A few weeks back I headed up to Dickinson County to harvest the balance of their town signs. I could spend more time than I did photographing the Iowa Great Lakes area, but I will head back there at some point to spend more time there.
Here are some facts about Dickinson County:
+ The population is 17,260. Making it the 41st most populous county in Iowa. Behind Clayton County and above Delaware County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Spirit Lake.
+ Formed in 1857.
+ Named for Daniel S. Dickinson, a U.S. Senator from New York.
+ Home of the University of Okoboji.
+ Major highways are: US-71, IA-9, and IA-86.
+ Adjacent counties are Emmett, Clay, and Osceola.
+ Currently at peak population.
For a modern courthouse, I dig the Dickinson County Courthouse:
The Dickinson County Courthouse located in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
The Dickinson County Freedom Rock is located in Lake Park, Iowa:
With Dickinson County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
73 counites completed. 73.7% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Dickinson County:
Spirit Lake, Iowa
SPIRIT LAKE
Population: 5,439 (+599)
Milford, Iowa
GATEWAY TO THE IOWA GREAT LAKES
MILFORD
EST. 1892
Population: 3,321 (+423)
Lake Park, Iowa
ON THE SHORES OF Silver Lake
LAKE PARK
Population: 1,167 (+62)
Arnolds Park, Iowa
ARNOLDS PARK
ARNOLDS PARK IOWA
CITY OF 5 LAKES
Population: 1,110 (-16)
Okoboji, Iowa
WELCOME
CITY OF OKOBOJI
Population: 768 (-39)
Orleans, Iowa
Welcome to the City of Orleans
Est. 1895
Population: 521 (-87)
Wahpeton, Iowa
Village of Wahpeton
Population: 345 (+4)
Terril, Iowa
TERRIL
Population: 334 (-33)
West Okoboji, Iowa
City of West Okoboji
Population: 308 (+19)
Superior, Iowa
SUPERIOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING
Population: 132 (+2)
I should point out that Carla spends lots of time in Dickinson County as Jason’s parents have a house there. She let me know that there is an intersection where you can see three town signs at once. I bet this is the only intersection in the state where this occurs.
The worst town sign in Dickinson County is pretty obvious. Superior and their lack of town sign takes the cake. From driving through the town there was a spot that looks like it might have housed a town sign at one time, but it was either destroyed by a storm or ripped out and has never been replaced.
As for Best in Show? I like the concept of the Spirit Lake town sign, it is just too busy. I also like the town signs of Wahpeton, Orleans, and Lake Park. But I have to give the Purple Ribbon to Terril.
Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
At some point, I want to see the sign at night with the neon all lit up. I bet it is glorious!
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
Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson 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 county we will visit for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT is Emmet County. That will complete the northwest corner of the Cyclone State. Next we will start slowly hammering away at the northeast corner.
The spirit lake photo is freaking awesome, it’s special baseball card from when we were kids, it’s like a 3D hologram that moves as your looking at it, you can feel wind blowing, i feel like taking a picture sitting on edge would require a life preserver.
Now the Terrel one would be awesome w neon but it would be the resterant/bar sign that the spirit lake sign would sail up to for dinner w the hot chicks in bikinis and cover ups and guys w fedoras Hawaiian shirts and a golden retriever standing guard on nose of the boat. The boat wins as it sails off in sunset