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Welcome to The Midwestern Connection - Iowa - Des Moines

Des Moines (French for 'Of the Monks') is the capital city of the U.S. state of Iowa. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, until it was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857.[1] It is also the county seat of Polk County. According to the 2000 census, the population of the city is 198,682.

Des Moines is located in the south central part of the state. The Des Moines River and the Raccoon River meet just south of the downtown and serve as the city's primary water supply. Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines, including the Principal Financial Group, Equitable of Iowa, Allied Insurance, ARAG Legal Insurance, and American Republic Insurance Company. Long known as the "Hartford of the West," Des Moines replaced Hartford, Connecticut, as the number one city for insurance in the United States in 2004[citation needed]. As a major center of financial and insurance services, the metro area appears to be well poised for continued growth. Des Moines should not be confused with Des Moines County, Iowa. Des Moines County is located in the southeast corner of Iowa along the Mississippi River, and has the city of Burlington, Iowa as its county seat.

Des Moines was founded in May 1843 when Captain James Allen built a garrison (fort) on the site where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. Allen wanted to use the name Fort Raccoon, but the American War Department told him to name it Fort Des Moines. The original origin of the name Des Moines is uncertain. It could have referred to the river of the Moingonas, named after an Indian tribe that resided in the area and built burial mounds. Others see it as referring to Trappist monks, some of whom lived in huts at the mouth of the river, or connected to the phrase de moyen in French, meaning middle, because of its location between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

Source: Wikipedia