POPULATION
In 1840 the greatest number of people to the square mile was in the extreme southeastern part of the territory. This was but natural, as nearly all the settlers had come by river from St. Louis, only a few coming by wagons up to this time. The settlers had in part come up along the Red Cedar river, and Linn county claimed a population of 1,373, few of whom had lived more than two years in the county. Settlers also ascended the Iowa and Des Moines rivers. By 1850 land seekers had followed the Des Moines river and had already found homes as far west as Boone county.
It was a severe blow to the agricultural interests of Linn county and the newborn state when news of the gold fever reached the borders. Not only the newspapers stirred up the people, but hundreds of parties crossed the state in wagons, stopped along the way and talked incessantly about the great diggings in California. The young men were fired with enthusiasm. Work on the farm was hard and the returns small. Thus Linn county lost many of its best and most enterprising young men. Some, it is true, returned again after a stay of a few years in the gold fields, but a large number never came back, but either died or remained on the coast. While Linn county lost many settlers it also gained others, who started west expecting to join mining parties, but who settled down as farmers instead. From 1849 to 1857 was a restless era of migration in what we call the middle west. In fact it extended over the entire country. There were many causes for this. An era of prosperity sprang up after the Mexican war, the gold discoveries and the opening up of much fertile land by the government. All this, no doubt, stirred people to find new homes or seek new adventures. The panic of '57 of course for a time put a stop to all speculations, especially in western lands.
The greatest influx of people into the state was from 1850 to 1856, when the population increased from 192,214 to 517,875, an increase of 169.4 per cent. The population of the state for 1910 is 2,225,771. Linn county felt the same influx, for the population increased from 5,444 in 1850 to 14,702 in 1856.
There seems to have been an increase of about 8,000 by the census of 1860, showing that while the panic may have kept some at home who might have gone west, few new settlers sought the west to make new homes. The population of the county and the towns will give the reader an idea of the gradual growth in the population.
Here are some figures showing our development:
In May, 1838, the population of the county was 205. This had increased to 2,643 in 1844. In 1847 we had 3,954 people, 4,762 in 1849, 5,444 in 1850, 6,870 in 1852, 10,802 in 1856, 18,947 in 1860, 18,693 in 1863, showing the effects of the Civil war, this conflict not only taking many of our substantial citizens to serve in the armies, but for the time impeding emigration.
In 1865 the figures had increased to 20,754, in 1867 to 24,549, in 1870 to 31,080, in 1875 to 31,875, in 1880 to 37,237, in 1885 to 40,720, in 1890 to 45,303, in 1895 to 49,905, in 1900 to 55,392, and in 1905 to 57,362.
