June 22, 1838 – U.S. Congress approves a bill that gives Iowa homesteaders – prior to Feb. 22, 1838 – up to two full years to purchase their “claimed” property without outside competition.
As a result of this bill being passed, The Claim Association of Johnson County was formed. This group of 285 members appointed themselves as “policemen” overseeing the 614 square acres of the county. So, in the absence of an established local government, the Claim Association became “the law”, protecting the land rights of those early settlers who joined the organization.
A Day-by-Day Calendar of Historical Events In Iowa, William J. Petersen, State Historical Society of Iowa, 1946, p 58
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