A few weeks back I cruised around Cass County with Brandon and Logan harvesting the town signs of Cass County. We did a little more sightseeing in other counties than I normally do, so it was one of the rare trips where all the town signs are harvested were only in one county. It was a good trip.
Here are some facts about Cass County:
+ The population is 13,127 making Cass County the 58th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Allamakee County and above Wright County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Atlantic.
+ Established in 1851.
+ Named for Lewis Cass a Michigan senator and Democratic candidate for president in 1848.
+ Birthplace of Edwin Perkins, the inventor of Kool-Aid.
+ Major highways are: I-80, US-6, US-71, IA-48, IA-83, IA-92, IA-148, and IA-173.
+ Adjacent counties are: Audubon, Adair, Montgomery, Adams, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.
+ Population peaked in 1930 at 19,422.
The Cass County Courthouse looks similar to Boone’s City Hall:
Cass County Courthouse in Atlantic, Iowa.
The Cass County Freedom Rock is located in Lewis, Iowa:
With Cass County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
37 counties completed. 37.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.
Here are the town signs of Cass County (Population is 2020 Census. In parentheses is change since 2010 Census):
Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic
Coca-Cola CAPITAL OF IOWA
Population: 6,792 (-320)
Griswold, Iowa
GRISWOLD
ESTABLISHED 1879
Population: 994 (-42)
Anita, Iowa
ANITA
A Whale Of A Town
Population: 963 (-9)
Massena, Iowa
Welcome to MASSENA
Population: 359 (+4)
Lewis, Iowa
WELCOME TO OUR HOME LEWIS, IOWA
Population: 357 (-76)
Cumberland, Iowa
Welcome to Cumberland
Since 1884
Population: 215 (-11)
Marne, Iowa
WELCOME TO MARNE
FROM A PROUD PAST TO A PROMISING FUTURE
EST.1875
Population: 110 (-10)
Wiota, Iowa
WELCOME TO WIOTA FROM DENNIS ANDERSEN
Population: 91 (-25)
The worst town sign in Cass County is pretty obvious. It is Atlantic. Coca-Cola? We all know that RC Cola is the poo, so take a big whiff Atlantic*. However, if you get past how gross Coca-Cola is, Wiota’s sign or lack of sign was pretty awful. That Welcome to Wiota banner I found was hanging off some guy’s flagpole in his front yard. And what is with the handcuffs? Is Wiota the host to a big bondage convention? I guess only Dennis Andersen truly knows. But I like to think the gimp from PULP FICTION was originally from this little southwest corner of Iowa.
The best town sign is so completely obvious, I don’t even have to say it:
Anita – Best in Show – Cass County
This was the rare Best in Show that I knew before I even got there. Carla went camping there earlier this year and sent me a picture of it. Anita’s town sign is so great, it could be the sign that goes on the cover of my future book.
Here are the alternate town signs of Cass County:
Marne – Alternate
Here is the current list of Best in Shows:
Best in Show – Adair County
Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County
Best in Show – Crawford County
Best in Show – Franklin County
Best in Show – Hamilton County
Best in Show – Humboldt County
Best in Show – Marshall County
Best in Show – Pocahontas County
The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will make a stop in Adams County.
*Come for the high quality photography. Stay for the references to the 2000 Kirsten Dunst classic BRING IT ON.