Early History of Mediapolis

The territory in which Mediapolis is located is in the fourth of the magnificent states carved from the vast territory acquired from France in 1803 known as the Louisiana Purchase. In 1812 the Territory of Louisiana was reorganized and named the Territory of Missouri. In 1821, the State of Missouri was organized in its present form and the remaining portion was left for a time without any organized form of government. This was a part of the Territory of Michigan in 1834. Then in 1836, the Territory of Wisconsin was organized including what is now the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. In 1838, the territory was organized embracing that part of Wisconsin Territory lying west of the Mississippi River, north of the State of Missouri, (Iowa Territory). On the 28th day of December 1846, Iowa was admitted in its present from as the 29th State of the Union.

It was a vast wilderness inhabited with the exception of a few military posts, exclusively by Indians. The Sac and Fox tribes lived here at one time, all up and down the Mississippi River, Under Chiefs Black Hawk and Keokuk. Buffaloes and other wild animals abounded in every part of the state. It was destitute of woods, except near streams, where the most valuable lands were and settlers found good land for farming. The territory in which Mediapolis is located was ceded to the government by the Indians in 1832 and was known as the Black Hawk Purchase. These lands were opened for settlement on June 1, 1833. Nearly all the Indians had moved out of the area by 1840. Settlers moving westward camped near the spring at Kossuth. The spring was also an overnight camping place for Indians.

In 1834, the first permanent settlement was made near what is now Mediapolis and was known as Columbus. The early settlers came from Ohio, Pennsylvania and some from Kentucky by wagon train and riverboat, down the Ohio and up the Mississippi. A store was started in Columbus, but was later moved to Kossuth. In 1836 to 1850, the villages of Kossuth, Northfield, Linton, Dodgeville, Sperry, Kingston and Pleasant Grove, all were settled and became thriving villages with stores, churches, schools, post offices, blacksmith shops, hotels and even a doctor. Flour and woolen mills were the most important of the business firms.

One day in 1867, a group of citizens of Kossuth (a village one and one-half miles east of the present location of Mediapolis) happened to meet at the post office and they fell into a discussion concerning the prospects of a railroad from Burlington to Cedar Rapids. It was decided to call a public meeting to arouse interest in the proposal, and a few weeks later the meeting was held. Senator Gear and Judge Tracy of Burlington were there and persuaded the people that a "north and south" railroad was an absolute necessity and would prove to be a profitable investment. Therefore, in good faith, the people of Kossuth subscribed $20,000 toward this venture with the understanding that their village would have a station.