November 5, 1857 – One of the final wagon-loads of equipment leaves Iowa City – only to have the contents – including four state-owned office safes – be abandoned en route to Des Moines due to a massive snowstorm.

From day one of statehood in 1846, there were those who wanted to see Iowa’s capital moved westward. Finally, in 1857, a deal was cut. The capitol would go to Des Moines while the university was exclusively secured for Iowa City. As one newspaper writer quipped, “Des Moines can have the politicians, we’ll take the professors!”

Unfortunately, when the move to Des Moines happened, most of the furniture and larger office pieces didn’t make it on this 120-mile journey. Between the bad weather and the poor road conditions, almost all of the original furnishings used in the Iowa City state house were either lost or so badly damaged they were not saved.

On November 5, 1857, for example, four office safes were loaded onto wagons in Iowa City – drawn by oxen. The Treasurer’s office safe was so heavy, it was actually abandoned en route near a creek in Polk County, only to be retrieved after the snow storm abated and the ground had frozen solid! The driver of the rescuing ox cart gained hearty cheers from state officials when he finally arrived – probably because the safe contained gold and silver that was used to pay their salaries! Come read more on this “moving” story.

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