President Martin Van Buren appointed Robert Lucas in 1838 to be the first governor of the Territory of Iowa. Iowa City was designated the Territorial Capital and a newly formed Iowa Territorial Legislature moved the county seat to Iowa City. The Legislature continued to meet in Iowa City until December 1846 when Iowa was admitted to the Union. Ansel Briggs became the first state governor and in 1857 Des Moines was declared Iowa's capitol. The "Old Capitol" building in Iowa City was donated to the University of Iowa and is maintained as a museum of state history.
Iowa City was also the end of the line for the Mississippi and Missouri Railway, and Johnson County was the point of departure for seven Mormon handcart expeditions. Mormon converts camped near Coralville before packing their handcarts and travelling 1,400-miles to Salt Lake City.
Coralville was named after coral formations discovered in 1866, when the foundation was dug for a woolen mill. The coral is a remnant of a reef in the the ocean that covered the area 380 million years ago.
The Iowa City/Coralville area population today is greater than 70,000. It is a vibrant academic community, cultural center, and the state's healthcare capital.