A couple months back I went up to Howard County to harvest their town signs. It was a successful day.
Here are some facts about Howard County:
+ Population is 9,201. Making it the 80th most populous county. Below Emmet County and above Davis County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Cresco.
+ Formed in 1851.
+ Named after Tilghman Ashurt Howard. A layer, politician and diplomat from Indiana. Maybe the most obscure person to have a county named after them in Iowa.
+ Major highways are: US-63, IA-9, and IA-139.
+ Adjacent counties are Winnesheik, Chickasaw, Mitchell, and Floyd.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 14,512. Population has declined in every census since 1950.
I do love the Howard County Courthouse:
The Howard County Courthouse in Cresco, Iowa.
The Howard County Freedom Rock is located in Cresco, Iowa.
Best I did apparently.
With Howard County completed, here is the Updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:
PURPLE=COMPLETED
79 counties down. 79.8% of the Cyclone State conquered.
Note. Riceville is partially in Howard County, but more in Mitchell County, so I shared that town sign when I shared the town signs of Mitchell County.
Here are the town signs of Howard County:
Cresco, Iowa
“IOWA’S YEAR ROUND PLAY GROUND”
CRESCO
Population: 3,888 (+20)
Elma, Iowa
1886
ELMA
Population: 505 (-41)
Lime Springs, Iowa
LIME SPRINGS
BEST TOWN BY A DAM SITE!
Population: 473 (-32)
Protivin, Iowa (Partially in Chickasaw County)
PROTIVIN
Vitame Vas
(Welcomes You)
INC. 1894
Population: 269 (-14)
Chester, Iowa
Welcome To
CHESTER
I O W A
ESTABLISHED 1858
Population: 139 (+12)
That’s it. There are 5 incorporated towns (mostly) in Howard County.
There isn’t a bad town sign in Howard County, so I’m not going to give out a last place trophy for Howard County.
However, is there a great town sign in Howard County? One of them has to be the best. I really like Chester and Elma. But I have to give the purple ribbon to Lime Springs. Not the first “Best Town by a Dam Site!” I’ve seen (Alden comes to mind), but the font and the picture is great!
Lime Springs – Best in Show – Howard County
There are a few alternate signs in Howard County:
Lime Springs – Alternate
Lime Springs – Alternate
Elma – Alternate
Cresco – Alternate
Cresco – Alternate
Here is the current list of Best in Shows:
Best in Show – Adair County
Best in Show – Adams 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 – 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 – Emmet 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 – 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 – Jones County
Best in Show – Keokuk 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 – Mitchell 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 time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will end up in Chickasaw County.