A couple months back I cruised around Louisa County harvesting their town signs. It was a good trip.
Here are some facts about Louisa County:
+ Population is 10,749. Making it the 67th most populous county in Iowa. Below Cherokee County and above Hancock County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Wapello.
+ Formed on December 7, 1836 as part of the Wisconsin Territory. Became part of the Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838.
+ Either named after Louisa Massey or named after Louisa County, Virginia. I like to think it was named after Louisa Massey cause that would make it one of only a couple of counties named after a woman and because Louisa Massey’s fame came from avenging the murder of her brother by shooting the person that murdered him.
+ Boyhood home of Jorge Rios.
+ Home of the Columbus Junction Swinging Bridge.
+ Major highways are: US-61, UIA-70, IA-78, and IA-92.
+ Adjacent counties are: Johnson, Muscatine, Des Moines, Henry, and Washington.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 13,516.
Louisa County has a boring looking courthouse. Looks like an elementary school I went to:
The Louisa County Courthouse located in Wapello, Iowa.
The Louisa County Freedom Rock is located in Grandview, Iowa:
With Louisa County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
95 counties completed. 96% of the Cyclone State conquered!
Here are the town signs of Louisa County:
Wapello, Iowa
WAPELLO
Est. 1856
Population: 2,084 (+17)
Columbus Junction, Iowa
Welcome to Columbus Junction
Population: 1,830 (-69)
Morning Sun, Iowa
MORNING SUN
Population: 752 (-84)
Grandview, Iowa
City Of Grandview
WELCOMES YOU
Population: 437 (-119)
Columbus City, Iowa
Welcome TO COLUMBUS CITY
EST. 1841
Population: 392 (-1)
Letts, Iowa
Welcome to LETTS
POP. 374
Population: 363 (-21)
Welcome to FREDONIA
Est 1836
Home of the Convict Road
Population: 222 (-22)
Oakville, Iowa
A Peaceful Place BETWEEN TWO RIVERS
OAKVILLE
Population: 200 (+27)
Cotter, Iowa
COTTER TOWN HALL
Population: 39 (-9)
Cario, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome Historic CAIRO
1835
THE SPIRIT OF CAIRO LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS
Louisa County has a solid but not spectacular collection of signs. Last place is pretty obvious, it belongs to Columbus Junction that doesn’t even have a real town sign. Just some banners hanging from their light poles.
I’m a fan of the Fredonia sign. The Cairo sign. The Letts sign. The Grandview sign. But the purple ribbon has to go to Morning Sun!
Morning Sun – Best in Show – Louisa County
There was only one alternate town sign in Louisa County:
Morning Sun – 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 – 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 Des Moines County.
Morning Sun was winner by a mile!
Yeah, it is a pretty clear winner.