When Walter Terrell built his dam & mill (1843) north of Iowa City, there was an island in the center of the Iowa River. So, Terrell built his dam in two sections. One part was built from the eastern side of the island to the present Dubuque Street side, and the other was built from the island west to what is today, City Park.
The island never had a name and, according to Iowa City historian, Irving Weber, it was always simply called “The Island.” About 75 yards long and 25 yards wide, with a heavy growth of trees; The Island was a popular spot for boating, canoeing, swimming and picnicking, and it is said to be the place where “many a lover’s troth was pledged there.”
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I was interested in the City Park, once at the NE corner of Iowa Avenue and Dubuque Street. My Grandmother Carson, after getting permission from the State (a necessary requirement), sued to get the land back so the park could be restored. The premise was that it had originally been illegally transferred to the University. The outcome was essentially that the judge agreed with her, but too much time had passed since the original since the transfer. I think this about 1949. I don’t know if Irving Weber ever mentioned this in his column.
Hey David. Yeah – you’re remembering a real Iowa City brewhaha. Weber did talk about the issue and I addressed it in my post – https://ouriowaheritage.com/our-iowa-heritage-chemistry-laboratory/ – Interesting that it was your grandmother who was in the midst of the struggle in the late 40’s. Quite the story that never really got “resolved” (so to speak) until the 70’s.