History of Adair County, Iowa, and Its People #247767

On March 3, 1805, Iowa was included as a part of the Territory of Louisiana, with the capital at St. Louis, and that part of the Louisiana Purchase now known as Louisiana became Orleans Terri tory. The Territory of Missouri was organized June 4, 1812, and Iowa was embraced in it. When Missouri became a state in 1820, Iowa, with other territory, was detached and forgotten and remained a country without a government, either political or judicial, until June 28, 1834, when the 'abuses of outlawry and crime became so prominent and serious that, as a means of redress and correction it was included in the Territory of Michigan. During all these vears it is probable that the only civil law in force in Iowa was the pro vision of the Missouri act which prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude in the territories of the United States north of thirty-six degrees, thirty minutes, north latitude. By 1836 the population of this region had so increased that the territorial government of Wisconsin was organized, which at first included a part of the upper peninsula of Michigan, the whole of Minnesota and Iowa, and that part of Dakota lying east of the Mis souri and White Earth rivers. When the Territory of Iowa was organized, July 12, 1838, it included the present State of Minnesota and parts of North and South Dakota.