Ed Shannon, Between the Corn Rows

As I emphasized in the last column, this area was actually a part of the territory of Iowa from 1838 to 1846.

In reality, there weren’t any Americans living in what’s now Freeborn County during those years. The only people around were temporary residents — Indian tribes and maybe a few wandering hunters and trappers.

Now what follows is based on an article by the late Dr. J.R. Nannestad that was reprinted in the June 6, 1954, issue of the Tribune., He wrote, “The first boundaries for Iowa proposed by Congress shot 40 miles into Minnesota, and if this had become law … Freeborn County would have remained Iowa territory forever.”

What would have this 40-mile difference meant at the present time?

First, all the southern border counties in Minnesota: Houston, Fillmore, Mower, Freeborn, Faribault, Martin, Jackson, Nobles and Rock would now be a part of Iowa.

However, since Freeborn County is only 24 miles wide from the Iowa line to the north, this means the 40-mile border would continue even farther north into the next tier of 10 Minnesota counties.

Thus, nearly all of what’s now the cities of Winona and Rochester would now be a part of Iowa. Owatonna and Mankato would barely be a part of Minnesota. Further west, the cities of St. James, Windom, Slayton and Pipestone would be a part of Iowa. A quick calculation shows that this 40-mile change in stare lines meant that about 10,500 square miles of Minnesota was once destined to be a part of Iowa. This is about an eighth of the state’s present land area.

Here’s what Nannestad wrote about this 40-mile extension of Iowa’s northern boundary: “But fate had not ordained it so. The people of Iowa territory rejected the proposition. A convention was held; new boundaries for Iowa, fixed as they now are, were proposed and adopted by the people. It was approved by Congress and so Iowa was admitted to statehood in 1846.”

As a result, there was a really odd situation regarding the land in this region. Nannestad’s comment was, “For the next three years Freeborn County had no government whatsoever. It was, strictly speaking, what you might call, ‘No Man’s Land.’ Minnesota was still in the future.”

In reality, there were no settlements or farms in the area and the three year gap in governmental jurisdiction ended in 1849 when the territory of Minnesota was created. (A correction has to be made here. In the last column I wrote that Minnesota became a territory in 1848, That was an error.) Finally, in August 1849, the entire region became a part of Wabasha County, which ran from the Mississippi River into what’s now South Dakota to the Missouri River.

In 1851 the area was changed to become a part of Dakota County.

Then, two years later, what’s now Freeborn County was divided between Rice and Blue Earth County.

Finally, in 1855, Freeborn County with its present 20 townships and boundary lines was officially created.

Yet for two more years this county was an oblong square on the map (four townships high and five townships wide) without any local government at all. Finally, in 1857, a county government was organized. According to Nannestad’s article, there were 2,480 people living within Freeborn County at that time.

The 1857 date is easy to confirm. Freeborn County is the first and oldest entry in the Down Through the Years section of the Tribune’s annual Progress Edition. And for the next edition in 2011 the county government will be first again and 154 years old.

Ed Shannon’s column has been appearing in the Tribune every Friday since December 1984.