Monday 9/3/07 I headed to Iowa City to check out “Old Capital” location of the capital for the territory and eventual state of Iowa from 1839-1857. My wife was out of town and I felt in the mood for a short road trip.
As I walked around “Old Capital”, the voices of the past seemed to cry out for recognition. I’ve read accounts of intrigue, financial turbulence, contractors who see the handwriting on the walls and walk away from a 1/2 finished building, a new state that borrows money to pay for this building, then can’t make the payments on the loan, etc. it causes me to appreciate this historical site all the more.
One quick story, from the book Iowa City/ A Contribution To The Early History Of Iowa by Benjamin F. Shambaugh published in 1893 last month. In it, he describes the battle between Iowa City and Burlington to be the site of the Territorial Capital.
The morning of May 1st 1839, found a small group of somewhat roughly clad pioneer settlers collected at Naolean (town near present day Iowa City) to await the arrival of the commissioners. Of over three months these sturdy farmers had been looking forward to the coming of the comissioners with intense interest and delight. But on this particular morning they carried a look which betrayed anxiety. Each man desired that the location be made NEAR his own cabin, yet at the same time he was fearful …for they all knew that they had, to the land they occupied, no rights which the United States or the Territory of Iowa were bound to respect. (in other words, they were all squatters and if the land they had already worked on was picked, they would loose their property and get nothing for it)
But as the day advanced this anxiety took an unexpected turn.
Burlington and the counties to the southeastern part of the Territory were bitterly opposed to locating the seat of government in Johnson County. And it was thought that an attempt had been made to prevent the majority of the commissioners from meeting on the 1st day of May as directed by law. (In other words, if there wasn’t a majority of commissioners there that day to pick out a site for the capital, then by default, it may stay in Burlington)
It is said, that about noon the excitement became intense when Chauncey Swan mounted a dry-goods box and made a short speech to the agiated crowd, presenting the situation as follows: “The Legislative Assembly had directed the locating commissioners to meet at Napoleaon on the first day of May. Should a majority of them fail to meet on that day, their actions would be null and void. Chauncey Swan then called for a volunteer who would undertake to bring another commissioner before midnight. This certainly seemed like a hopeless undertaking; for John Ronalds of Louisa County, the nearest commissioner, resided 35 miles from Napoleon. It would, therefore, require a ride of seventy miles in 12 hours, including all stoppages and ferrying the Cedar River both going and coming. But a young lad named Philip Clark stepped boldly out and volunteered his services….(to ride the 70 mile round trip, find John Ronald and bring him back before 12 midnight )
Footnote: remember, this is 1839 there are no roads, no bridges, and vast unmarked prairies, not to mention the fact, what if John Ronald wasn’t home when he got there.
This is getting too long so I will wrap it up. Clark and Ronald did get back by midnight, although, there was some speculation, somebody may have turned the hand back on their watch to buy a little more time ? 
Until next time DM
