TOWN SIGN PROJECT: APPANOOSE COUNTY

A few weeks back after I went down to Pella to photograph some tulips, I went down to Appanoose County to harvest their town signs. It was a good day.

Here are some facts about Appanoose County:
+ Population is 12,462, making it the 60th most populous county in Iowa. Below Wright County and above Union County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Centerville.
+ Formed on February 17, 1843.
+ Named for the Meskwaki Chief.
+ Home of Lake Rathbun.
+ Major highways are: IA-2, IA-5, and IA-202.
+ Adjacent counties are: Monroe, Wapello, Lucas, Davis, and Wayne.
+ Population peaked in 1920 at 30,535.

The Appanoose County courthouse is beautiful:


Appanoose County Courthouse
The Appanoose County Courthouse in Centerville, Iowa.

The Appanoose County Freedom Rock is located in Centerville:


Appanoose County Freedom Rock

Appanoose County Freedom Rock

With Appanoose County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:


Town Sign Project - 77 Counties
PURPLE=COMPLETED

77 counties conquered. 77.8% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Appanoose County:


Centerville, Iowa
Centerville, Iowa
CENTERVILLE
Population: 5,412 (-116)

Moravia, Iowa
Moravia, Iowa
MORAVIA
SINCE 1851
Population: 636 (-29)

Moulton, Iowa
Moulton, Iowa
MOULTON
SINCE 1869
Population: 607 (+2)

Mystic, Iowa
Mystic, Iowa
MYSTIC
Population: 322 (-103)

Cincinnati, Iowa
Cincinnati, Iowa
Cincinnati
Iowa
Population: 290 (-67)

Exline, Iowa
Exline, Iowa
EXLINE
THE LITTLE TOWN WITH A BIG HEART
Population: 160 (No Change)

Unionville, Iowa
Unionville, Iowa
UNIONVILLE
IOWA
EST. 1843
Population: 75 (-27)

Numa, Iowa
Numa, Iowa
NUMA COMMUNITY CENTER
Population: 68 (-24)

Rathbun, Iowa
Plano, Iowa
PLANO
SINCE 1879
Population: 59 (-11)

Rathbun, Iowa
Rathbun, Iowa
WELCOME TO THE CITY OF RATHBUN
ESTABLISHED 1892
GATEWAY TO RATHBUN LAKE
Population: 43 (-46)

Udell, Iowa
Udell, Iowa
UDELL IOWA
Population: 28 (-19)

First, I’m pretty startled by the population drops over just 10 years in Appanoose County. I get it, nobody wants to live close to Missouri. It is an absolutely horrible place. But I thought Lake Rathbun would be enough of an economic generator to help the towns in the area and Centerville is a pretty nice town, from what I’ve seen. I guess last person left in Appanoose County, turn off the lights.

However, I have a theory why Appanoose County has lost over half its population in the last 100 years. It is the fact that so many of the towns have the terrible (what I call, because that is where I first saw their infestation) Highway 34 signs. They are a scourge of southern Iowa. Three towns have them and spoiler, Centerville also had one. All three of those towns tie for the worst town sign in Appanoose County.

Who gets the purple ribbon though? I like Cincinnati’s sign. I like Exline’s sign. I also like Unionville’s (suck it confederacy and confederacy fanboys*), but it really is a two horse race between Centerville and Rathbun. I’m giving the nod to Centerville.


Centerville, Iowa
Centerville – Best in Show – Appanoose County

Centerville had a few alternate signs:


Centerville, Iowa
Puke

Centerville, Iowa
Centerville – Alternate

Centerville, Iowa
Centerville – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:


Fontanelle, Iowa
Best in Show – Adair County

Nodaway, Iowa
Best in Show – Adams County

Centerville, Iowa
Best in Show – Appanoose County

Audubon, Iowa
Best in Show – Audubon County

Norway, Iowa
Best in Show – Benton County

Gilbertville, Iowa
Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Moingona, Iowa
Best in Show – Boone County

Readlyn, Iowa
Best in Show – Bremer County

Storm Lake, Iowa
Best in Show – Buena Vista County

New Hartford, Iowa
Best in Show – Butler County

Manson, Iowa
Best in Show – Calhoun County

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Best in Show – Carroll County

Anita, Iowa
Best in Show – Cass County

Lowden, Iowa
Best in Show – Cedar County

Dougherty, Iowa
Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Washta, Iowa
Best in Show – Cherokee County

Murray, Iowa
Best in Show – Clarke County

Rossie, Iowa
Best in Show – Clay County

Low Moor, Iowa
Best in Show – Clinton County

Ricketts, Iowa
Best in Show – Crawford County

Dexter, Iowa
Best in Show – Dallas County

Weldon, Iowa
Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril, Iowa
Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Ringsted, Iowa
Best in Show – Emmet County

Marble Rock, Iowa
Best in Show – Floyd County

Popejoy, Iowa
Best in Show – Franklin County

Tabor, Iowa
Best in Show – Fremont County

Scranton, Iowa
Best in Show – Greene County

Beaman, Iowa
Best in Show – Grundy County

Menlo, Iowa
Best in Show – Guthrie County

Stanhope, Iowa
Best in Show – Hamilton County

Britt, Iowa
Best in Show – Hancock County

Ackley, Iowa
Best in Show – Hardin County

Modale, Iowa
Best in Sow – Harrison County

Bradgate, iowa
Best in Show – Humboldt County

Ida Grove, Iowa
Best in Show – Ida County

Millersburg, Iowa
Best in Show – Iowa County

La Motte, Iowa
Best in Show – Jackson County

Lynnville, Iowa
Best in Show – Jasper County

Anamosa, Iowa
Best in Show – Jones County

Titonka, Iowa
Best in Show – Kossuth County

Springville, Iowa
Best in Show – Linn County

Lucas, Iowa
Best in Show – Lucas County

George, Iowa
Best in Show – Lyon County

East Peru, Iowa
Best in Show – Madison County

Leighton, Iowa
Best in Show – Mahaska County

Pleasantville, Iowa
Best in Show – Marion County

Haverhill, Iowa
Best in Show – Marshall County

Malvern, Iowa
Best in Show – Mills County

Riceville, Iowa
Best in Show – Mitchell County

Onawa, Iowa
Best in Show – Monona County

Melrose, Iowa
Best in Show – Monroe County

Grant, Iowa
Best in Show – Montgomery County

Paullina, Iowa
Best in Show – O’Brien County

Melvin, Iowa
Best in Show – Osceola County

College Springs, Iowa
Best in Show – Page County

Mallard, Iowa
Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Kingsley, Iowa
Best in Show – Plymouth County

Plover, Iowa
Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Bondurant, Iowa
Best in Show – Polk County

Walnut, Iowa
Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Malcom, Iowa
Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Maloy, Iowa
Best in Show – Ringgold County

Nemaha, Iowa
Best in Show – Sac County

Elk Horn, Iowa
Best in Show – Shelby County

Orange City, Iowa
Best in Show – Sioux County

Collins, Iowa
Best in Show – Story County

Tama, Iowa
Best in Show – Tama County

Gravity, Iowa
Best in Show – Taylor County

Creston, Iowa
Best in Show – Union County

New Virginia, Iowa
Best in Show – Warren County

Humeston, Iowa
Best in Show – Wayne County

Badger, Iowa
Best in Show – Webster County

Buffalo Center, Iowa
Best in Show – Winnebago County

Sloan, Iowa
Best in Show – Woodbury County

Joice, Iowa
Best in Show – Worth County

Woolstock, Iowa
Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Keokuk County.

* Also known as racists.

2 thoughts on “TOWN SIGN PROJECT: APPANOOSE COUNTY”

  1. Those generic signs are just so terrible. They are tied with gravestone signs for worst.

  2. If there were only a couple, that would be one thing, but they are all over the place!

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