A couple weeks back, on the same day that I harvested all the town signs I was missing for Carroll County, I continued west and also harvested all the signs I was missing in Crawford County. That ended up being less than I expected.

I didn’t find anything of real historical interest in Crawford County, so here are some facts about Crawford County:

+ Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,096. Its county seat is Denison. The county was named for William Harris Crawford, U.S. senator from Georgia and United States Secretary of the Treasury.
+ In January 1851, the Iowa Legislature authorized the creation of 50 additional counties in the state. Due to its lack of inhabitants, the designated Crawford County area was attached to Shelby County for purposes of revenue, taxation, and judicial matters.
+ In 1855 there were sufficient settlers, who petitioned for separation from Shelby. This was granted, and a county governing structure was established. The county as then designated did not include its present western townships.
+ In 1865, four eastern townships of Monona County were separated from that county and incorporated into Crawford County’s boundary.
+ After several adjustments and reorganizations, the present arrangement of Crawford County townships was completed in June 1872.

Here is the Crawford County Photo Map (borders, not remotely accurate):

Crawford County Photo Map

And with Crawford County completed, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

10 counties completed. 10.1% of the state conquered.

Here are the Crawford County signs:

Denison, Iowa
City of Denison – “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Population: 8,298

Schleswig, Iowa
Schleswig – Est. 1899
Population: 882

Manilla, Iowa
Manilla
Population: 776

Dow City, Iowa
Dow City – Est.1869
Population: 510

Charter Oak, Iowa
Welcome to Charter Oak
Population – 502

Vail, Iowa
Welcome to Vail – A small town with a BIG heart
Population: 436

Westside, Iowa
Westside
Population: 299

Kiron, Iowa
Kiron – BLESSED WITH THE BEST
Population: 279

Deloit, Iowa
Welcome to DELOIT – Oldest Town In Crawford County
Population: 264

Ricketts, IOwa
Ricketts – “Middle of Nowhere”
Population: 145

Arion, Iowa
Welcome to Arion
Population: 108

Buck Grove, Iowa
Buck Grove
Population: 43

Aspinwall, Iowa
Aspinwall – Still A Little Slice of Paradise – Est. 1882
Population: 40

Boyer, Iowa
Boyer
Former City

Crawford County is not a hotbed of great signs, but at least almost all the signs are respectable. Last week, at least a couple people let me know that they thought that the Arcadia sign was very phallic. I’m sure the same people will feel the same way about the Dow City sign. Perhaps it is the worst in Crawford County. The Aspinwall sign is peculiar because they took all the time and energy to put a slogan on the sign, but they put it so small that a person would need to stop their car, get out their magnifying glass, and get up close to the sign to even figure out what it says.

I think Best in Show is pretty much a no-brainer. I do like the Denison sign because I love Donna Reed and I love IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Absolutely one of the greatest movies ever made. Period. Here is her bio from the Internet Movie Database:

Donna Reed was born in the midwestern town of Denison, Iowa, on January 27, 1921, as Donna Belle Mullenger. A small town – a population of less than 3,000 people – Denison was located by the Boyer River, and was the county seat of Crawford County. Donna grew up as a farm girl, much like many young girls in western Iowa, except for one thing – Donna was very beautiful. That wasn’t to say that others weren’t as pretty, it’s just that Donna’s beauty stood out from all the other local girls, so much so that she won a beauty contest in Denison. Upon graduation from high school Donna left for college in Los Angeles, in the hopes of eventually entering movies.

While at Los Angeles City College, she pursued her dream by participating in several college stage productions. In addition to the plays, she also won the title of Campus Queen. At one of those stage plays Donna was spotted by an MGM talent scout and was signed to a contract. Her first film was a minor role in MGM’s The Getaway (1941). That was followed by a small part in Babes on Broadway (1941), with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland as a secretary. Afterwards, MGM began giving her better parts, in films such as The Bugle Sounds (1942), The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) and The Man from Down Under (1943). In 1944 she received second billing playing Carol Halliday in See Here, Private Hargrove (1944), a comedy about a reporter drafted into the army who eventually meets up with Donna’s character as a worker in the canteen. The following year Donna starred in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), her best role to date. It was a love story set in London in 1890. It got mixed critical reviews but did well at the box-office. Donna was now one of the leading ladies of Hollywood. In 1946 she starred in what is probably her best-known role, as the wife of James Stewart in the classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). This timeless story is a holiday staple to this day. The film also starred Lionel Barrymore and Thomas Mitchell. The next year Donna starred as Ann Daniels in Paramount’s Beyond Glory (1948) with Alan Ladd, which did well at the box-office. Her next role was the strongest she had had yet–Chicago Deadline (1949), again with Ladd. It was one of the best mystery dramas to come out of Hollywood in a long time, and did very well at the box office. As the 1940s faded out and the 1950s stormed in, Donna’s roles got bigger but were mainly of the wholesome, girl-next-door type. In 1953, however, she starred as the hostess Alma in the widely acclaimed From Here to Eternity (1953). She was so good in that film she was nominated for and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, beating out such veterans as Thelma Ritter and Marjorie Rambeau. The film itself won for Best Picture and remains a classic to this day. Later that year Donna starred in The Caddy (1953), a comedy with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Three years later she landed the role of Sacajawea in The Far Horizons (1955), the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, starring Charlton Heston and Fred MacMurray. After finishing The Whole Truth (1958), Donna began her own TV series (produced by her husband), The Donna Reed Show (1958), a hit that ran for eight years. She was so effective in the show that she was nominated for TV’s prestigious Emmy Award as Best Actress every year from 1959-1962. She was far more popular in TV than on the screen. After the run of the program, Donna took some time away from show business before coming back in a couple of made-for-TV movies (in 1974, she had made a feature called Yellow-Headed Summer (1974), but it was never released)

She did get the role of Ellie Ewing Farlow in the hit TV series Dallas (1978) during the 1984-85 season. It was to be her final public performance. On January 14, 1986, less than two weeks before her 65th birthday, she died of pancreatic cancer in Beverly Hills, California. Grover Asmus, her husband, created the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts in her hometown of Denison. The foundation helps others who desire a career in the arts. Donna never forgot her roots. She was still a farm girl at heart.

As much as I love Donna Reed and as much as I love IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, it just isn’t that great of a sign.

Kiron has an okay sign. Deloit’s is okay. I really like Manilla’s sign as well. But Best in Show for Crawford County is very obvious:

Crawford County Best in Show – Ricketts, Iowa

I took this picture in September of 2020. If you are wondering about the Ricketts Centennial 1999 part of the sign.

There were a couple of Crawford County towns that have town sign alternates, I need to share:

Denison Alternate

Manilla Alternate

The Denison alternate reminds me of Kansas. It seems a popular thing to do in central Kanas to put the name of your town up on the side of hill. I also really dig the Manilla alternate. I actually really dug Manilla. It had a pretty cool aesthetic in its downtown area.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Webster County

Here is the updated BENNETT TOWN SIGN POWER RANKINGS:

#10. Scranton

#9. Ricketts

#8. Liscomb

#7. Dexter

#6. Templeton

#5. Haverhill

#4. Farnhamville

#3. Pilot Mound

#2. Moingona

#1. Coon Rapids

The next county we will visit is Wright County.

I recently drove through Carroll County to harvest all the signs in Carroll that I was missing. I didn’t run across any interesting historical markers in Carroll County, so might as well just get straight to it.

Here is a look at the Carroll County Photo Map. Once again, the boundaries of Carroll County are approximate at best:

Carroll County Photo Map

And with Carroll County completed, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

Here are the towns signs of Carroll County (Population Stats from 2010 Census):

Carroll, Iowa
Carroll
Population: 10,103

Manning, Iowa
Manning – It’s Refreshing!
Population: 1,500

Coon Rapids, Iowa
Coon Rapids – In the Heart of Corn Country
Population: 1,305

Glidden, Iowa
Glidden
Population: 1,146

Arcadia, Iowa
Arcadia
Population: 1,146

Breda, Iowa
Welcome To Breda
Population: 483

Templeton, Iowa
Welcome to Templeton – A Strong Community Spirit
Population: 362

Dedham, Iowa
Dedham Welcomes You
Population: 266

Halbur, Iowa
Welcome to Halbur
Population: 246

Lidderdale, Iowa
Lidderdale
Population: 180

Lanesboro, Iowa
Welcome to Lanesboro
Population: 121

Willey, Iowa
Willey
Population: 88

Ralston, Iowa
Ralston
Population: 79

Mt. Carmel, Iowa – I don’t even know what Mt. Carmel is, it isn’t listed as an unincorporated community, but it isn’t exactly a ghost town either, but it does exist.

Carrollton, Iowa – Ghost Town

It is very obvious that Carroll has the worst town sign in Carroll County, and it isn’t even close. Although Breda’s sign is pretty terrible. As is the sign for Arcadia and Lidderdale.

There are some really good town signs in Carroll County though. Manning has a great sign, but I have no clue why Manning is refreshing. Templeton, also has a great and clever town sign, with the tie in to their local distillery. However, the best town sign in Carroll County is pretty obvious:

Coon Rapids – Carroll County Best in Show – The best part, that ear of corn spins!!!

Some of these towns did have alternate town signs I’d like to share:

Coon Rapids – Alternate

Lanesboro – Alternate #1

Lanesboro – Alternate #2

Templeton – Alternate

Also, while I was on this trip I found an alternate sign for the Greene County sign of Scranton:

Scranton – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Coon Rapids

Here is the updated BENNETT TOWN SIGN POWER RANKINGS:

#10. Scranton

#9. Boone

#8. Liscomb

#7. Dexter

#6. Templeton

#5. Haverhill

#4. Farnhamville

#3. Pilot Mound

#2. Moingona

#1. Coon Rapids

The next county we will visit is Crawford County.