A few weeks back I prowled around the backroads of Black Hawk County harvesting their town signs before have a delicious meal at Zeno’s. It was a good trip!
Here are some facts about Black Hawk County:
+ Population is 131,813 making it the 5th most populous county in Iowa. Below Johnson County and above Woodbury County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Waterloo.
+ Formed on February 17, 1853.
+ Named after Black Hawk, the Sauk leader during the 1832 Black Hawk War.
+ Home of Iowa State Normal School. Might go by a different name now.
+ Major highways are: I-380, US-20, US-63, US-218, IA-21, IA-27, IA-57, IA-58, IA-175, and IA-281.
+ Adjacent counties are: Bremer, Buchanan, Benton, Tama, Grundy, Butler, and Fayette.
+ Reached peak population in 1980 at 137,961.
The Black Hawk County Courthouse is a hideous eyesore:
The Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo, Iowa.
The Black Hawk County Freedom Rock is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa:
With Black Hawk County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
72 counties completed. 72.7% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Black Hawk County:
Waterloo, Iowa
Welcome to Waterloo
Population: 67,314 (-1,092)
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls Iowa
Home of UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
Population: 40,713 (+1,457)
Evansdale, Iowa
WELCOME TO EVANSDALE
Population: 4,561 (-190)
Hudson, Iowa
WELCOME TO HUDSON
THE GEM OF BLACKHAWK VALLEY
Population: 2,546 (+264)
La Porte City, Iowa
WELCOME TO LaPorte City
HOME OF IOWA’S FIRST FFA AG MUSEUM
Population: 2,284 (-236)
Elk Run Heights, Iowa
WELCOME TO ELK RUN HEIGHTS
SMALL CITY FRIENDLY
BIG CITY CONVENIENT
Population: 1,069 (-48)
Dunkerton, Iowa
Welcome to DUNKERTON
‘Home of the Raiders’
Population: 842 (-10)
Gilbertville, Iowa
Welcome to Gilbertville
Population: 794 (+82)
Raymond, Iowa
Welcome to RAYMOND
Est. 1867
Population: 759 (-29)
The worst sign in Black Hawk County is pretty obvious. Evansdale. No need for further discussion.
I think there are two real contenders for the purple ribbon. It is Hudson and Gilbertville. While it is close, I’m going to give it to Gilbertville.
Hudson – Best in Show – Black Hawk County
There are a couple of alternate town signs in Black Hawk County:
Dunkerton – Alternate
Hudson – Alternate
Hudson – 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 – Black Hawk County
Best in Show – Boone County
Best in Show – Bremer County
Best in Show – Buena Vista County
Best in Show – Butler County
Best in Show – Calhoun County
Best in Show – Carroll County
Best in Show – Cass County
Best in Show – Cedar County
Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County
Best in Show – Cherokee County
Best in Show – Clarke County
Best in Show – Clay County
Best in Show – Clinton 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 Sow – Harrison County
Best in Show – Humboldt County
Best in Show – Ida County
Best in Show – Iowa County
Best in Show – Jackson 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 – Lyon County
Best in Show – Madison County
Best in Show – Mahaska County
Best in Show – Marion County
Best in Show – Marshall County
Best in Show – Mills County
Best in Show – Monona County
Best in Show – Monroe County
Best in Show – Montgomery County
Best in Show – O’Brien County
Best in Show – Osceola County
Best in Show – Page County
Best in Show – Palo Alto County
Best in Show – Plymouth County
Best in Show – Pocahontas County
Best in Show – Polk County
Best in Show – Pottawattamie County
Best in Show – Poweshiek County
Best in Show – Ringgold County
Best in Show – Sac County
Best in Show – Shelby County
Best in Show – Sioux 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 – Woodbury 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 Dickinson County.