Exploring Iowa Trivia Quiz

Answer:

It is uncertain exactly how Iowa became known as the Hawkeye State. The most prevalent story involves two men, a judge and a newspaperman, who decided that they wanted to give Iowa a nickname before someone else choose something that wasn't very flattering. It is believed that Hawkeye was chosen as a reference to Black Hawk, a Native American who led the Sauk Tribe in the Black Hawk War of 1832 in an attempt to protect tribal land. Now, if that name doesn't sound so much like Hawkeye to you, it's okay. The two thought that choosing the name to honor Black Hawk would be easily approved because of the popularity of "The Last of the Mohicans". The newspaperman even renamed his paper "The Hawk-Eye".

The name Iowa is derived from Ioway, the name of a Siouan Tribe that lived there. It was not taken, however, from an Ioway word, but probably came from a name that other people called the tribe. In fact, the etymology is believed to have started with a Sioux word, "ayuhwa", which means sleepy ones; the French called the people "aiouez", which then became Ioway.

Burlington, a town located on the Mississippi River, was the first capital of the Iowa Territory, but the capital was officially moved to Iowa City in 1841 in an effort to move it to a more centralized location. This is surprising, because when looking at a map it is obvious that Iowa City is less than 100 miles from Burlington; its location is not central at all. A few years later, land was donated near the Des Moines river for the building of a new, central capital city, and law makers officially moved to Des Moines in 1857.

Different groups of states divide the United States into different regions, but the Midwest is considered to be the heartland of the country. All of the states that border on Iowa are part of that region, known for farming, industry, and its culture.

The eastern border of Iowa with the state of Illinois is mostly formed by the Mississippi. When looking at a map, it is easy to see how small towns formed around important sections of the river. In the 1893 Supreme Court case "Iowa v. Illinois", it was decided that each state's jurisdiction stretched to the middle of the navigable channel of the river. There was a disagreement about the exact boundary which had to do with the collection of tolls on bridges. In 1906 the Supreme Court reaffirmed this decision. You may have noticed that Iowa also borders Wisconsin to the northeast. As with Illinois, the line between the two states is drawn in the middle of the Mississippi.

Iowa's southern border border with Missouri was drawn in 1816. Called the Sullivan Line, it established the border between Missouri and Michigan Territory in 1816. Although disputed during the Honey War in 1837, in 1849 the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the Sullivan Line was the true boundary.

As in the eastern part of the state, the middle of the Missouri River channel served as the boundary between Iowa and Nebraska. The Big Sioux River, a tributary of the Missouri, completes Iowa's northwestern border with South Dakota. The Missouri River, however, has frequently changed its course over the years; this caused a huge disagreement between Iowa and Nebraska in the late 1800s when the river changed course and left the town of Carter Lake, Iowa, in Nebraska. In 1892 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the town was in Iowa, however, the issue was not fully resolved as Carter Lake still has a Nebraska zip code today!

The northern border of Iowa that is shared with Minnesota was set to be further north, however, at the time the boundary was drawn there were still discussions regarding the number of slaves states vs. free states in the Union. Congressmen wanted Iowa to be smaller so that more free states could be carved from the Wisconsin and Iowa Territories. The line that created Iowa's northern border was drawn in 1846 at the time Iowa joined the Union.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Iowa has the most fertile soil in the United States. Scientist believe this fertilization took place over thousands of years when decayed prairie grass mixed with glacial sediments. The process created a mineral-rich, fertile topsoil in Iowa that is called Mollisols. It covers about 68% of the state. There are other rich topsoils in Iowa as well, and about 87% of the land is used for farming crops. While traveling through the state in the summertime, rows and rows and rows of corn and soybeans are seen in the rural areas, along with hog and cattle farms.

March 1 is National Pig Day in Iowa, which should not be surprising, considering Iowa's leadership in the production of pork in the United States. In 2020 the Iowa Pork Producers Association reported there were 5400 pig farms in the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2022 report stated there were 23.4 million pigs living on Iowa farms. That amounts to about one person for every 7.3 pigs.

In case you didn't know, the Iowa Caucasus are considered by many to be an important indicator of the outcome of a presidential race in the United States. John Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa, where his birthplace can still be visited today. It is about 35 miles southwest of Des Moines. And - the "Field of Dreams" baseball field can be visited in Dyersville, Iowa, which is in the eastern part of the state, closer to the old capital of Iowa City.