About Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846
Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa] (1840-1846)

Iowa Territorial Gazette and Advertiser

In 1837, the seat of government of Wisconsin Territory moved across the Mississippi River from Belmont to Burlington. James Clarke, the proprietor of the Belmont Gazette, relocated to Burlington as well. There he established the Wisconsin Territorial Gazette and Advertiser. Cyrus Jacobs joined as editor, and the first issue of the paper was published on July 10, 1837. A year later, the legislature passed an act creating Iowa Territory, with the capital at Burlington. Clarke's newspaper was renamed the Iowa Territorial Gazette and Burlington Advertiser. Following Jacobs's departure in April 1838, Clarke assumed editorial duties and hired John H. McKenny as his assistant.

Although Clarke had first pledged to publish a non-partisan paper, the Gazette became a strong voice in support of the Democratic Party. James G. Edwards established a Whig newspaper in Burlington called the Iowa Patriot in 1839, and the two rival editors became engaged in a long-running feud. They devoted many columns in their papers to contentious political discussions, each criticizing the other both for his politics and the quality of reporting. The Gazette filled its remaining space with reports from the territorial legislature, news of steamboat landings, recipes, and farming advice.

By late 1840, the title of the paper had been changed to the Iowa Territorial Gazette and Advertiser. John McKenney took over as proprietor with James Morgan serving as editor. Morgan partnered with Bernhart Henn to purchase the paper in 1842, and the two became joint editors and publishers until James Clarke returned the following year. Clarke remained a strong advocate for the Democratic Party and enthusiastically campaigned in 1844 for the re-election of Augustus C. Dodge as the territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress. As a reward for his continued loyalty to the party, President James K. Polk appointed Clarke Iowa's third and last territorial governor in November 1845. Clarke remained associated with the Gazette, although Samuel R. Thurston took over as editor and James Tizzard as publisher in Clarke's absence.

When Iowa became a state in 1846, Clarke's term as territorial governor came to an end. Ansel Briggs became the state's first governor, and the Iowa Territorial Gazette and Advertiser was christened the Iowa State Gazette. Clarke returned to the paper and remained until his death in 1850.

Provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa