Category Archives: Town Sign Project

Art, History, Mom, Road Trip, Teresa, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Davis County

November 29, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

A few months back I travelled around Davis County with Teresa harvesting the town signs of Davis County. Davis County was the last county in THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT. It was left for last for a reason. It was left because of some family history in Davis County. The ghost town of Paris is in Davis County. Paris was formed when Jackson Paris donated land for the Rock Island to build a railroad depot there. Why does that matter? Cause Jackson B. Paris was the father of Lewis Marion Paris. Lewis Marion Paris is the father of Matin Henry Paris. Martin Henry Paris is the father of Lyle Ronald Paris. Lyle Ronald Paris was my Mom’s dad. There really isn’t much left in Paris, except some ruins and a cemetery where a bunch of Parises are buried. I wanted this to be the last town of what is principal photography on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT for symbolic reasons.

Here are some facts about Davis County:
+ Population is 9,138 making it the 81st most populous county in Iowa. Below Emmet County and above Palo Alto County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Bloomfield.
+ Named after Garrett Davis, a politician from Kentucky.
+ Major highways are US-63, IA-2, and IA-202.
+ Adjacent counties are Wapello, Monroe, Van Buren, Jefferson, and Appanoose.
+ Population peaked in 1880 at 16,468.

Davis County has a gorgeous courthouse:

The Davis County Courthouse located in Bloomfield, Iowa.

The Davis County Freedom Rock is located in Drakesville, Iowa:

With Davis County conquered, here is the updated and final Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

99 counties completed. 100% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Davis County:

Bloomfield, Iowa
WELCOME TO BLOOMFIELD
Population: 2,682 (+42)

Pulaski, Iowa
WELCOME TO PULASKI PARK
Population: 264 (+4)

Drakesville, Iowa
DRAKESVILLE
Population: 164 (-20)

Floris, Iowa
Floris Veterans Memorial Park
Population: 116 (-22)

Paris, Iowa – Ghost Town
PARIS CEMETERY
FIRST BURIAL
L.B. PARIS
APRIL 20, 1854

You may be wondering what will happen now that principal photography for this project is done. The answer is the next thing I will do is start working on the book. I’m not sure when it will be finished or ready to be published, but it should be sometime next year. The book won’t probably be what you imagine, but I will get into that more in a future post. There still might be a few more Tuesday posts dedicated to THE TOWN SIGN project in our future.

Davis County isn’t loaded up with great town signs. It is a county that only has 4 incorporated towns. They are kinda terrible, but Floris’ town sign isn’t really a town sign, so it is the worst.

But who gets the purple ribbon. I guess I have to give it to Pulaski, even though it is really more of a sign for a park than a town, but at least it is in one piece.

Pulaski – Best in Show – Davis County

I should point out that there are lots of ghost towns out there that only have a cemetery to mark they ever existed. I don’t stop and photograph these cemetery signs. I only photographed the Paris sign because of the family connection and the fact that it was the symbolic last town.

There were a couple of alternate town signs in Davis County:

Bloomfield – Alternate

Here is the final 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 – Davis 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 – Dubuque 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 – Scott 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

There is no county next week. The road trip is over. The car is in the garage. It was a crazy ride.

Art, Elizabeth, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Scott County

November 22, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

A couple months back I went to Scott County to harvest their town signs. It was one of the counties I most dreaded doing because of the large cities that just kind of flow into each other. These kind of towns are usually hard to find a town sign, but it was still a good trip.

Here are some facts about Scott County:
+ Population is 174,170 making it the third most populous county in Iowa. Behind Linn County and above Johnson County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Davenport.
+ Named after General Winfield Scott.
+ Home of St. Ambrose University.
+ Birthplace and girlhood home of Elizabeth Nordeen.
+ Birthplace of Buffalo Bill.
+ Home of Antique Archaeology featured on the television show “American Pickers”.
+ Major Highways are: I-74, I-80, I-280, US-6, US-61, US-67, IA-22, and IA-130.
+ Adjacent counties are: Clinton, Muscatine, and Cedar.
+ Currently at peak population.

Scott County has an okay looking courthouse for being contemporary:

The Scott County Courthouse located in Davenport, Iowa.

The Scott County Freedom Rock is located in LeClaire, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

98 counties completed. 99% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Scott County:

Davenport, Iowa
DAVENPORT
Population: 101,724 (2,039)

Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf IOWA
a premier city
Population: 39,102 (+5,885)

Eldridge, Iowa
Hometown With A Vision
ELDRIDGE
Welcomes You
Population: 6,726 (+1,075)

LeClaire, Iowa
Welcome to Historic LeClaire
Population: 4,710 (+945)

Park View, Iowa – Unincorporated
Park View Welcomes You!

Durant, Iowa – Also in Cedar County and Muscatine County
welcome to DURANT
Population: 1,871 (+39)

Blue Grass, Iowa – partially in Muscatine County
Welcome to Blue Grass, Iowa
A Great Place to Call Home Since 1853
Population: 1,666 (+37)

Walcott, Iowa – partially in Muscatine County
WECLOME TO WALCOTT
FOUNDED 1854
Population: 1,551 (-78)

Buffalo, Iowa
BUFFALO
Population: 1,176 (-94)

Princeton, Iowa
PRINCETON
ON THE MISSISSIPPI
Population: 923 (+37)

Long Grove, Iowa
Welcome to LONG GROVE
…a place to call home…
Since 1838
Population: 838 (+30)

Riverdale, Iowa
Riverdale
Population: 379 (-26)

Donahue, Iowa
THE CITY OF DONAHUE
WELCOMES YOU
EST. 1871
Population: 335 (-11)

McCausland, Iowa
McCausland, IA.
WECLOME TO McCAUSLAND
Population: 313 (+22)

Dixon, Iowa
ESTABLISHED 1854
THE CITY OF DIXON
Welcomes You!
Population: 202 (-89)

Maysville, Iowa
EST 1856
MAYSVILLE
Welcomes You
Population: 156 (-20)

Panorama Park, Iowa
CITY OF PANORAMA PARK
Population: 139 (+10)

New Liberty, Iowa
Welcome to New Liberty
Est. 1886
A Place to Grow

East Davenport, Iowa – Unincorporated
Village of East Davenport
1851

The worst town sign of Scott County is pretty obvious. It is clearly Riverdale. They didn’t even have a sign, I had to use the DOT sign. Although, I’m not sure that Riverdale is a real town. It seems like just a place that was zone for factories that became a “town” so the factories could do whatever they want.

But who gets the purple ribbon? Who gets Best of Show for Scott County. There are several signs I like. Long Grove, Maysville, McCausland, East Davenport, and Blue Grass. But my favorite is LeClaire!

LeClaire – Best in Show – Scott County

There are several alternate town signs in Scott County:

Park View – Alternate

McCausland – Alternate

Long Grove – Alternate

LeClaire – Alternate

Eldridge – Alternate

Bettendorf – Alternate

Blue Grass – 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 – Dubuque 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 – Scott 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 Davis County.

Art, History, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Dubuque County

November 15, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

Dubuque County is a large county. It has almost the most, maybe the most incorporated towns in Iowa. It is an absolutely beautiful county. Also, of all the “cities” in Iowa, Dubuque is my favorite. It is a river city, but not filthy like most river cities. Plus it has interesting things to do and the natural beauty and the community art is hard to beat.

Here are some facts about Dubuque County:
+ Population is 98,718. Making it the 9th most populous county in Iowa. Below Story County and above Pottawattamie County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Dubuque.
+ Established in 1834 as part of the Michigan Territory. Then became part of the Wisconsin Territory in 1836. Then part of the Iowa Territory in 1838.
+ The city of Dubuque was chartered in 1833. It was the first city in Dubuque.
+ Named for French trader Julien Dubuque, the first European settler of Iowa.
+ Home of Mines of Spain State Park, one of the prettiest stater parks in Iowa.
+ Home of the Fenelon Place Elevator.
+ Home of the Field of Dreams.
+ Home of University of Dubuque, Clarke University, Loras College, Emmaus Bible College and Divine Word College.
+ Major highways are: US-20, US-151, US-52, US-61, IA-3, IA-32, and IA-136.
+ Adjacent counties are: Clayton, Jackson, Jones, and Delaware.
+ Currently at peak population.

Dubuque County has a beautiful courthouse:

The Dubuque County Courthouse located in Dubuque, Iowa.

The Dubuque County Freedom Rock is located in Epworth, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

97 counties completed. 98% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Dubuque County:

Dubuque, Iowa
DUBUQUE, IOWA
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Population: 59,667 (+2,030)

Asbury, Iowa
CITY OF Asbury
Welcomes You!
Population: 5,943 (+1,773)

Dyersville, Iowa – Partially in Delaware County
Welcome to Dyersville
Population: 4,477 (+419)

Epworth, Iowa
Welcome To EPWORTH
Population: 2,023 (+163)

Peosta, Iowa
Welcome to
Peosta
CROSSROADS TO THE FUTURE
Population: 1,908 (+531)

Farley, Iowa
FARLEY
welcomes you
Heart of the Cornbelt
Population: 1,766 (+229)

New Vienna, Iowa
WELCOME TO NEW VIENNA
THE eNVy OF IOWA
Population: 382 (-25)

Worthington, Iowa
WELCOME TO WORTHINGTON
Population: 382 (-19)

Holy Cross, Iowa
Welcome to Holy Cross
Population: 356 (-18)

Luxemburg, Iowa
Welcome To LUXEMBURG
Where Highways Meet
Population: 245 (+5)

Rickardsville, Iowa
Rickardsville
Welcomes You
Population: 202 (+20)

Sherrill, Iowa
Welcome To SHERRILL
Iowa’s Beautiful Hill Top Community
Population: 189 (+12)

Centralia, Iowa
CENTRALIA
Population: 116 (-18)

Bernard, Iowa
WELCOME To BERNARD
Est. 1880
Population: 114 (+2)

Sageville, Iowa
SAGEVILLE
Population: 95 (-27)

Zwingle, Iowa – Partially in Jackson County
WELCOME To ZWINGLE
Settled 1846
Population: 84 (-7)

Balltown, Iowa
Welcome To Balltown
Population: 79 (+11)

Graf, Iowa
WELCOME TO GRAF
Population: 76 (-3)

Bankston, Iowa
BANKSTON PARK RD
Population: 23 (-2)

Durango, Iowa
DURANGO
Population: 20 (-2)

Dubuque has a very solid collection of town signs. The only ones I think are bad are the ones that aren’t real town signs. Like Centralia and Bankston and Sageville. But the worst is clearly Bankston. Best I could find is a street sign that had the town name in it.

The best of show is a little harder. I really like the town signs of Worthington and Sherrill and Farley and Durango and Holy Cross and Luxemburg and even Dubuque. I also love the sign for New Vienna, but I have to give the purple ribbon to Rickardsville!

Rickardsville – Best in Show – Dubuque County

There were a couple of alternate town signs in Dubuque County:

Peosta – Alternate

Farley – Alternate

New Vienna – 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 – Dubuque 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 Scott County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Des Moines County

November 8, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

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.

Art, Jorge, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Louisa County

November 1, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

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.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Van Buren County

October 25, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A couple months back I cruised around Van Buren County harvesting their town signs. Van Buren County is interesting because it is a collection of old villages more than towns. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but that is how they view themselves. Either way, there is lots of cool history in Van Buren County and cool little villages.

Here are some facts about Van Buren County:
+ Population is 7,243, making it the 90th most populous county in Iowa. Below Worth County and above Pocahontas County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Keosauqua.
+ Formed on December 7, 1836 as part of the Wisconsin Territory. Was split off from Des Moines County. Became part of the Iowa territory on July 4, 1838.
+ Named after President Martin Van Buren, who was considered the first forgettable American President.
+ The site of The Honey War. When a bunch of thugs from Missouri tried to invade Iowa and steal honey from Iowa’s delicious honey trees. The Iowans quickly kicked their ass back to their loser state. The conflict (mostly over the border between the state) was mostly decided in 1846 when Congress ruled in Iowa’s favor. Suck it “show me state”.
+ Home of Iowa’s oldest active courthouse. Second oldest in the nation.
+ Major highways are: IA-1, IA-2, IA-16, and IA-98.
+ Adjacent counties are: Jefferson, Henry, Lee, and Davis.
+ Population peaked in 1870 at 17,672.

The Van Buren County Courthouse is okay looking:

The Van Buren County Courthouse located in Keosauqua, Iowa.

The Van Buren County Freedom Rock is located in Stockport, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

94 counties completed. 94.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Van Buren County:

Keosauqua, Iowa
Keosauqua
established 1839
Population: 936 (-70)

Farmington, Iowa
Welcome To Farmington, Iowa
“Oldest Village in Van Buren County:
Home of The Strawberry Festival
2nd Weekend in June
Population: 579 (-85)

Milton, Iowa
WELCOME TO MILTON
EST. 1851
Population: 380 (-63)

Birmingham, Iowa
BIRMINGHAM
GATEWAY TO SCENIC VAN BUREN COUNTY
Population: 367 (-81)

Bonaparte, Iowa
BONAPARTE
founded 1837
IOWA
WELCOME TO A NATIONAL HISTORIC DIST.
A VILLAGE OF VAN BUREN COUNTY
Population: 359 (-84)

Stockport, Iowa
EST. 1887
Population: 272 (-24)

Cantril, Iowa
VILLAGE OF CANTRIL
EST. 1872
Population: 224 (+2)

Selma, Iowa – Unincorporated
SELMA
52588

Leando, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME TO LEANDO, IA
EST. 1838

Douds, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to DOUDS IOWA
Est. 1866
Home of DOUDS STONE LLC
Since 1926

Bentonsport, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to Bentonsport

Van Buren County has a truly great collection of town signs. Definitely a Top 5 County in this respect. I can’t pick a bad one.

But what town gets the purple ribbon? I love so many of them. I love the Milton sign and the Keosauqua sign and the Cantril sign. But I’m going to have to give the Best in Show prize to Bonaparte.

Bonaparte – Best in Show – Van Buren County

There are a few alternate town signs in Van Buren County:

Milton – Alternate

Keosauqua – Alternate

Douds – Alternate

Cantril – Alternate

Stockport – 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 – 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 visit Louisa County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Lee County

October 18, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks back I travelled to Lee County to harvest their town signs. Lee County is the southernmost county in Iowa. So it is a jaunt, but it was a good trip.

Here are some facts about Lee County:
+ Population is 33,215 making it the 22nd most populous county in Iowa. Below Marion County and above Boone County.
+ Largest town is Fort Madison.
+ Has two county seats: Fort Madison and Keokuk. The only county in Iowa with two county seats.
+ Lee County was formed on December 7, 1836 as part of the Wisconsin Territory and became part of the Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838.
+ There is no consensus on who the county is named after. It is either the company Marsh, Delevan & Lee a company with extensive interests in the area. Or perhaps it was the traitor Robert E. Lee who surveyed the Des Moines Rapids, or it was named after Albert Lea who helped explore the area.
+ Sit of the first U.S. military fort in the upper Mississippi region.
+ Was home of A “Half-Breed Tract” which was about as racist as it sounds.
+ Home of the Iowa State Penitentiary.
+ Major highways are: US-61, US-136, US-218, IA-2, IA-16, and IA-27.
+ Adjacent counties are Henry, Des Moines, and Van Buren.
+ Population peaked at 44,207 in 1960.

Lee County has two county seats, therefore it has two county courthouses.

Lee County Courthouse #1 located in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Lee County Courthouse #2 located in Keokuk, Iowa.

The Lee County Freedom Rock is located in West Point, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

93 counties completed. 93.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Lee County:

Fort Madison, Iowa
FORT MADISON WELCOMES YOU
Population: 10,270 (-781)

Keokuk, Iowa
Make It Yours
KEOKUK IOWA
WELCOME
Population: 9,900 (-880)

West Point, Iowa
Welcome to…
WEST POINT
Home of the Sweet Corn Festival
Population: 921 (-45)

Donnellson, Iowa
Welcome To DONNELLSON
Population: 885 (-27)

Montrose, Iowa
MONTROSE
INCORPORATED SINCE 1857
HISTORIC – SCENIC
Population: 738 (-160)

Houghton, Iowa
WELCOME TO
FOUNDED 1881
Houghton
Population: 141 (-5)

Franklin, Iowa
WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE OF FRANKLIN
EST. 1840
Population: 131 (-12)

St. Paul, Iowa
St Paul
WELCOMES YOU
Population: 109 (-20)

Denmark, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME TO HISTORIC DENMARK
1836

Argyle, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome TO – ARGYLE
Hwy 218 Straight Ahead
6 Miles
1888-1988

Lee County has a solid but not spectacular collection of town signs. It is pretty clear which one is the worst one in the county though. It is Donnellson and there town sign thrown at the bottom of a billboard for Pilot Grove Savings Bank.

There are several town signs that I really like in Lee County. I like the West Point sign. I like the Montrose sign. I like the Fort Madison sign. I like Denmark sign. But it really comes down to the Argyle sign and the St. Paul sign. I’m going to give the purple ribbon to St. Paul though. By a nose.

St. Paul – Best in Show – Lee County

There are a few alternate town signs in Lee County:

Montrose – Alternate

Keokuk – Alternate

Fort Madison – 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 – 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 – 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 visit Van Buren County.

Art, Road Trip, Teresa, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Jefferson County

October 11, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

Several weeks back I cruised around Jefferson County with Teresa harvesting their town signs. It was a good trip and Jefferson County has some interesting things in it. Stuff I’d like to revisit some day.

Here are some facts about Jefferson County:
+ Population is 15,647 making it the 48th most populous county in Iowa. Below Crawford County and above Floyd County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Fairfield.
+ Formed in 1839.
+ Named after 3rd U.S. President and slave rape enthusiast Thomas Jefferson. He also made a mean vanilla ice cream.
+ Home of Maharishi International University founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features “consciousness-based education”.
+ Major highways are: US-34, IA-1, and IA-78.
+ Adjacent counties are Keokuk, Washington, Henry, Van Buren, and Wapello.
+ Population peaked in 1870 at 17,839.

Jefferson County has a very pretty courthouse:

The Jefferson County Courthouse located in Fairfield, Iowa.

The Jefferson County Freedom Rock is located in Fairfield, Iowa:

Not counting the special 100th Freedom Rock, I believe Jefferson County to be the final county to get a Freedom Rock.

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

92 counties completed. 92.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Jefferson County:

Fairfield, Iowa
FAIRFIELD
Population: 9,416 (-48)

Batavia, Iowa
BATAVIA
EST. 1853
Population: 430 (-69)

Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa
MAHARISHI VEDIC CITY
Population: 277 (+16)

Libertyville, Iowa
LIBERTYVILLE
est. 1842
Population: 274 (-41)

Lockridge, Iowa
LOCKRIDGE
FIRE & RESCUE
Population: 244 (-24)

Packwood, Iowa
Packwood WELCOMES YOU
An Active & Progressive Community
Population: 183 (-21)

Pleasant Plain, Iowa
Welcome
PLEASANT PLAIN
CITY LIMITS
Please Drive Carefully
Population: 84 (-9)

I hate to say it, but for the most part, Jefferson County has a terrible collection of town signs. One of the worst. But even the worst has a worst and that is Lockridge, that doesn’t even have a real town sign. Which is disappointing because Lockridge has this kind of crazy clock museum that they could have done something fun with.

Another disappointing aspect of this is that Packwood used to have a really awesome town sign and they replaced it with a fine town sign, but not remotely memorable. The golden age of the town sign is behind us and Packwood, Iowa is Exhibit B. Stuart, Iowa is Exhibit A. If I have to pick a winner in this collection, the Purple Ribbon goes to Fairfield. Which might be a bit of a shocker since it is well documented that I don’t like stone signs.

Fairfield – Best in Show – Jefferson County

There were a few alternate signs in Jefferson County:

Libertyville – Alternate

Fairfield – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 visit Lee County.

Art, Jodie Cue, Road Trip, Teresa, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Henry County

October 4, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Several weeks back I cruised around Henry County with Teresa harvesting their town signs. It was a good trip as we met up with Jodie and Doug Cue for lunch in Mount Pleasant. The only trip where I met up with somebody who lived in the county where I was harvesting.

Here are some facts about Henry County:
+ Population is 20,387. Making it the 33rd most populous county in Iowa. Below Buchanan County and above Winneshiek County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Mount Pleasant.
+ Formed on December 7, 1836 as part of the Wisconsin Territory and then became part of the Iowa Territory on July 4, 1838.
+ Named for General Henry Dodge.
+ Home of Iowa Wesleyan.
+ Home of the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion.
+ Major highways are US-34, US-218, US-27, IA-16, and IA-78.
+ Adjacent counties are Washington, Louisa, Des Moines, Van Buren, and Jefferson.
+ Population peaked at 21,463 in 1870.

Henry County has a pretty blah courthouse:

The Henry County Courthouse in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

The Henry County Freedom Rock is located in Winfield, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

91 counties completed. 91.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Henry County:

Mount Pleasant, Iowa
MT. PLEASANT
Population: 9,274 (+606)

New London, Iowa
Welcome To NEW LONDON
Population: 1,910 (+23)

Winfield, Iowa
Winfield
Est. 1882
Population: 1,033 (-101)

Wayland, Iowa
Wayland
Est. 1880
Population: 964 (-2)

Salem, Iowa
SALEM
FOUNDED 1835
Population: 394 (+11)

Olds, Iowa
WELCOME to Olds
Population: 163 (-66)

Hillsboro, Iowa
HILLSBORO COMMUNITY CENTER
Population: 163 (-17)

Rome, Iowa
Welcome to Rome Chicauqua
Est. 1846
LAND OF THE FREE
BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE
Population: 114 (-3)

Westwood, Iowa
CITY OF WESTWOOD
EST. 1892
Population: 101 (-11)

Mount Union, Iowa – Unincorporated
Mt. Union
Founded 1904

Swedesburg, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to SWEDESBURG
MUSEUM & GIFT SHOP

Henry County has kind of a mediocre collection of town signs. Not terrible, but not outstanding. The worst one is easily Hillsboro as they didn’t have a real town sign at all. Oh Heavenly Hillsboro! Do you a hole in your head or your head in a hole!

There are a couple of town signs I like in Henry County. Olds has a solid sign. As does Rome and Westwood. I definitely like Salem’s hard to find town sign. But I’m giving the purple ribbon to Swedesburg.

Swedesburg – Best in Show – Henry County

There was one alternate town sign for Henry County:

Mount Pleasant – 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 – Johnson 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 – 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 – 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 visit Jefferson County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Muscatine County

September 27, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few months back I cruised around Muscatine County harvesting their town signs. It was a pretty good trip that concluded with me purchasing the best watermelon I’ve ever had in my life.

Here some facts about Muscatine County:
+ Population is 42,688. Making it the 14th most populous county in Iowa. Below Cerro Gordo and above Marshall.
+ The largest town and county seat is Muscatine.
+ Formed in December of 1836.
+ Possibly named after an island that is named after the Mascouten tribe.
+ Major highways are US-6, US-61, IA-22, IA-38, IA-70, and IA-92.
+ Adjacent counties are: Cedar, Johnson, Louisa, and Scott.
+ Currently at peak population.

Muscatine County has a beautiful courthouse:

The Muscatine County Courthouse located in Muscatine.

The Muscatine County Freedom Rock is located in Wilton, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

90 counties completed. 90.9% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Muscatine County:

Muscatine, Iowa
IOWA
MUSCATINE
Pearl of the Mississippi
Population: 23,797 (+911)

West Liberty, Iowa
WEST LIBERTY
Population: 3,858 (+122)

Wilton, Iowa (Partially in Cedar County)
WELCOME TO WILTON
HOME OF THE BEAVERS
Population: 2,924 (+122)

Fruitland, Iowa
Welcome to…
FRUITLAND
“A Growing Community”
Population 703
Population: 963 (-14)

Conesville, Iowa
WELCOME TO CONESVILLE
Population: 352 (-80)

Nichols, Iowa
Welcome to NICHOLS
Small town Big heart
Population: 340 (-34)

Atalissa, Iowa
WELCOME TO
Est. 1856
ATALISSA
Pop 271 & 2 Grumps
Population: 296 (-15)

Stockton, Iowa
WELCOME TO STOCKTON
Population: 176 (-21)

Moscow, Iowa – Unincorporated
MOSCOW
1836 SEQUICENTENNIAL 1986

Montpelier, Iowa – Unincorporated
THE VILLAGE OF MONTPELIER
Welcomes You!
est. May 9, 1881

Muscatine County has a pretty solid collection of town signs. I’m not sure which is the worst. It is either West Liberty or Moscow. I’m going to go with Moscow as being the worst because when you have a town name like Moscow, you really should do something sweet with your sign. But I still give any unincorporated town a bit of respect for having a sign.

I love the Fruitland sign for its artwork. I love the Nichols sign because it has been beautifully abandoned. I love that Atalissa has taken the grump count to Readlyn and upped them by one. I love the beaver artwork on the Wilton town sign. I love how the Stockton town sign is so in your face about how they are polluting and destroying the environment. Deal with it. I have a feeling a few of those are going to make it into the book. The book that I hope to start working on sometime around November. But I’m going to have to give the purple ribbon to Conesville.

Conesville – Best in Show – Muscatine County

There are a few alternate town signs in Muscatine County:

Nichols – Alternate

Fruitland – Alternate

Conesville – Alternate

Wilton – 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 – 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 – Johnson 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 – 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 – 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 visit the town signs of Henry County.