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Dakota City, which has also been known as Dakotah and Dakota, is the
County Seat of Humboldt County, and lies on a high bluff crowning the
divide between the two forks of the Des Moines River.
The first settlers arrived November 11, 1854, and were Charles Bergk,
Edward McKnight, August Zahten and Christian Hackman. The land having
been acquired by Edward McKnight; and all but he spent the winter in a
cave on the East Branch of the Des Moines River.
In 1855, it was surveyed by William Safford, and laid out as a town
by Edward McKnight, but was not filed for record in the county until
June 7, 1858. The first log building was built in 1855, and the first
building of pine was erected for a schoolhouse. The lumber being hauled
from Cedar Falls, Iowa.
The first birth was in 1857, to Washington and Jane Clark. The infant
was named Dakota.
In 1856, a post office was established with Charles Bergk as its'
first postmaster. It is said the office consisted of his pockets.
In 1857, Edward McKnight built a town hall. It was later used as a
chapel by the Catholic Church. Dakota City's first Mayor being Albert M.
Adams. In 1858, Edward McKnight sold the town site to Charles Bergk.
In 1862, Edward McKnight built a dam and erected a mill. About
1900 a new mill was built, which burned in 1943.
In 1870, a new school
was built known as the red brick school, it burned in the 1930's. It had
actually been replaced by a new schoolhouse in 1918. This school
was enlarged in 1962 and
1963.
On May 13, 1872, a contract was let to build a
courthouse to be
completed by November 1, at the cost of $5,000. In was replaced in 1939.
the first general and public celebration was held July 4, 1857 and the
first county fair was held here in 1858.
The first Hotel was operated by Washington and Albert Clark in 1856.
There were no partitions upstairs or down and the beds were placed in a
row.
The first merchants being Burchard and Kinsman who opened a store in
1857. In 1860, Charles Bergk and A. S. White started a newspaper called
the
Independent. It is still being published in Humboldt. The first drug
store was started by John T. Fockler in 1872. In 1862, Charles C. Coyle
opened a blacksmith shop. The first hardware store was started by I. G.
McMillion. In 1879, A. F. Hawkins started a jewelry and watch business.
W. McFarland was the first lawyer.
In 1879, W. J. Smith opened a lime works and in 1880, he embarked in
the business of brick making.
 
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