OLD HISTORY:
Scientists have determined that peleo-indians came to Iowa around thirteen thousand years ago. At that time Ice Age glaciers were still retreating to the north, but some glaciers still reached into Iowa.
Near the source of rivers running through Iowa, and the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, Ice Dams built up higher and higher over a period of time, slowed the flow of water down the rivers. And behind the ice dams great lakes of fresh melt water accumulated until the dams collapsed, releasing massive amounts of water and great chunks of ice to overflow the river banks and flood low lands on both sides of the the rivers.
So it appears that several times in history much of Iowa was under water.
But glaciers bursting were not the only dangers to paleo-man. The land was fraught with natural dangers, like big bears, preditory cats and very large wolves. But on the positive side, large food animals like mastadons still roamed the land.
The first Europeans the Indians saw were Spanish who came up the Mississippi River to establish small copper mines, trap fur animals, and later on map the area. In 1715 a Spanish expedition mapped the area and recorded about twenty five Indian Tribes living in Iowa, and most of them were sedantery farmers. Since then we know that most Indians of Iowa were at least part time farmers.
Author donkelly
Ghost Towns of Des Moines County, Iowa
Existing Towns
Townships County Townships Histories were transcribed by Cay Merryman and Don kelly..