The New International Encyclopædia/Iowa City

IOWA CITY. A city and the county-seat of Johnson County, Iowa, 54 miles west by north of Davenport, on the Iowa River, and on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Map: Iowa, F 3). The State University occupies the grounds and buildings of the former Capitol, and also a handsome collegiate building recently erected by the commonwealth. In Iowa City are the State Historical Society Library, Iowa City Academy. Mercy Hospital, and the medical department and homœopathic hospitals, connected with the university; and among other prominent structures are the county court-house, city hall, and opera house. An appropriation of $60,000 for a post-office building here has been made, and $25,000 has been contributed by Andrew Carnegie for a public library. The industrial establishments comprise meat-packing plants, agricultural-implement works, a large jewelry-factory, flouring-mills, knitting-mills, glove and mitten factories, broom-factories, soap and perfume factories, brick and tile works, a foundry and machine-shops, etc. The government is administered by a mayor, elected every two years, and a unicameral council. Population, in 1890, 7016; in 1900, 7987. Founded in 1839 and incorporated in 1853, Iowa City was from 1839 to 1857 the capital of Iowa Territory and State. It was connected with the East in 1855 by the completion of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad. Consult: Shambaugh, Iowa City: A Contribution to the Early History of Iowa (Iowa City, 1893); and an article, “The Historic Capital of Iowa,” in Magazine of American History, vol. xxi. (New York, 1888).