Read more at our website. Follow the link in the COMMENT section…
December 29, 1838 – The first general act by the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa for “laying out and opening Territorial Roads”.
When Iowa became a U.S. Territory in 1838, transportation options were very primitive. Governor Lucas asked the U.S. Senate to fund a Military Road running the length of the Territory from Dubuque to the Missouri border. After surveying the land, Lyman Dillon, a farmer from Cascade, was hired to take his team of five oxen and plow up a furrow from Dubuque to Iowa City (86 miles). Get the straight story here!
This Day In History is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.
Pingback: December 28 – Iowa Statehood Day. | Our Iowa Heritage