TOWN SIGN PROJECT: MAHASKA COUNTY

A few weeks back I tooled around Mahaska County with Teresa harvesting their town signs. It was a good trip.

Here are some facts about Mahaska County:

+ Population is 22,190 making it the 28th most populous county in Iowa. Below Washington County and above Buena Vista County.
+ The county seat and largest town is Oskaloosa.
+ Formed in February of 1843.
+ Named after Chief Mahaska of the Iowa tribe.
+ Home of William Penn University.
+ Major highways are US-63, IA-23, IA-92, IA-163, IA-146, and IA-149.
+ Adjacent counties are Jasper, Poweshiek, Keokuk, Wapello, Monroe, and Marion.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 34,273.

Mahaska County has a cool looking courthouse:

The Mahaska County Courthouse located in Oskalooa, Iowa.

The Mahaska County Freedom Rock is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa:

With Mahaska County completed, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

56 counties completed. 56.6% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Eddyville is partially in Monroe County and partially in Mahaska County and partially in Wapello County. My eyeball assessment says that the plurality of it is in Wapello County, so I will reveal its town sign with the Wapello County harvest.

Here are the town signs of Mahaska County:

Oskaloosa, Iowa
Oskaloosa
PRIDE, PROGRESS, AND TRADITION
Population: 11,558 (+95)

New Sharon, Iowa
Welcome to New Sharon
Est. 1856
Population: 1,262 (-31)

Fremont, Iowa
FREMONT
Population: 708 (-35)

University Park, Iowa
the City of University Park
Welcome home!
Population: 487 (0)

Beacon, Iowa
Welcome to BEACON
Est. 1874
Population: 445 (-49)

Leighton, Iowa
WELCOME TO LEIGHTON
“A Little Bit of Town & County”
Est. 1865
Population: 158 (-4)

Rose Hill, Iowa
WELCOME TO ROSE HILL
Population: 157 (-11)

Barnes City, Iowa (Partially Poweshiek)
WELCOME TO BARNES CITY
HOME OF LAKE HAWTHORN
Population: 156 (-20)

Keomah Village, Iowa
Keomah Village
Population: 110 (+26)

The worst town sign in Mahaska County is a true no-brainer. It is Beacon. I would go so far as to say that Beacon has the worst town sign I’ve seen, where it felt like the town was actually trying. The design elements, just awful by themselves, but then you put them together… it is the thing nightmares are made of. But a special demerit for the Oskaloosa sign that made it practically impossible to read the town slogan on the sign.

For me, the purple ribbon for Mahaska County is a three horse race. Rose Hill, Keomah Village, and Leighton. In the end, I’m going to give it to Leighton for the great artwork AND a snappy town slogan.

Leighton- Best in Show – Mahaska County

I will put this caveat out there though. After I harvested these town signs, I learned from my Instagram friend @runner4life that the unincorporated town of Indianapolis has a pretty great town sign. I don’t pursue unincorporated towns unless they are on my route, so I didn’t visit Indianapolis. However, I plan on harvesting that sign when I harvest Wapello County. So this is one Best in Show that could possibly change.

There is only one alternate sign in Mahaska County: