A couple months back I cruised around Van Buren County harvesting their town signs. Van Buren County is interesting because it is a collection of old villages more than towns. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but that is how they view themselves. Either way, there is lots of cool history in Van Buren County and cool little villages.
Here are some facts about Van Buren County:
+ Population is 7,243, making it the 90th most populous county in Iowa. Below Worth County and above Pocahontas County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Keosauqua.
+ Formed on December 7, 1836 as part of the Wisconsin Territory. Was split off from Des Moines County. Became part of the Iowa territory on July 4, 1838.
+ Named after President Martin Van Buren, who was considered the first forgettable American President.
+ The site of The Honey War. When a bunch of thugs from Missouri tried to invade Iowa and steal honey from Iowa’s delicious honey trees. The Iowans quickly kicked their ass back to their loser state. The conflict (mostly over the border between the state) was mostly decided in 1846 when Congress ruled in Iowa’s favor. Suck it “show me state”.
+ Home of Iowa’s oldest active courthouse. Second oldest in the nation.
+ Major highways are: IA-1, IA-2, IA-16, and IA-98.
+ Adjacent counties are: Jefferson, Henry, Lee, and Davis.
+ Population peaked in 1870 at 17,672.
The Van Buren County Courthouse is okay looking:
The Van Buren County Courthouse located in Keosauqua, Iowa.
The Van Buren County Freedom Rock is located in Stockport, Iowa:
With Van Buren County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
94 counties completed. 94.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Van Buren County:
Keosauqua, Iowa
Keosauqua
established 1839
Population: 936 (-70)
Farmington, Iowa
Welcome To Farmington, Iowa
“Oldest Village in Van Buren County:
Home of The Strawberry Festival
2nd Weekend in June
Population: 579 (-85)
Milton, Iowa
WELCOME TO MILTON
EST. 1851
Population: 380 (-63)
Birmingham, Iowa
BIRMINGHAM
GATEWAY TO SCENIC VAN BUREN COUNTY
Population: 367 (-81)
Bonaparte, Iowa
BONAPARTE
founded 1837
IOWA
WELCOME TO A NATIONAL HISTORIC DIST.
A VILLAGE OF VAN BUREN COUNTY
Population: 359 (-84)
Stockport, Iowa
EST. 1887
Population: 272 (-24)
Cantril, Iowa
VILLAGE OF CANTRIL
EST. 1872
Population: 224 (+2)
Selma, Iowa – Unincorporated
SELMA
52588
Leando, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME TO LEANDO, IA
EST. 1838
Douds, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to DOUDS IOWA
Est. 1866
Home of DOUDS STONE LLC
Since 1926
Bentonsport, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to Bentonsport
Van Buren County has a truly great collection of town signs. Definitely a Top 5 County in this respect. I can’t pick a bad one.
But what town gets the purple ribbon? I love so many of them. I love the Milton sign and the Keosauqua sign and the Cantril sign. But I’m going to have to give the Best in Show prize to Bonaparte.
Bonaparte – Best in Show – Van Buren County
There are a few alternate town signs in Van Buren County:
Milton – Alternate
Keosauqua – Alternate
Douds – Alternate
Cantril – Alternate
Stockport – Alternate
Here is the current list of Best in Shows:
Best in Show – Adair County
Best in Show – Adams County
Best in Show – Allamakee County
Best in Show – Appanoose 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 – Buchanan 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 – Chickasaw County
Best in Show – Clarke County
Best in Show – Clay County
Best in Show – Clayton County
Best in Show – Clinton County
Best in Show – Crawford County
Best in Show – Dallas County
Best in Show – Decatur County
Best in Show – Delaware County
Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Emmet County
Best in Show – Fayette County
Best in Show – Floyd 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 – Henry County
Best in Show – Howard 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 – Jefferson County
Best in Show – Johnson County
Best in Show – Jones County
Best in Show – Keokuk County
Best in Show – Kossuth County
Best in Show – Lee 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 – Mitchell County
Best in Show – Monona County
Best in Show – Monroe County
Best in Show – Montgomery County
Best in Show – Muscatine 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 – Van Buren County
Best in Show – Wapello County
Best in Show – Warren County
Best in Show – Washington County
Best in Show – Wayne County
Best in Show – Webster County
Best in Show – Winnebago County
Best in Show – Winneshiek 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 Louisa County.
Very solid choice. I vote either this one or Milton, and can be convinced either way.
I think there probably isn’t a wrong choice in this collection. Multiple signs from this county will make the book.