It is the county seat of Polk County with parts extending into Warren County. The city's population was , as of the census. Des Moines is a major center of the United States insurance industry and has a sizable financial-services and publishing business base.
In recent years, Microsoft , Hewlett-Packard , and Facebook [ 9 ] [ 10 ] have built data-processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines area. Des Moines is an important city in U. Many presidential candidates set up campaign headquarters in Des Moines.
A article in The New York Times said, "If you have any desire to witness presidential candidates in the most close-up and intimate of settings, there is arguably no better place to go than Des Moines. This was adopted from the name given by French colonists. One popular interpretation of "Des Moines" concludes that it refers to a group of French Trappist monks , who in the 17th century lived in huts built on top of what is now known as the ancient Monks Mound at Cahokia , the major center of Mississippian culture , which developed in what is present-day Illinois, east of the Mississippi River and the city of St.
This was some miles km from the Des Moines River. Based on archaeological evidence, the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers has attracted humans for at least 7, years. Several prehistoric occupation areas have been identified by archaeologists in downtown Des Moines. Discovered in December , the " Palace " is an expansive 7,year-old site found during excavations prior to construction of the new wastewater treatment plant in southeast Des Moines.
It contains well-preserved house deposits and numerous graves. More than 6, artifacts were found at this site. State of Iowa archaeologist John Doershuk was assisted by University of Iowa archaeologists at this dig. At least three villages, dating from about AD to , stood in or near what developed later as downtown Des Moines. In addition, 15 to 18 prehistoric Native American mounds were observed in the area by early settlers.
