January 10, 1839 – After several attempts to settle the border issue between Iowa and Missouri, Dr. James Davis – U.S. government surveyor – sends his recommendation letter to Governor Robert Lucas – Burlington, Iowa Territory. In this letter, Davis included survey maps which are then sent on to Washington D.C. but are soon rejected by the Missouri governor.
Did you know that in the fall of 1839, the Territory of Iowa and the State of Missouri came ever so close to a civil war – arguing over where the border line was between these two sovereign entities? They called it The Honey War.
Governor Lucas of Iowa and Governor Boggs of Missouri (shown above) were two stubborn men, so when push came to shove, both sent militia regiments to the border after someone cut down an Iowa farmer’s trees filled with golden beehive honey.
Quite the sticky situation, don’t you think?
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