MUSCATINE, mils-ka-ten, Iowa, city, county-seat of Muscatine County, on the Mis sissippi River, and on the Iowa Central, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific and the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul railroads, about 30 miles below Davenport and 140 miles east by south of Des Moines. It is at a bend in the river where the waters change from a westward to a southward current. As usual along the west bank of the Mississippi, the city is on high bluffs which command an extended view of the river. It was first settled in 1833, and in 1839 was incorporated. It is situated in a fertile agricultural region in which there is considerable wood land. Muscatine Island, just below the city, is noted for its water melons. The chief industries of the city are connected with the manufacturing of foundry and machine-shop products, oatmeal, flour, pickles, brick, tile, boxes, canneries, buttons, sheet-iron, boilers, engines, packing cases, wagons, carriages, pottery, rolling-mill prod ucts, canned goods, lead works and lumber.
It has considerable trade in its manufactured articles, farm and dairy products, hogs, lumber and fruit. Muscantine has good public and parish schools and several private schools. It has the public Musser Library. It has also several charitable institutions. The govern ment is vested in a mayor, who holds office two years, and a council. The school board, police judge, treasurer, assessor and wharfmaster are chosen at a popular election by the people. The waterworks are owned and operated by the city. Pop. about 17,074. Consult Richman, I. B., (ed.), 'History of Muscatine County' (2 vols., Chicago 1911).