East Village, Des Moines: A Brief History

East Village was not always the fashionable destination it is today. When the first settlers arrived in 1843 on the muddy banks of the Des Moines River, it was in direct violation of a treaty with the local natives. The settlement grew so quickly that by 1855, the fledgling city had been selected to be the state capital, and the building was constructed in East Village. The next century saw rivalries with the western half of the city, the birth and battle of one of the city's largest red-li...