Iowa was unknown until 1788 when Julian Dubuque obtained permission from the Fox Indians to establish a mining settlement where the present day City of Dubuque is. The United States acquired the area as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
Iowa was a sort of orphan for decades. The Indians held it past 1800, then it became part of the Indiana Territory from 1803 through 1821, then part of Missouri, Michigan and Wisconsin Territories. The Fox and Sauk tribes were forced to cede over 9000 square miles to the settlers in 1833. They flocked into the area after that. Finally in 1838 it became a territory unto itself and in 1846 became the 29th State. Iowa was and still is a great farming State. People came over from Illinois and Wisconsin and up from Missouri.