The arrival of Europeans on the continent had an impact on the Midwest long before permanent settlers came. They established villages to which they returned for many years after seasonal deer and buffalo hunts. By around 1,200 C.E., corn had migrated along the Gulf Coast and up the Mississippi to tribes in the Upper Midwest who became known as the Oneota culture. Gradually, groups began to plant and harvest gardens of corn, beans, pumpkins and squash and gather nuts, berries and fruits to supplement their meat supply.

They lived along the edges of the receding glaciers and hunted large game animals. The first people to live in what we now call Iowa may have arrived some 8,000-10,000 years ago. US History What factors, forces or reasons cause people to move from one geographic area to another? State Historical Society of Iowa - Secondary Navigation