A couple months back, on my way back from a trip to Manhattan, Kansas to watch Nate graduate from Kansas State, I cruised through Pottawattamie County to harvest the balance of their town signs.
Here are some facts about Pottawattamie County:
+ Population is 93,667 making it the 10th most populous county in Iowa. Below Story County and above Warren County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Council Bluffs.
+ Named after the Potawatomi Native American Tribe.
+ Home of the only town in Iowa that is west of the Missouri River.
+ Major highways are I-29, I-80, I-480, I-680, I-880, US-6, US-59, US-275, IA-83, IA-92, IA-165, IA-191, and IA-192.
+ Adjacent counties are: Harrison, Cass, Mills, and Shelby.
+ Currently at peak population.
The Pottawattamie Courthouse is not much to look at:
The Pottawattamie County Courthouse in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The Pottawattamie County Freedom Rock is located in Oakland, Iowa:
With Pottawattamie County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
58 counties completed. 58.6% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Pottawattamie County:
Council Bluffs, Iowa
COUNCIL BLUFFS
All-America City
Population: 62,799 (+569)
Carter Lake, Iowa
WELCOME TO CARTER LAKE IOWA
Population: 3,791 (+6)
Avoca, Iowa
Avoca
Population: 1,683 (+177)
Oakland, Iowa
OAKLAND
1882 1982
Population: 1,524 (+18)
Treynor, Iowa (Note the Cy Rip-off on the Sign)
Welcome to TREYNOR
Population: 1,032 (+113)
Underwood, Iowa
WELCOME TO UNDERWOOD
EST. 1882
Population: 954 (+37)
Neola, Iowa
WELCOME TO NEOLA
EST. 1882
Population: 918 (+76)
Carson, Iowa
EST. 1881
CARSON
Population: 766 (-46)
Walnut, Iowa
WELCOME TO WALNUT
IOWA’S ANTIQUE CITY
EST 1871
Population: 747 (-38)
Crescent, Iowa
Crescent
Est. 1856
Population: 628 (+11)
Minden, Iowa
WELCOME TO MINDEN
EST. 1875
Population: 600 (+1)
Macedonia, Iowa
MACEDONIA
Pop. 325
ORIGINAL PIONEER TRAIL
“Small In Size Large In Heart!”
Population: 267 (+21)
If you are wondering, Carter Lake is the only town in Iowa that is west of the Missouri River. There is no way to get to it from Iowa without having to drive through Nebraska. Which is a fate I wouldn’t wish on any Iowan. At least by car. I suppose theoretically, you might be able to swim across the Missouri River and never be in Nebraska, but I’m sure halfway through the Missouri River you are probably technically in Nebraska. Oh the humanity!
I’ll get into how Carter Lake ended up in Iowa and the Supreme Court cases that made it so at some point in the future. But Carter Lake does have a special place in my heart as its Methodist Church was the first church that Pastor Andrea was assigned to out of divinity school.
I think this is a pretty solid collection of town signs. The only one I would consider to be flat out bad is Avoca.
I really like Oakland’s acorn sign, but I’m going to have to give Pottawattamie’s purple ribbon to Walnut. And it isn’t only because I have a soft spot in my heart for antiques because of my parents.
Walnut – Best in Show – Pottawattamie County
There are a few alternate town signs in Pottawattamie County:
Walnut – 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 – Montgomery County
Best in Show – Pocahontas County
Best in Show – Pottawattamie County
Best in Show – Poweshiek County
Best in Show – Ringgold County
The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will end up in Harrison County. A county that at least a couple of people that I know have a special connection with.
Sorry, Oakland’s is the best here.
I also find it somewhat whimsical that Oakland has a nut as their sign, while Walnut doesn’t.
The acorn is the nut of an oak tree, hence the acorn in the sign. Walnut leans very heavily into their antique stores. It is actually pretty impressive, if you ever get a chance to stop there. Walnut is definitely on the list of towns I will visit again when I have more time.
I do understand the acorn/oak affiliation, yes.
I’ve heard that they have more antique stores per capita than anywhere else in Iowa, but I don’t know that there is any official science to that claim. (And the Amanas may disagree.) It would be fascinating to prowl around.
I would say it isn’t even close. Walnut has way more antique stores than the Amanas. I’m not even sure there is another kind of business in Walnut. There is probably a restaurant there, but it probably also sales antiques.
When I went through there it was a Sunday and everything was closed, but it was still cool just to drive by them and see all the stuff that they had on display outside and wonder what kind of treasures were inside.