
1833 On June 1, 1833, a large strip of land running alongside the western shores of the Mississippi River (see map above) opened up for homesteading. It was called the Black Hawk Purchase of 1832, and Dubuque, the first European community that formed here, was located about 55 miles south of the spot where Father Marquette and Louis Jolliet, in 1673, paddled their canoes from the Wisconsin River into what the Algonquian tribes called, the Father of Waters.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS IOWA STORY HERE.

Did you know? is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us every Monday – Wednesday – Friday.
Join us for Our Iowa Heritage blog posts.
Learn some historical facts about Iowa City, Johnson County, or Eastern Iowa.
Amaze your friends.