The September image for the 2022 Photography 139 Calendar is a familiar look for Boonies. It is an overlook on the Des Moines River taken from Ledges State Park.

Tomorrow I will share the October image from the 2022 Calendar.

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A few weeks back I cruised around Wayne County with Vest harvesting their town signs.

Here are some facts about Wayne County:

+ Population is 6,497, making it the 94th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Fremont County and above Osceola County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Corydon.
+ Its southern border with Missouri was uncertain until the states got a decision from the US Supreme Court in 1848 which held the 1816 Sullivan line (re-marked in 1850), originally run as the northern boundary of an Osage Indian “cession.” This line is not a true east–west line so the county does not have an exactly rectangular shape.
+ Formed in 1846.
+ Named after General Anthony Wayne.
+ Major highways are US-65, IA-2, and IA-14.
+ Adjacent counties are Lucas, Appanoose, and Decatur.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 17,491.

The Wayne County Courthouse is mostly a miss.

The Wayne County Courthouse in Corydon, Iowa.

The Wayne County Freedom Rock is located in Corydon, Iowa:

With Wayne County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

51 counties conquered. 51.5% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Wayne County:

Corydon, Iowa
CORYDON
SINCE 1852
Population: 1,526 (-59)

Seymour, Iowa
Welcome to SEYMOUR
WARRIOR & WARRIORETTE STATE CHAMPIONS
1947 GIRLS BASKETBALL
1964 BOYS TRACK
Population: 634 (-67)

Humeston, Iowa
Welcome
See WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
HUMESTON
Population: 465 (-29)

Allerton, Iowa
ALLERTON CITY HALL
Population: 430 (-71)

Lineville, Iowa
LINEVILLE
SINCE 1851
Population: 195 (-22)

Promise City, Iowa
PROMISE CITY
SINCE 1856
Population: 88 (-23)

Clio, Iowa
CLIO WELCOMES YOU
Population: 67 (-13)

Millerton, Iowa
MILLERTON IOWA
est. 1913
Population: 36 (-9)

I’m just going to be frank. Wayne County has the worst collection of town signs of any county to date. I don’t even think it is close either. Unfortunately, the Highway 34 Monorail Salesman (monorail!) made his way south and sold his wretched signs to Lineville, Corydon, and Promise City. They all tie for worst town sign. Which is saying something, considering Allerton doesn’t really have a town sign. I had to snag that from their City Hall. But yes, I would consider no town sign an improvement over the town sign design that snakes its way across the state on Highway 34 and apparently down to Wayne County. Sacre bleu!

That leaves really only 3 contenders for Best in Show. Clio’s sign, while original, is pretty nondescript. There are elements of Seymour’s sign that I like, but I’m always uncomfortable with images of indigenous peoples that smack of stereotypes for towns that don’t seem to have a population of indigenous peoples or much of a indigenous peoples history. Millerton’s sign is solid, but I’m going to have to give the purple ribbon to Humeston.

Humeston – Best in Show – Wayne County

Only Seymour had an alternate town sign:

Seymour – Alternate

I mean, let’s face it, Seymour’s alternate sign is the best town sign in Wayne County, but this sign is several miles outside of town. It isn’t their primary sign, as I define it.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Fremont County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Linn County.