Muscatine was first settled as a wood yard by Col. John Vanater, in
July, 1834, and was laid out as a town by him in 1836, and called
Bloomington. The county was organized in 1837, under the name of
Muscatine, and Bloomington made the county seat. The name of the
town was changed to correspond with that of the county in 1851. Its
population at the last census was 8,294; present population not less
than 10,000. Besides being the centre of a large trade in agricultural
products, it is extensively engaged in manufacturing lumber, sash, doors
and blinds, and possesses numerous large manufactories, oat-meal mills,
and the finest marble works in the State. It is also the centering point
of a very large wholesale and retail trade. It is situated at the head
of the rich Muscatine Island, the garden spot of the Northwest, and is
the shipping point for millions of melons and sweet potatoes annually.
Muscatine is a good town, with a good business and good newspapers. The
_Journal_ and _Tribune_ are published daily, semi-weekly and weekly.
Hon. John Mahin has been the editor of the _Journal_ since 1852, and
there is no editor in the State whose service dates further back than
his.