A few weeks back I made a road trip with Michelle to harvest the town signs of Jones County.
Here are some facts about Jones County:
+ The population is 20,760 making it the 31st most populous county in Iowa. Below Carroll County and above Buchanan County.
+ Anamosa is the largest town and county seat.
+ Was founded in 1837 and is named after George Wallace Jones.
+ Home of Anamosa State Penitentiary.
+ Major highways are: US-151, IA-1, IA-38, IA-64, and IA-136.
+ Adjacent counties are Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, Clinton, Cedar, and Linn.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 21,954.
The Jones County Courthouse is pretty meh:
The Jones County Courthouse in Anamosa, Iowa.
The Jones County Freedom Rock is located in Stone City, Iowa:
With Jones County completed, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
53 counties completed. 53.5% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Jones County:
Anamosa, Iowa
ANAMOSA
BIRTHPLACE OF GRANT WOOD
*MUSEUMS
*ANTIQUES
NEXT EXIT
Population: 5,450 (-83)
Monticello, Iowa
MONTICELLO
Population: 3,796 (+244)
Cascade, Iowa (Partially in Dubuque County)
CASCADE
Population: 2,386 (+227)
Olin, Iowa
WELCOME TO OLIN
SINCE 1835
Stop for a Visit… Stay for a Lifetime!
Population: 651 (-47)
Wyoming, Iowa
Welcome To WYOMING
The Christmas City
Population: 523 (+8)
Oxford Junction, Iowa
OXFORD JUNCTION
EST. 1871
Population: 424 (-72)
Martelle, Iowa
WELCOME TO MARTELLE
The small town with the BIG Heart!
Population: 249 (-6)
Onslow, Iowa
Welceome to Onslow
Est. 1871
Population: 201 (+4)
Morely, Iowa
1925
MORLEY
Population: 966 (-15)
Stone City, Iowa (Unincorporated)
STONE CITY
I don’t know there is necessarily a terrible sign in this collection. If there is a worst sign, I guess I’d give it to Monticello. But Cascade is equally as boring.
For Best in Show, I think it is pretty obvious. While I like the town signs in Martelle, Olin, Oxford Junction and Morley for just being so weird, I have to give it to Anamosa.
Anamosa – Best in Show – Jones County
There are a couple alternate signs in Jones County:
Onslow – Alternate
Olin – Alternate
Monticello – Alternate
Cascade – Alternate
Cascade – Alternate
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 – Jones County
Best in Show – Kossuth County
Best in Show – Linn 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 dusty trail for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will end up in Cedar County.
Morley’s got my vote of this group. Mostly because it looks like an implement you would use in a track and field competition.
It took me awhile to even talk myself into whether or not I thought Morley was even a town sign. I thought at first it was an address marker. But it is in a park and the street it is on isn’t named Morley Avenue or Street or Boulevard or Lane. It is certainly unique. That is for sure.