January 10, 1833 – Susan Ann McCraney – the first ‘pioneer’ child – is born in Dubuque County.
The first child* born to a pioneer settler in Dubuque County, and perhaps in all of Iowa, Susan Ann McCraney (1833-1894) was the daughter of Tom McCraney, a local lead miner. Her father, along with many other miners had been evicted from Iowa weeks earlier because the land was still in Meskwaki Territory. Huddling in the cold on an island in the Mississippi River, McCraney decided his family needed the shelter of the cabin he had built near the mines. Fortunately, the cabin had been left by soldiers who had destroyed the others to discourage the miners from re-entering Iowa illegally.
A Day-by-Day Calendar of Historical Events In Iowa, William J. Petersen, State Historical Society of Iowa, 1946, p 8
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*Of course, all this “first” business ignores the fact that, for centuries, there were numerous tribes of Native Iowans who produced more “firsts” than we can list here! For more details – check out this page – Ancient Iowa – Exploring the Land.
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