, heroic young men of this county, sprang to arms, their country's honor to maintain, and more than four hundred of those brave heroic hearts now sleep beneath the sod whose sacred soil they stained with their life's blood, that the beautiful banner of liberty that has so often carried peace and joy to many fainting ones, might still wave pure and untarnished over the land they loved so well. About eighteen hundred men went from this county to swell that grand host of noble patriots who, when the dark clouds hung the thickest, begged to be allowed the proud honor of dying for their country and liberty. Two companies for the gallant Iowa First, and one for the graybeards' regiment, show how fearfully in earnest they were. Not content with sending their volunteer soldiers, the proudest, most soldierly soldiers the world ever saw, the mothers, sisters and wives at home were among the most zealous in rendering aid and assistance to all philanthropic institutions which had for their object the improved condition of the soldiers or their families. The City of Muscatine has the proud satisfaction of being the first in a commonwealth which ---d the sisterhood of states in providing home comforts and educational advantages for the children whose fathers' strong arms held the bayonet at the breast of armed treason. Their last, though not least, praiseworthy act, was to rear an elegant monument in the shady court house park, to the memory of their heroic slain, which was dedicated and unveiled July 3, 1875, by Iowa's War Governor, honorable Samuel J. Kirkwood. It is a beautiful marble shaft, surmounted by a life-size statue of a "volunteer soldier," standing at parade rest, where he will stand on his eternal pedestal as long as the virtuous and heroic deeds of the dead are cherished by the living, proclaiming to generations yet to be, that America will ever cherish and hold sacred the memory of those who fell in the holy cause of freedom.
MUSCATINE - This beautiful city, the county seat of the county of the same name, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi at the apex of the great bend, and at the head of the island from which it derived its name. The natural location, in a business point of view, is the best in Iowa on the Mississippi, being located at a point where that river penetrates nearest to the center of the state, which fact gives it superior advantages as a distributing center, while it has an excellent landing, and is more healthful than most river towns, owing to its elevated position and superior drainage facilities. It is surrounded by a good farming country, besides being convenient to Muscatine Island, which, for garden purposes and melon culture, has no superior if it has an equal in the Northwestern States. The ground naturally very rough and broken, lying on both sides of Pappoose Creek, has been greatly improved by grading, so that it now presents a fine location for a large and healthy city. The streets are regularly laid out, parallel with and at right angles from the river, the principal business street—Second Street—being the second from and parallel with the river, contains many fine buildings, and is probably as handsome a street as can be found in the state. A considerable portion of the buildings in some parts of the city are old, and show somewhat the ravages of time, while it also contains many new and elegant buildings, both business houses and residences.
BLOOMINGTON - Muscatine was first surveyed and laid out in 1836, by Colonel Vanata and others, and was named Bloomington. The first name given it by the Indians was Wall-wall-tuckel-wam, which, being interpreted, signifies horse-tooth-corn. This name was given it from the fact that the Indians received most of their provisions here, which consisted largely of the long gourd seed corn raised in Kentucky and Tennessee. General Pike, who explored the Mississippi River in 1805, gave it the name of Grindstone Bluffs, an account of the height and boldness of the shore and overhanging bluffs. It was incorporated as a town of the second class in February, 1839, and on the 6th day of the following May, Honorable Joseph Williams was chosen the first president or mayor. The other officers elected at that time were; Trustees, Arthur Washburn, Benjamin P. Howland and Henry Reece; recorder, Moses Couch; constable, John Marble; street commissioner, Giles Pettibone. The population of the town was then seventy-one, mostly men with only a very few women and some four or five children. From the time of its incorporation the growth was more rapid, so that in 1843 it had a population of nearly one thousand. The subject of changing the name of Bloomington to Muscatine was agitated for some time during 1842, but meeting with so much opposition, the matter was dropped until in June, 1849, when in accordance with the prayer of a petition numerously signed, it was changed by the district court of Muscatine. During 1849 and '50, the California excitement and the appearance of cholera, had the effect to, in a measure, retard the growth and prosperity of the town, which afterwards advanced with no rapid strides, but has, however, made a more healthy and substantial growth than most of the towns in Iowa can boast.
On the 21st day of February, 1851, Muscatine became a city upon the adoption by its citizens of a special city charter, which had been approved by the Legislature on the first of the same month. The first election for city officers was held March 5, at which time Z. Washburn was elected mayor; G. S. Branham, Marshal; C. F. Browning, Wharf Master; Thomas Crandol, Recorder, L. C. Hine, Treasurer, with the following City Council; Henry Reece, John L. Irwin, John B. Dougherty, M. D. Cossitt, A. Fisher and B. Bartholomew. Washburn soon resigned, when the Council appointed A. McAulay in his stead. The cars on the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad, now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, reached Muscatine November 20, 1855, and their arrival was signalized by a grand celebration. The city was first lighted by gas, August 18, 1857, which event was appropriately celebrated by a gas-light illumination.
WEST LIBERTY - A flourishing town containing some eight or nine hundred inhabitants, is situated in the northwest corner of Muscatine County, at the crossing of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota railroads, and is surrounded by an excellent farming country. It is a pleasant village, regularly laid out, and is steadily improving with a substantial and healthy growth, keeping step with the advancement of the surrounding country. It contains a large steam flouring mill, a carriage manufactory, five dry goods stores, ten groceries, three hardware houses, one tin and stove store, one notion store, one millinery and notion establishment, three drug stores, two saddlery and two agricultural implement establishments, four grain elevators, four hotels, three jewelry stores, three blacksmith shops, one wind-mill factory, one lumber yard, one bank with a cash capital of $100,000, and the other necessary branches of industry usually found in towns of this size. The different religious denominations are well represented, and have erected five handsome churches which are an ornament to the village, as well as the large and commodious public school building, which furnishes ample accommodations for the education of the children and youth.
WILTON - This is an enterprising, well built village, containing a population of some twelve hundred, and situated on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad at the intersection of the southwest branch with the main line. It is surrounded by a rich, productive and rolling prairie, except on the west, where the timber runs up to the outskirts of the village. The town was laid out in 1855, by S. Butterfield, S. Tufts, and Greene & Stone, and a settlement commenced the following year, the first settlers being P. S. Corey, J. J. Rider and W. McNaughton. It has a good retail trade, and is a large shipping point for grain, hogs and cattle. It contains a large flouring mill, several handsome churches, good graded schools, and all the advantages usually possessed by other Iowa towns of its size and importance. Two newspapers are published here; the Herald, by J. E. Stevenson; and the Exponent, by J. M. Rider & Co., both of which are good local papers.
Muscatine County Courthouse
 Bloomington was established as the seat of Muscatine County shortly after the county was organized in 1837. The original courthouse was built in 1840 of brick. It cost $15,000. On February 21, 1851, Bloomington was incorporated as the city of Muscatine.
The first courthouse was destroyed by fire and a second courthouse was built in 1867. This building, which cost $29,000, was an elegant two-story brick building complete with a dome and a statue of the goddess of justice.
The present courthouse was built in 1907 in approximately the same spot as the former courthouse. Although no goddess adorns this structure, a beautiful dome with a public timepiece surmounts it.
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