Category Archives: Town Sign Project

Art, History, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Calhoun County

July 20, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 6 Comments

Here is Part 2 in the story of my Grandma Bennett’s second marriage.

Jealous Woman Shoots Ex-Boone Man
Sioux City, Jan. 12

Maurice Handschin, 37, packing house worker, was in critical condition in a Sioux City hospital today after being shot through the body last, night assertedly by Mrs. Martell McPeek, 29.

Police said Mrs. McPeek, enraged because she hoped to wed Handschin, who married another woman 10 days ago, forced her way into his home while Hanschin and his bride were eating dinner, took a revolver from her purse and fired twice. One bullet struck him in the abdomen.

Transfusions were given Handschin in an effort to save his life.

—

From Boone

Mrs. McPeek said she had made plans to divorce her husband and marry Handschin. Mrs. Handschin whose 7-year-old daughter witnessed the shooting, came to Sioux City a few days ago from Boone, Iowa, where she obtained a divorce four years ago.

As physicians were dressing Handschin’s wounds in his home, Mrs. McPeek stood calmly beside him and said: “I’m sorry Maurice, but I just couldn’t stand it.”

Bud Ackerly, who brought Mrs. McPeek to Handschin’s home in his automobile, rushed into the house after hearing the shots and wrested the gun from her. He was not held.

Filing of charges was delayed pending outcome of Handschin’s condition.

—

Married Here

Acquaintances here Friday said Mrs. Handschin is the former Mrs. Bernice Kessler of Boone who was married to Handschin here about 10 days ago. They said she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. Needham. Handschin formerly lived here.

—

Held in Jail

Maurice Handschin, 37, a packing house worker, was in critical condition today from bullet wounds police said were inflicted by Mrs. Martelle McPeek, 29, in the presence of his bride of twelve days.

The shooting occurred last night at Handchin’s home. Before his marriage at Boone, January 1st, Handschin had lived for six years at the McPeek home.

Police said the woman was enraged because Handschin did not marry her. She is being held in jail.

Here is the newspaper article:

Part 3 of the story tomorrow.

+++++++

A few Saturdays back I took a solo trip to Calhoun County to harvest their town sign collection. I would have to say, at the aggregate level, Calhoun County might have the strongest collection of town signs. It is definitely a Top 3 County on a list that I haven’t made and have no intention of making.

Here are some facts about Calhoun County:

+ Population is 9,744 (2019 estimate). Making it the 76th most populous county in Iowa. Below Sac County and above Humboldt County.
+ The county seat is Rockwell City.
+ The largest town is Lake City.
+ Was formed on January 15, 1851 from land originally named Fox County.
+ Named for John C. Calhoun, the 7th Vice President (Jackson), Senator, Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and U.S. Representative. An absolute terrible human being and maybe the worst person to have an Iowa County named for them. Really, Calhoun County should go back to being Fox County. Calhoun was such a terrible person that Andrew Jackson (also a terrible human being) regretted not having him executed. Calhoun was Jackson’s Vice President!
+ Home of the Manson crater, here an asteroid or comet nucleus struck the Earth during the Cretaceous Period, approximately 74 Ma (million years ago). It was one of the largest known impact events to have happened in North America.
+ Major highways are: US-20, IA-4, IA-7, and IA-175.
+ Adjacent counties are: Pocahontas, Webster, Greene, Carroll, and Sac.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 18,569.

Calhoun County has a gorgeous courthouse:

The Calhoun Courthouse in Rockwell City, Iowa

The Calhoun County Freedom Rock is located in Rockwell City, Iowa:

With Calhoun County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

28 counties completed. 28.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Calhoun County:

Lake City, Iowa
WELCOME TO LAKE CITY
EVERYTHING BUT A LAKE
Population: 1,727

Rockwell City, Iowa
ROCKWELL CITY
THE GOLDEN BUCKLE ON THE CORN BELT
Population: 1,709

Manson, Iowa
MANSON
MAKING AN IMPACT
Population:1,690

Pomeroy, Iowa
Pomeroy
We Welcome You for a Day or a Lifetime!
Population: 662

Farnhamville, Iowa
FARNHAMVILLE
TURN RIGHT 1/2 Mi.
IF YOU CAN’T STOP…
AT LEAST WAVE!!
Population: 371

Lohrville, Iowa
LOHRVILLE
Better Not Bigger
Population: 368

Lytton, Iowa
LYTTON
Population: 315

Somers, Iowa
Welcome to Somers
Population: 113

Knierim, Iowa
Welcome To KNIERIM
ESTABLISHED 1899
Population: 60

Rinard, Iowa
CITY OF RINARD PARK
Population: 52

Jolley, Iowa
WELCOME TO JOLLEY
THE FIELD OF SCREAMS
Population: 41

Yetter, Iowa
YETTER IA TOWN HALL
Population: 34

Calhoun County seems like a good county to answer a few questions that have been thrown my way recently. One question is:

Question 1: If a town doesn’t have an obvious town sign, what is the hierarch for finding a substitute/alternate to a traditional town sign?

The rankings go like this:

1. Townhall Sign
2. Community Center Sign
3. Post Office Sign
4. Park Sign
5. School Sign
6. City Limits Town Sign
7. Town Bulletin Board
8. Railroad Sign
9. Bike Trail Sign
10. Sign on a Mailbox (apparently)

Then way down at the bottom…

Dead Last: DOT Sign

Another question I’ve received a couple times late is:

Question 2: If a town has multiple town signs, how do you determine which one is the primary town sign and which ones are alternate town signs?

Answer: The primary town sign is the indicated mostly by geography. It is the first town sign you see when you come into town. If the town has different town signs as you enter the town from different directions, then the primary town sign is determined by which town sign resides on the road that is the busiest. What road would most people come into town on? For example for Boone, that would be US-30. One more factor is who put the sign up? Is it a church welcoming people into the town or was it put up by the town itself. The sign put up by the town itself is the winner for primary town sign.

Now that you have that information, it is time to answer the question of what town has the worst town sign in Calhoun County. I think that is pretty clearly Rinard. It is just an interestingly scrolled set of words on the shelter of their park. Having to use a townhall sign for Yetter also isn’t great.

But the real question is, who wins Best in Show for Calhoun County? There are many great town signs in Calhoun County. At one time I though Farnhamville would be the runaway winner. However, Pomeroy has a great sign. Jolley has a great sign. Lake City has a great slogan on their sign, but the design is a bit boring. It might come as a surprise. Maybe a bit of an upset, but I’m giving best town sign to Manson.

Manson – Best in Show – Calhoun County

There were many towns in Calhoun County that had alternate signs. Here are the alternate signs of Calhoun County:

Yetter – Alternate

Rockwell City – Alternate

Pomeroy – Alternate

Manson – Alternate

Manson – Alternate

Jolley – Alternate

Lohrville – Alternate

Back of Farnhamville Sign

Farnhamville – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Sac County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Liberty Stones

July 18, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

When I started THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT I had no intention of photographing the courthouses and the Freedom Rocks of each county. It was just something that evolved over time, because of a few small factors here and there that I don’t need to get into. However, since I have started seeking out courthouses and Freedom Rocks, it has been a real joy and often have been one of the highlights of my town sign harvesting trips.

Because of this, I have started to go back and get courthouse and Freedom Rock pictures of the counties where I ignored them or didn’t photograph them. Here is the first set of images I have captured to fill in some holes:

Boone County Freedom Rock

Greene County Courthouse

Greene County Freedom Rock

Hamilton County Freedom Rock

Hardin County Courthouse

Hardin County Freedom Rock

Webster County Courthouse

Webster County Freedom Rock

I’m always surprised by what counties have beautiful courthouses and which ones have monstrosities. It is also fascinating to see what different counties do with their Freedom Rock. Many just kind of dump it next to their courthouse. Some throw it in a park. Others build a cool veterans’ memorial around it and others incorporate it into an existing veterans’ memorial.

I’ve created an album for all the courthouses and Freedom Rocks to date. You can check it out by clicking on the link below:

Courthouses and Freedom Rocks

It still have several courthouses and Freedom Rocks to backfill in. But this is a start.

Art, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Humboldt County

July 13, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

A few Saturdays back I took a solo trip around Humboldt County to harvest their town sign collection. Humboldt is one of the smaller counties when it comes to square miles, but it still manages to pack 13 incorporated towns in. It really should be a bigger county but the people of Webster County are jerks. Probably the people of Kossuth County too.

Here are some facts about Humboldt County:

+ Current population is 9,554 (2019 Estimate), making it the 77th most populous county. Below Calhoun County and above Emmet County.
+ The county seat is Dakota City.
+ The largest town is Humboldt.
+ Was formed in 1857.
+ Named for Alexander von Humboldt, a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, and explorer.
+ Major highways are: US-69, IA-3, IA-15, and IA-17.
+ Adjacent counties are Kossuth, Wright, Webster, and Pocahontas.
+ Peak population was 13,459 in 1940.

Humboldt County has a pretty nondescript courthouse, that is hidden behind trees:

The Humboldt County Courthouse in Dakota City, Iowa.

The Humboldt County Freedom Rock is located in Livermore, Iowa:

With Humboldt County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

27 counties completed. 27.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Humboldt County:

Humboldt, Iowa
Welcome to Humboldt – Established 1863
Population: 4,690

Dakota City, Iowa
Welcome to Dakota City – est. 1858
Population: 843

Gilmore City, Iowa
Iowa’s Limestone Capital – Gilmore City Welcomes You
Population: 504

Livermore, Iowa
Welcome to Livermore – EST. 1879
Population: 504

Bode, Iowa
Welcome to Bode – Since 1881
Population: 302

Lu Verne, Iowa
Welcome to Lu Verne – Come Again
Population: 261

Renwick, Iowa
There’s Only One Renwick – It’s In Iowa
Population: 242

Thor, Iowa
Welcome to Thor
Population: 186

Rutland, Iowa
Rutland
Population: 126

Bradgate, Ioa
Bradgate – Est. 1882 – “The Town That Wouldn’t Die”
Population: 86

Ottosen, Iowa
Welcome to Ottosen – Est. 1896
Population: 55

Hardy, Iowa
Welcome to Hardy – Est. 1881 – Please Drive Carefully – A Small Town With A Big Heart
Population: 47

Pioneer, Iowa
Pioneer
Population: 23

Humboldt County has a pretty solid collection of signs. None of them might not be that spectacular, but it is definitely solid. The worst one is obviously Pioneer. Pioneer is one of those towns that just gives you a really creepy vibe while you are there. Like Beaver and Thayer and Patterson and Shannon City. It is more than just their size. I’ve been in plenty of towns just as small and unincorporated towns that are even smaller that don’t give a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe off. Pioneer definitely does. I don’t know how it is incorporated. There is no town hall or community buildings at all, as near as I could find. It is over 50 percent junkyard and the rest is mostly grain elevators. I’m sure it didn’t help that I was listening to a THIS AMERICAN LIFE episode on Diana, Hunter of Bus Drivers that was fairly disturbing. Diana was never caught woman that murdered a couple of bus drivers in Juarez. Apparently bus drivers in that part of the world are notorious for “disappearing” young women.

Diana sent the following email to a news organization:

You think that because we are women we are weak, and that may be true but only up to a point, because even though we have nobody to defend us and we have to work long hours until late into the night to earn a living for our families we can no longer be silent in the face of these acts that enrage us. We were victims of sexual violence from bus drivers working the maquila night shifts here in Juárez, and although a lot of people know about the things we’ve suffered, nobody defends us nor does anything to protect us. That’s why I am an instrument that will take revenge for many women. For we are seen as weak, but in reality we are not. We are brave. And if we don’t get respect, we will earn that respect with our own hands. We the women of Juárez are strong.

Any ways, Diana, Hunter of Bus Drivers is now linked in my brain with the town of Pioneer. Perhaps not fairly, but that is the way it goes. (NPR is one of the rituals that goes with Saturday Town Sign Harvesting.)

But who has the best town sign in Humboldt County. There are some solid contenders. Gilmore city has a great sign. So does Bode. So does Thor, although I was hoping for a little more. I also really like Renwick’s sign. But I’m going to give it to Bradgate (even though my picture of it is pretty lousy) because for some reason, there is a tank on it.

Bradgate – Best in Show – Humboldt County

A few towns had alternate signs. Here are the alternate town signs of Humboldt County:

Renwick – Alternate

Ottosen

Lu Verne – Alternate

Livermore – Alternate

Gilmore City – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Calhoun County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Lucas County

July 6, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few Saturdays back, before I took my entries for this year’s huge embarrassing failure at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon to the Cultural Center and well before I went to Saydie’s wedding, I tooled around Lucas County and harvested their town signs. It was a pretty busy day.

Here are some facts about Lucas County:

+ Population is 8,853 (2019 estimate), the 85th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Monona and ahead of Decatur.
+ The county seat and largest city is Chariton.
+ Was formed in 1846.
+ Named for Robert Lucas, the 12th Governor of Ohio and first Governor of the Iowa territory. He also started the Honey War with Missouri.
+ Major highways are US-34, US-65, and IA-14.
+ Adjacent counties are Warren, Marion, Monroe, Wayne, and Clarke.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 16,126.

Lucas County has a beautiful courthouse:

Lucas County Courthouse in Chariton, Iowa

The Lucas County Freedom Rock is located in Chariton, Iowa.

Chariton has a really neat Veterans Memorial Park where their Freedom Rock resides. It is pretty rare when I go to a Freedom Rock (on a weekend) and there isn’t somebody there checking it out. It seems that there are many people out there that are traveling around and looking at them.

On this day, I didn’t meet a fellow traveler, but a retired Marine that lives in Lucas County. He isn’t the official caretaker of the park, but I think he is involved with it pretty heavily. We talked for awhile and he gave me the handout below about their park:

If you have any interest in history or military in general, it is definitely worth going to this park. He also told me about the Flag Day and Independence Day events they have at the park. I’m glad I met him.

With Lucas County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

26 counties completed. 26.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Lucas County:

Chariton, Iowa
Chariton – Since 1849
Population: 4,321

Russell, Iowa
Russell – Since 1867
Population: 554

Lucas, Iowa
Lucas – Since 1868
Population: 216

Williamson, Iowa
Welcome to Williamson Community Center – Williamson Fire Dept & Ems
Population: 152

Derby, Iowa
Derby Fire Station – City Hall
Population: 115

There are only 5 towns in Lucas County and it looks like some slick town sign salesman went down Highway 34 and sold identical signs to 3 of them and the other 2 don’t even have real town signs. So, to figure out the Best in Show for Lucas County, we are going to have to go to the rarely used Alternate Sign Tie-Breaker.

Here are the alternate signs of Lucas County:

Chariton – Alternate

Russell – Alternate

Lucas – Alternate

Derby – Alternate

The tie-breaker is no contest. Clearly Best in Show for Lucas County is:

Lucas – Best in Show – Lucas County

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Humboldt County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Grundy County

June 29, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

After laying my pick down for the week (cue Loverboy) on a recent Friday, I cruised up to Grundy County and harvested their town sign. I didn’t have my ritualistic Hardee’s breakfast due to the time of day, but I did have Hardee’s for supper, which was technically a loss, because I was hoping to have Godfather’s pizza from a gas station off of Highway 20, but it was sadly closed by the time I discovered it. However, it was still a successful road trip.

Here are some facts about Grundy County:

+ Population is 12,299 (2019 estimate), the 62nd most populous county in Iowa. Behind Union and ahead of Chickasaw.
+ The county seat and largest town is Grundy Center.
+ Formed on January 15, 1851.
+ Named for Felix Gundy and Tennessee politician and the 13th Attorney General of the United States.
+ Major highways are: US-20, IA-14, IA-57, and IA-175.
+ Adjacent counties are: Butler, Hardin, Franklin, Black Hawk, Marshall, and Tama.
+ Population peaked in 1920 at 14,420.

Grundy County has a gorgeous courthouse:

Grundy County Courthouse in Grundy Center, Iowa.

The Grundy County Freedom Rock is located in Conrad:

With Grundy County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

25 counties completed. 25.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Grundy County:

Grundy Center, Iowa
Grundy Center – Pioneer Trail Entrance – Felix Grundy Festival – Living the Good Life – Welcome
Population: 2,706

Grundy Center, Iowa – Back

Reinbeck, Iowa
Reinbeck Est. 1876
Population: 1,664

Dike, Iowa
Welcome to Dike
Population: 1,209

Conrad, Iowa
Welcome to Conrad – A Main Street Community
Population: 1,108

Wellsburg, Iowa
Wellsburg
Population: 707

Holland, Iowa
Welcome to Holland – 2 Miles West
Population: 282

Stout, Iowa
Stout Astrodome
Population: 224

Beaman, Iowa
Welcome – You’re not dreamin… You’re in Beaman
Population: 191

Morrison, Iowa
City of Morrison City Hall – Est. 1877
Population: 94

The worst town sign in Grundy County is pretty obvious. There are actually 2 of them. Stout didn’t even have a sign on their City Hall that said their town name. Best I could find is a sign that if was in a different competition, would be pretty sweet. But this is a town sign competition. Morrison is a tiny town, but it should be able to do better than the DOT sign. After all, it is home to what looked like a pretty successful restaurant and the Grundy County Museum. They have a sweet orange chair that sits in their park with the town name on it. If it was closer to the main drag, I would have counted it, but it was under a shelter a block away hidden behind picnic tables, so no dice.

The Best in Show for Grundy County is also a no-brainer:

Beaman – Best in Show – Grundy County

There were a couple of towns with alternate signs:

Wellsburg Alternate

Reinbeck Alternate

Beaman Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Lucas County.

Art, Jesse, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Poweshiek County

June 22, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I recently took a Friday off from the Computer Mine and Jesse and I spent the day tooling around Poweshiek County (and Benton County) harvesting their town signs. It was a very enjoyable trip, because it included ice cream! As all great road trips should.

Here are some facts about Poweshiek County:

+ Population is 18,388 (2019 estimate). The 38th most populous county in Iowa.
+ The county seat is Montezuma.
+ The largest town is Grinnell.
+ Formed in 1843.
+ Named for Chief Poweshiek (1791-1854) of the Fox tribe who signed the treaty ending the Black Hawk War.
+ Home of Grinnell College.
+ Home of the Brooklyn Flag Display.
+ Major highways are: I-80, US-6, US-63, IA-21, IA-85, and IA-146.
+ Adjacent counties are: Tama, Iowa, Keokuk, Mahaska, and Jasper.
+ Peak population was 19.910 in 1920.

Poweshiek County has a beautiful courthouse:

Poweshiek County Courthouse in Montezuma, Iowa

The Poweshiek County Courthouse is located in Montezuma:

With Poweshiek County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

24 counties completed. 24.2% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Poweshiek County:

Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell – Jewel of the Prairie
Population: 9,218

Brooklyn, Iowa
Brooklyn – Community of Flags
Population: 1,468

Montezuma, Iowa
Welcome to Montezuma
Population: 1,462

Victor, Iowa
Victor
Population: 893

Malcom, Iowa
Malcom – In the Middle of It All – Next 6 Exits – Est 1872
Population: 289

Deep River, Iowa
Welcome to Deep River – Est. 1884
Population: 279

Barnes City, Iowa
Welcome to Barnes City – Home of Lake Hawthorn
Population: 176

Searsboro, Iowa
Searsboro – Est. 1876
Population: 148

Hartwick, Iowa
<- Hartwick 3
Population: 86

Guernsey, Iowa
Est 1884 – Guernsey
Population: 63

The worst town sign is obviously Hartwick. They didn’t even have a city hall with their town name on it. They did have a spot that looked like it was destined for a town sign, but maybe it was just a very sparse flowerbed. Victor also has a terribly boring sign and Searsboro doesn’t try very hard either. However, by far the biggest disappointment is Montezuma. How do you have such an awesome town name and such a boring sign?

But who gets Best in Show for Poweshiek County. I love Guernsey’s sign. Grinnell has a solid sign as well. Brooklyn has a decent, although corporate art looking, sign. Barnes City’s sign has a great folk art look to it. However, I’m going to give Best in Show to Malcom.

Malcom – Best in Show – Poweshiek County

The only town in Poweshiek County with an alternate sign is Grinnell

Grinnell Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Grundy County.

Art, Jesse, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Benton County

June 15, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

I recently took a Friday off from the Computer Mine and Jesse and I spent the day tooling around Benton County and another county harvesting their town signs. It was a very enjoyable road trip.

Here are some facts about Benton County:

+ Population is 26,076.
+ The county seat and largest city is Vinton.
+ Named for Thomas Hart Benton, a Senator from Missouri.
+ Was formed on December 21, 1837 from sections of Dubuque County.
+ Major highways are I-380, US-30, US-151, US-218, IA-8, IA-21, IA-27, and IA-150.
+ Adjacent counties are Black Hawk, Buchanan, Linn, Iowa, and Tama.
+ Currently at peak population.

Benton County has a beautiful courthouse:

Benton County Courthouse in Vinton, Iowa

The Benton County Freedom Rock is located in Shellsburg:

With Benton County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

23 counties completed. 23.2% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Vinton, Iowa
Welcome to… Vinton – the City of Lights
Population: 5,257

Belle Plaine, Iowa
Welcome to Belle Plaine – Historic Downtown District
Population: 2,534

Atkins, Iowa
Atkins
Population: 1,670

Walford, Iowa (Also Linn County)
Walford
Population: 1,463

Urbana, Iowa
Welcome to Urbana
Population: 1,458

Shellsburg, Iowa
Welcome to Shellsburg – Founded 1854
Population: 983

Newhall, Iowa
Welcome to the City of Newhall
Population: 875

Blairstown, Iowa
Welcome to Blairstown
Population: 692

Van Horne, Iowa
Welcome to Van Horne – Population 682

Keystone, Iowa
Welcome to Keystone
Population: 622

Norway, Iowa
Welcome to Norway – “A Great Place to Come Home To”
Population: 545

Garrison, Iowa
Garrison
Population: 371

Mount Auburn, Iowa
Welcome to Mt. Auburn – Population 150
Population: 150

Luzerne, Iowa
Luzerne Welcomes You – Established 1868
Population: 96

Watkins, Iowa
Watkins Mudhens Baseball State Champions
Unincorporated

Benton County has a very solid collection of town signs. I don’t know that there is a showstopper in the bunch, but at least every single town has a sign. Even the unincorporated town, sorta. It is really just a sign for their baseball team, but it is so great that I’m calling it a town sign. I guess if I have to pick which one is the worst, it is Blairstown. Their town sign got blown over and Jesse had to hold it up just I could get a picture of it. Now, while that might actually be my favorite picture in the set, it doesn’t say much for the town sign.

I think Best in Show for Benton County is pretty obvious too. It has a snazzy design and has a pithy motto. Plus, it calls back to high school sports glory that no longer call this town home.

Norway – Best in Show – Benton County

Norway baseball used to be something of a dynasty in Iowa High School sports. They won something like 20 State Championships but eventually their school district was consolidated into the Benton Community School District with the towns of Van Horne, Atkins, Blairstown, Keystone, and Newhall. It is headquartered in Van Horne. The last year of Norway High’s existence they won a final State Championship. The story was turned into one of the poorest made movies ever called THE FINAL SEASON. It stars the guy who played Rudy in the Notre Dame propaganda film RUDY and the nerdy girl that got hot when she took off her glasses and let her hair down in SHE’S ALL THAT. The movie takes many unnecessary licenses with the actual events, but more than anything it is just horribly written. It is currently on Amazon Prime if you want to make your own estimations though.

A few towns in Benton County also had alternate signs:

Van Horne Alternate

Norway Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Poweshiek County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Tama County

June 8, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

I recently drove around the massive Tama County to harvest their town signs. It was a solo trip and I was surprised to discover that there are apparently many cities in Tama with Czech roots. I mostly think of the Meskwaki when I think of Tama County. That and the King Tower Cafe.

Here are some facts about Tama County:

+ Population is 17,767.
+ The largest town is Tama.
+ The county seat is Toledo.
+ Formed on February 17, 1843.
+ Named after Taimah, a leader of the Meskwaki tribe.
+ Home of the Meskwaki Settlement.
+ Major highways are: US 30, US 63, IA 8, IA 21, IA 96, and IA 146.
+ Adjacent counties are Grundy, Black Hawk, Benton, Poweshiek, Marshall, Iowa, and Jasper.
+ Home of The Bohemie Alps
+ Home of the Vining Iowa Testicle Festival – All You Can Eat for $12 (2014 Price)
+ Mollie B. will be in concert here in July 10th.
+ Home of Matchstick Marvels.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 24,585.

Tama County has a pretty, but small courthouse:

Tama County Courthouse in Toledo, Iowa

The Tama County Courthouse is located in Gladbrook:

With Tama County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

22 counties completed. 22.2% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the Tama County town signs:

Tama, Iowa
Tama – Welcomes You
Population: 2,877

Toledo, Iowa
Welcome to Toledo-Tama
Population: 2,341

Traer, Iowa
Wind Up in Traer
Population: 1,703

Dysart, Iowa
Dysart
Population: 1,379

Gladbrook, Iowa
Gladbrook – Alive & Growing
Population: 945

Garwin, Iowa
Welcome to Garwin – Home of the Wolverines
Population: 527

Chelsea, Iowa
Vitame Vas do Chelsea – Lincoln Highway
Population: 267

Montour, Iowa
Montour Welcomes You!
Population: 249

Clutier, Iowa
Welcom to Clutier – Founded 1900 – Pop 213
Population: 213

Elberon, Iowa
Elberon
Population: 196

Lincoln, Iowa
Lincoln – Next 5 Exits
Population: 162

Vining, Iowa
Vining – Heart of the Bohemie Alps
Population: 50

I don’t know there is a terrible sign in Tama County. Maybe the sign in Lincoln is pretty weak. But the weathering gives it character. The Dysart sign is pretty uninspired. I was confused by the Traer sign, until I saw the winding staircase for myself. It is magnificent! I have no clue why there is a motorcycle suspended over the Elberon sign, but it keeps it from being the worst sign. I love Vining’s sign, but how do you not mention the towns annual Testicle Festival? I’ll give the award for worst to Lincoln.

Best in Show for Tama County. Really a no-brainer. It is Tama, Iowa.

Tama – Best in Show – Tama County

There are quite a few alternate signs in Tama County:

Tama-Toledo Alternate

Gladbrook Alternate

Garwin Alternate

Dysart Alternate

Backside of Chelsea Sign

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Benton County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project, WPC - Reminder

Town Sign Project: Marion County

May 28, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

I recently drove around Marion County to harvest their town signs. Marion County includes two of the more famous Iowa towns, Pella and Knoxville.

Here are some facts about Marion County:

+ Population is 33,309.
+ Pella is the largest city.
+ Knoxville is the county seat.
+ Named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general in the Revolutionary War.
+ Home to the Pella Tulip Festival, which is one of the most popular town festivals in Iowa.
+ Home to the Knoxville Speedway an internationally known auto racing track.
+ Home of Central College.
+ Major highways are: IA-5, IA-14, IA-92, IA-163, and IA-316.
+ Adjacent counties are: Jasper, Mahaska, Monroe, Lucas, and Warren.
+ Population is currently at its peak.

Marion County has a beautiful courthouse:

Marion County Courthouse in Knoxville, Iowa

The Marion County Courthouse is located near the form Veterans Hospital in Knoxville:

The story about the ashes…

With Marion County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

21 counties completed. 21.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the Marion County town signs:

Pella, Iowa
Welcome to Pella – A Touch of Holland
Population: 10,352

Knoxville, Iowa
Welcome to Knoxville
Population: 7,313

Pleasantville, Iowa
Welcome to Pleasantville – Established 1849
Population: 1,694

Melcher-Dallas, Iowa
Welcome to Melcher Dallas – A Coal Mining Community
Population: 1,288

Bussey, Iowa
Welcome to Bussey
Population: 422

Harvey, Iowa
Harvey – Home of the Peace Tree – Population 277
Population: 235

Hamilton, Iowa
Hamilton City Hall and Community Center
Population – 130

Swan, Iowa
We Honor Our Veterans – Swan, Iowa
Population: 72

Marysville, Iowa
<- Marysville 1
Population: 66

I have to say that I was pretty disappointed with Marion County. Pella and Knoxville are pretty big deals. How does Pella not have a tulip or something Dutch on the sign? Maybe the good folks of Indianola are right? FTD. And the race track in Knoxville is a big deal. I’m not a fan of auto racing. I get the appeal of watching things go fast, I just wish racing didn’t lasted so long. Go around the track a couple times. Take off your helmet. Wave to the crowd. We’re all home in time for the start of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. That being said, I’m going to give Knoxville the worst town sign of Marion County. Even though Hamilton doesn’t even really have one and Marysville only has a DOT sign. But at least it has an interesting crack. The most interesting thing about the Knoxville sign is the Laser Car Wash sign behind it.

But who has the best town sign in Marion County? Even though it is a DOT sign, I like the Harvey sign. I would like it even more if I could have found the “Peace Tree”. Melcher-Dallas has a nice sign, but I’m giving this best sign to Pleasantville.

Pleasantville – Best in Show – Marion County

There were a couple of towns with alternate town signs, both better than their main town signs:

Pella – Alternate Town Sign

Melcher-Dallas -Alternate Town Sign

Pleasantville – Alternate Town Sign

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with the Town Sign Project, it will involve Tama County.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is UP IN THE AIR:

UP IN THE AIR

UP IN THE AIR! Another great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE.

But what is a UP IN THE AIR photo? It is simply a photo of something that is UP IN THE AIR. A bird. A plane. Superman? Well, if Superman isn’t standing on the ground. A good idea is to just throw something into the air and photograph it. Or a good candid portrait is to throw something in the air and have them try to catch it. This is a great candid portrait technique.

Happy photo harvesting!

Art, Mom, Road Trip, Town Sign Project, WPC - Reminder

Town Sign Project: Clarke County

May 21, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Clarke County includes Murray, Iowa. The Murray town sign was the last town sign I harvested on the last road trip I took with my Mom.

I recently returned to Clarke County to get the one town sign I was missing.

Here are some facts about Clarke County:

+ The population is 9,286
+ Osceola is both the largest town and county seat.
+ Was formed in 1846 and is named for James Clarke, a Governor of the Iowa Territory.
+ Major highways are: I-35, US-34, US-69, and I-152.
+ Adjacent counties include Decatur, Lucas, Madison, Union, and Warren
+ The population peaked in 1900 at 12,440.

The Clarke County Courthouse is pretty lame:

Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola, Iowa

The Clarke County Freedom Rock is located near a cemetery in Murray, Iowa:

With Clarke County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

20 counties completed. 20.2% of the Cyclone State conquered!

There are only 3 towns in Clarke County. Here are their town signs:

Osceola, Iowa
Osceola – Proud of Our History – Ready for the Future
Population: 4,929

Murray, Iowa
Murray – Since 1868
Population: 756

Woodburn, Iowa
Woodburn – Founded 1868
Population: 125

If you were to go to the Wikipedia page and look up Clarke County, it would also list the town of Weldon as being partially in Clarke County, but mostly in Decatur County. However, since I have switched to the Iowa Department of Transportation is the arbiter of what towns are in a county, Weldon is not in this collection. The Iowa DOT does not consider Weldon to be in Clarke County.

Only 3 signs to choose from in Clarke County. It is pretty obvious which is the worst. Woodburn’s sign isn’t really even a town sign. It is a sign that hangs on what looks like a stage in what looks like a town park.

Osceola and Murray have about equal signs, but I’m going to give Best in Show to Murray for sentimental reasons.

Murray – Best in Show – Clarke County

Osceola and Woodburn have alternate signs, well Woodburn has a DOT sign.

Osceola Alternate Sign – Looks Kinda Familiar

Woodburn Alternate Sign – For being a DOT sign, it does have some character

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we visit THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Marion County. Home of Iowa’s second best tulip festival and a really big race track.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is GOVERNMENT:

GOVERNMENT

What is a GOVERNMENT photo? A GOVERNMENT photo is any photo that involves something that involves the GOVERNMENT. Went to a public park? That is GOVERNMENT. Driving on a road? That is GOVERNMENT. Of course there are GOVERNMENT buildings like courthouse, police departments, fire departments, post offices… Everything military related is GOVERNMENT. Everything dealing with public schools is GOVERNMENT.

Think about the following quote when you are contemplating your GOVERNMENT image:

The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.
-Henry Ward Beecher

Happy photo harvesting!

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