a wood yard by Col. John Vanater, in
July, 1834, and was laid out as a town by him in 1836, and called
Bloomington. The county was organized in 1837, under the name of
Muscatine, and Bloomington made the county seat. The name of the
town was changed to correspond with that of the county in 1851. Its
population at the last census was 8,294; present population not less
than 10,000. Besides being the centre of a large trade in agricultural
products, it is extensively engaged in manufacturing lumber, sash, doors
and blinds, and possesses numerous large manufactories, oat-meal mills,
and the finest marble works in the State. It is also the centering point
of a very large wholesale and retail trade. It is situated at the head
of the rich Muscatine Island, the garden spot of the Northwest, and is
the shipping point for millions of melons and sweet potatoes annually.

Muscatine is a good town, with a good business and good newspapers. The
_Journal_ and _Tribune_ are published daily, semi-weekly and weekly.
Hon. John Mahin has been the editor of the _Journal_ since 1852, and
there is no editor in the State whose service dates further back than
his.

THE CITY OF DUBUQUE.

Soon after the close of the war and the discharge of the volunteer army,
the writer, with some twenty others who had served through the war,
formed a company for the purpose of laying out the town of Dubuque. One
of their number, Capt. James Craig, being a surveyor, he was selected
to survey the lines and lay out the town. About the middle of September,
1832, he started out from Galena with his chain-carriers, stake-drivers,
etc., (stakes having been previously sawed and split on an island
opposite, all ready for use), and in due time completed the survey.
Blocks fronting the river on three or four streets back were completed,
each lot receiving its stakes, whilst those farther back were staked as
blocks, and not subdivided. A few of the original proprietors built
and took possession at once. Among them were the Messrs. Langworthy,
enterprising and energetic young gentlemen, who commenced business as
grocers in a small way, with supplies for miners. Their faith was strong
that adventurers would come in, and that the time was not far distant
when the town would take a start, and in a few years become a populous
city. Miners and prospectors soon took possession of claims in the
immediate vicinity, and in one instance a claim was made and ore struck
within t