A couple months back I cruised around Des Moines County harvesting their town signs. It was definitely a good trip and a county I would visit again.
Here are some facts about Des Moines County:
+ Population is 38,491 making it the 16th most populous county in Iowa. Below Marshall County and above Jasper County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Burlington.
+ Formed in September 1834 as part of the Michigan Territory. Became part of the Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838.
+ Named after the Des Moines River.
+ Home of letters written by Anne Frank to a pen pal she had in Danville.
+ Home of the Iowa Ammunition Plant.
+ Home of the “World’s Crookedest Street”. Snake Alley.
+ Major highways are: US-34 and US-61.
+ Adjacent counties are: Louisa, Lee, and Henry.
+ Population peaked in 1970 at 46,982.
Des Moines County has a pretty meh courthouse:
The Des Moines County Courthouse located in Burlington, Iowa.
The Des Moines County Freedom Rock is located in Mediapolis, Iowa.
With Des Moines County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
96 counties completed. 97% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Des Moines County:
Burlington, Iowa
Welcome To Historic Downtown BURLINGTON
Population: 23,982 (-1,671)
West Burlington, Iowa
Welcome To BURLINGTON
WEST BURLINGTON
Population: 3,197 (+229)
Mediapolis, Iowa
Mediapolis
Population: 1,688 (+128)
Danville, Iowa
HOME OF THE DANVILLE BEARS
STATE CHAMPIONS
Population: 927 (-7)
Middletown, Iowa
WELCOME TO MIDDLETOWN
POP. 386 EST. NOV. 1847
HOME OF THE IOWA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT
Population: 363 (+45)
Des Moines County is one of the weakest collection of town signs out there. None of them are exactly terrible, but none of them are great. If I have to give out a last place, I’ll give it to Danville cause that is more of a school sign than a town sign.
The purple ribbon is pretty obvious. No need for suspense. Best of Show goes to Middletown.
Middletown – Best in Show – Des Moines County
There was only one alternate town sign in Des Moines County:
Middletown – 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
Best in Show – Des Moines 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 – Louisa 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 hit the open roads of Dubuque County.