In the 1840’s, Curtis Bates – a young lawyer/politician from Ohio came to Iowa City to start up a new law office – one of twenty that opened in this decade!
During his ten years in Johnson County (1841-1851), Curtis Bates made quite the impression before moving off to become the owner/editor of Polk County’s first newspaper – The Iowa Star – the forerunner for today’s Des Moines Register.
On Christmas Day, 1848, Bates sent off an informative letter from Iowa City to his attorney and good friend – William Carter – back home in Defiance, Ohio. In it, he gave us all some great insights on living in Johnson County during the 1840’s. Come, check out his writings!
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