 In 1845, John Thompson, along with Davis and Chester Sage, had the town of Elkader, Iowa surveyed, later to be platted on June 22, 1846.Davis was tasked with naming the town, and ultimately settled on Elkader, after Emir Abdelkader whose resistance against French colonialism he admired.After settling on the name, the Elkader Flour Mill Company was established along with a hotel and store.