Category Archives: Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Howard County

July 12, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A couple months back I went up to Howard County to harvest their town signs. It was a successful day.

Here are some facts about Howard County:
+ Population is 9,201. Making it the 80th most populous county. Below Emmet County and above Davis County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Cresco.
+ Formed in 1851.
+ Named after Tilghman Ashurt Howard. A layer, politician and diplomat from Indiana. Maybe the most obscure person to have a county named after them in Iowa.
+ Major highways are: US-63, IA-9, and IA-139.
+ Adjacent counties are Winnesheik, Chickasaw, Mitchell, and Floyd.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 14,512. Population has declined in every census since 1950.

I do love the Howard County Courthouse:

The Howard County Courthouse in Cresco, Iowa.

The Howard County Freedom Rock is located in Cresco, Iowa.

Best I did apparently.

With Howard County completed, here is the Updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

79 counties down. 79.8% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Note. Riceville is partially in Howard County, but more in Mitchell County, so I shared that town sign when I shared the town signs of Mitchell County.

Here are the town signs of Howard County:

Cresco, Iowa
“IOWA’S YEAR ROUND PLAY GROUND”
CRESCO
Population: 3,888 (+20)

Elma, Iowa
1886
ELMA
Population: 505 (-41)

Lime Springs, Iowa
LIME SPRINGS
BEST TOWN BY A DAM SITE!
Population: 473 (-32)

Protivin, Iowa (Partially in Chickasaw County)
PROTIVIN
Vitame Vas
(Welcomes You)
INC. 1894
Population: 269 (-14)

Chester, Iowa
Welcome To
CHESTER
I O W A
ESTABLISHED 1858
Population: 139 (+12)

That’s it. There are 5 incorporated towns (mostly) in Howard County.

There isn’t a bad town sign in Howard County, so I’m not going to give out a last place trophy for Howard County.

However, is there a great town sign in Howard County? One of them has to be the best. I really like Chester and Elma. But I have to give the purple ribbon to Lime Springs. Not the first “Best Town by a Dam Site!” I’ve seen (Alden comes to mind), but the font and the picture is great!

Lime Springs – Best in Show – Howard County

There are a few alternate signs in Howard County:

Lime Springs – Alternate

Elma – Alternate

Cresco – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Appanoose County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – Floyd County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Fremont County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Sow – Harrison County

Best in Show – Howard County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – Keokuk County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Linn County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Lyon County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Mahaska County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Mitchell County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will end up in Chickasaw County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Keokuk County

July 5, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A couple months back I went down to Keokuk County to harvest their town signs before heading to the Renaissance Faire in Des Moines to watch Evie and her Irish dance troupe. It was a good day.

Here are some facts about Keokuk County:
+ Population is 10,163. Making it the 72nd most populous county in Iowa. Below Winnebago County and above Franklin County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Sigourney.
+ Formed in 1837. Opened for settlement in 1843. Governing structure created in 1844.
+ Named for the Sauk chief Keokuk
+ Has two county fairs. The Keokuk County Fair in What Cheer and the Keokuk County Expo in Sigourney.
+ Major highways are: IA-2, IA-21, IA-22, IA-78, IA-92, and IA-149.
+ Adjacent counties are Poweshiek, Iowa, Washington, Jefferson, Wapello, and Mahaska.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 24,979.

The Keokuk County Courthouse is fair looking:

The Keokuk County Courthouse in Sigourney, Iowa.

The Keokuk County Freedom Rock is located in What Cheer, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

78 counties completed. 78.8% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Keokuk County:

Sigourney, Iowa
Sigourney
Population: 2,004 (-55)

Keota, Iowa
KEOTA
Population: 897 (-110)

Hedrick, Iowa
Welcome to HEDRICK
“Where Friends Meet”
Population: 728 (-36)

What Cheer, Iowa
WELCOME TO WHAT CHEER
EST 1865
Population: 607 (-39)

Richland, Iowa
RICHLAND
Population: 542 (-32)

Delta, Iowa
DELTA
HOME OF THE COVERED BRIDGE
Population: 264 (-64)

Keswick, Iowa
Home of the Keswick Agate
KESWICK
Established 1879
Population: 242 (-4)

South English, Iowa
Welcome To South English
Iowa
Est. 1855
Population: 202 (-10)

Ollie, Iowa
OLLIE
EST. 1882
Population: 201 (-14)

Harper, Iowa
HARPER
EST. 1872
Population: 118 (+4)

Martinsburg, Iowa
MARTINSBURG
EST. 1854
Population: 110 (-2)

Webster, Iowa
Welcome to WEBSTER
Est. 1854
Population: 94 (+6)

Kinross, Iowa
KINROSS
CITY HALL
Population: 80 (-7)
Gibson, Iowa
Gibson, IA
50104
Population: 63 (+2)

Thornburg, Iowa
THORNBURG
BIRTHPLACE OF AUTHOR ROSS SANTEE
EST. 1879
Population: 45 (-22)

Hayesville, Iowa
HAYESVILLE COMMUNITY
Population: 41 (-9)

For having so many towns, Keokuk County is kind of a dud for quality town signs. Worst would have to go to Gibson or Kinross cause they didn’t even have real town signs. Hayesville would be up there as well, but you know how I like the abandoned and distressed.

Who gets the purple ribbon? Who gets best in show? I like the town signs for Webster, Thornburg, South English, Delta, and Keswick. Of those, I’m going to give it to Webster. At least it is colorful.

Webster – Best in Show – Keokuk County

There are a couple alternate town signs in Keokuk County:

Richland – Alternate

Delta – Alternate

Here are the current Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Appanoose County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – Floyd County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Fremont County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Sow – Harrison County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – Keokuk County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Linn County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Lyon County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Mahaska County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Mitchell County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit the open roads of Howard County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

TOWN SIGN PROJECT: APPANOOSE COUNTY

June 28, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks back after I went down to Pella to photograph some tulips, I went down to Appanoose County to harvest their town signs. It was a good day.

Here are some facts about Appanoose County:
+ Population is 12,462, making it the 60th most populous county in Iowa. Below Wright County and above Union County.
+ Largest town and county seat is Centerville.
+ Formed on February 17, 1843.
+ Named for the Meskwaki Chief.
+ Home of Lake Rathbun.
+ Major highways are: IA-2, IA-5, and IA-202.
+ Adjacent counties are: Monroe, Wapello, Lucas, Davis, and Wayne.
+ Population peaked in 1920 at 30,535.

The Appanoose County courthouse is beautiful:

The Appanoose County Courthouse in Centerville, Iowa.

The Appanoose County Freedom Rock is located in Centerville:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

77 counties conquered. 77.8% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Appanoose County:

Centerville, Iowa
CENTERVILLE
Population: 5,412 (-116)

Moravia, Iowa
MORAVIA
SINCE 1851
Population: 636 (-29)

Moulton, Iowa
MOULTON
SINCE 1869
Population: 607 (+2)

Mystic, Iowa
MYSTIC
Population: 322 (-103)

Cincinnati, Iowa
Cincinnati
Iowa
Population: 290 (-67)

Exline, Iowa
EXLINE
THE LITTLE TOWN WITH A BIG HEART
Population: 160 (No Change)

Unionville, Iowa
UNIONVILLE
IOWA
EST. 1843
Population: 75 (-27)

Numa, Iowa
NUMA COMMUNITY CENTER
Population: 68 (-24)

Plano, Iowa
PLANO
SINCE 1879
Population: 59 (-11)

Rathbun, Iowa
WELCOME TO THE CITY OF RATHBUN
ESTABLISHED 1892
GATEWAY TO RATHBUN LAKE
Population: 43 (-46)

Udell, Iowa
UDELL IOWA
Population: 28 (-19)

First, I’m pretty startled by the population drops over just 10 years in Appanoose County. I get it, nobody wants to live close to Missouri. It is an absolutely horrible place. But I thought Lake Rathbun would be enough of an economic generator to help the towns in the area and Centerville is a pretty nice town, from what I’ve seen. I guess last person left in Appanoose County, turn off the lights.

However, I have a theory why Appanoose County has lost over half its population in the last 100 years. It is the fact that so many of the towns have the terrible (what I call, because that is where I first saw their infestation) Highway 34 signs. They are a scourge of southern Iowa. Three towns have them and spoiler, Centerville also had one. All three of those towns tie for the worst town sign in Appanoose County.

Who gets the purple ribbon though? I like Cincinnati’s sign. I like Exline’s sign. I also like Unionville’s (suck it confederacy and confederacy fanboys*), but it really is a two horse race between Centerville and Rathbun. I’m giving the nod to Centerville.

Centerville – Best in Show – Appanoose County

Centerville had a few alternate signs:

Puke

Centerville – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Appanoose County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – Floyd County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Fremont County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Sow – Harrison County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Linn County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Lyon County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Mahaska County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Mitchell County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Keokuk County.

* Also known as racists.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Floyd County

June 22, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back I cruised around Floyd County to harvest their town signs. It was a good trip.

Here are some facts about Floyd County:
+ Population is 15,713. Making it the 49th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Clay County and above Page County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Charles City.
+ Established in 1854.
+ Named for Charles Floyd who died on the Lewis and Clark Expedition near Sioux City, Iowa.
+ Site of the last lynching in Iowa. (Wasn’t racially motivated.)
+ Major highways are: US-18, US-218, IA-14, and IA-27.
+ Adjacent counties are: Mitchell, Chickasaw, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Howard, Bremer, and Franklin.
+ Population peaked in 1950 in 21,505.

The Floyd County Courthouse is mostly meh, except for the fascinating “Floyd” part:

The Floyd County Courthouse located in Charles City, Iowa.

The Floyd County Freedom Rock is located in Rockford, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

76 counties completed. 76.8% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Note, Nashua is partially in Floyd County, but is mostly in Chickasaw County. I will reveal that town sign when we get to Chickasaw County. Greene is also partially in Floyd County, but is mostly in Butler County. I already revealed this town sign when I revealed the town signs of Butler County.

Here are the town signs of Floyd County:

Charles City, Iowa
Charles City
welcomes you!
Est. 1854
Population: 7,396 (-256)

Nora Springs, Iowa (Partially in Cerro Gordo County)
WELCOME TO NORA SPRINGS
Population: 1,369 (-62)

Welcome to ROCKFORD
HOME OF THE DEVONIAN FOSSILS
Population: 758 (-102)

Rudd, Iowa
RUDD, IA
Population: 358 (-11)

Floyd, Iowa
Welcome To FLOYD
Population: 313 (-22)

Marble Rock, Iowa
WELCOME TO MARBLE ROCK
Population: 271 (-36)

Colwell, Iowa
Established 1915
Incorporated 1922
Welcome to COLWELL
“The biggest little city in Floyd County”
Population: 55 (-18)

Floyd might not have a superstar sign, but there are several solid signs in there. But Easily the worst belongs to Nora Springs. Boring. Boring. Boring.

For best in show, for me it is really a two sign race. It is Colwell or it is Marble Rock. I’m going to give it to Marble Rock by a nose.

Marble Rock – Best in Show – Floyd County

There is only one alternate town sign in Floyd County that I found:

Rockford – Alternate

There are lots of these old Amoco (I think) signs out there that have been reporuposed as town signs and I am here for it.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – Floyd County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Fremont County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Sow – Harrison County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Linn County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Lyon County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Mahaska County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Mitchell County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Appanoose County.

9 Emotions Project, Alexis, Angie, Animals, Black & White, Blogging, Carla, Derrick, Football, Formal Portrait, Frank, Jay, Jesse, Joe Duff, Kalista, Kanoa, Kelly, Kim, Kupono, Michelle, Mom, Nader, Saydie, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait Project, Shannon, Still Life, Taylan, Teresa, Town Sign Project, Vest

Four Thousand Five Hundred

June 21, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

It has been 5,795 days since August 9, 2006. 5,795 days since I first took keyboard in hand and started the blog portion of the Photography 139 website. The portion I pompously named “An Artist’s Notebook”. The part I started with the words:

So here is the first journal entry. I felt like having as pretentious sounding name as possible for my journal. I have a few goals about this journal. My main goal is just to actually write in it. My second goal is to be as truthful as possible towards my true thoughts and feelings. I have another journal on another website, but it is really just a collection of sarcastic statements and cheap jabs at open faced sandwiches. This journal is meant to be about what my achievements and failures are in the world of art. What projects I am working on and what I have accomplished and what I have failed to accomplish. What I am photographing and what I am thinking about entering in photo contests. What I am thinking about. It might not always make sense. It might just be things I need to write down because they strike me as poignant or inspirational. This is in a small way an online “idea box”.

Over the years this website has transitioned less from an “idea box” and more into a “show and tell”. I keep my idea box more private these days. I didn’t even publish a picture on “An Artist’s Notebook” for months.

In fact, it wouldn’t be until October 20, 2006 that a blog post included an image. This image to be exact:

It is a picture of “Steve” the Groundhog that lived behind the Computer Mine for years.

While the format and what has posted on An Artist’s Notebook has changed several times over the years, its main goals of “actually writing in it”, “being truthful as possible”, and of course the goal of having produced something worthy as being as “pretentious sounding as An Artist’s Notebook” have remained intact.

On these periodic check-ins I like to overwhelm those that stick around this long with a ton of meaningless statistics. Today’s post should be no different. Every post in “An Artist’s Notebook” is tagged with at least one Category. It is one of the easiest ways to navigate around the website. They are listed at the top of each post. Here are some statistics about Categories:

The Top 10 (Most Used) Categories (Rank in Post #4250 & Increase since then):
9. WPC-Submissions – 455 (#9 – +38)
9. Teresa – 455 (NR)
8. Carla – 476 (#7 – +41)
7. Road Trip – 477 (NR)
6. Shannon – 500 (#5 – +42)
5. Art – 506 (#10 – +92)
4. Jesse – 579 (#4 – +50)
3. Animals – 698 (#3 – +33)
2. Flowers – 819 (#2 – +65)
1. Black and White – 918 (#1 – +99)

Top 10 Non Human Categories:
10. Formal Portrait – 381 (NR)
9. Nature – 396 (#9 – +17)
8. Portrait – 435 (#4 – -15)
7. Macro – 441 (#8 – +51)
6. WPC – Submissions – 455 (#5 – +38)
5. Road Trip – 477 (#7 – +83)
4. Art – 506 (#6 – +92)
3. Animals – 698 (#3 – +33)
2. Flowers – 819 (#2 – +65)
1. Black and White – 918 (#1 – +99)

Top 10 Human Categories:
10. Jen – 286 (#9 – +9)
9. Vest – 294 (#10 – +20
8. Kim – 297 (NR)
7. Derrick – 320 (#7 – +9)
6. Jay – 337 (#6 – +8)
5. Mom – 453 (#4 – +31)
4. Teresa – 455 (#5 – +50)
3. Carla – 476 (#3 – +41)
2. Shannon – 500 (#2 – +42)
1. Jesse – 579 (#1 – +50)

If you have spent any time on the Photography 139 website, you know that on the left sidebar, the “Top 100 Categories” are listed. I thought I would give a little bit of coverage to the Bottom 10 of the Top 100. There are currently 194 categories used on the website. I could cover the Bottom 10, but they are mostly people that either very recently came into my life by birth (Dahlia, Anela) or another way. Or people that I thought would be a bigger part of my life and then weren’t. No need to cover those people. The Category that is #194 probably needs to be purged.

The Bottom 10 of the Top 100:

#100. Jaycees – 65
#99. Vacation – 67
#98. Mark – 69
#97. Commercial – 72
#95. Pastor Sarah – 74
#95. Life – 74
#94. Andree – 75
#93. Lowell – 77
#92. Photo Journal – 79
#91. Birthdays – 80

Some of these are bound to slip out of the Top 100. For example, there will never be another Jaycees post. Ever. I also apparently don’t take many vacations. Mark, not really part of my life any more. Life, is a broad category that I’ve tried to eliminate over the years. Photo Journal, a project I have completed, so there will never be another post on that. Birthdays, I currently don’t wish people “happy birthday”, but maybe I will again someday.

So what has a shot at cracking the Top 100? These are the 5 that are the closest.

+ Self-Portrait Project
+ Dae Hee
+ Kelly
+ Layla
+ FNSC

So, you might be wondering, how do you improve your Photography 139 score?

The easiest way is simple. Participate in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. You don’t even have to be around me and most people will tell you that being around me isn’t all that great. I mean look at Shannon. She is still #2 on the Big Board and I haven’t seen her in person since October 22, 2021. It can be done!

Other ways to increase your score:
+ Act as a Photo Assistant
+ Show up in THE SELFIE PROJECT
+ Go on TOWN SIGN PROJECT road trips with me… that one to Scott County is going to be epic!
+ An underated way is to assist with the FatMumSlim Photo a Day Project.
+ Doesn’t hurt to be related to me, but most of those slots are taken.
+ Doesn’t hurt to work with me, go to the same church as me, or otherwise engage me socially.

That is probably enough Category nonsense. I bet at least Joe is still here with me though.

“An Artist’s Notebook” is part of Photography 139. The 139 comes from Psalm 139:1-12. The Photography part comes from this website is supposed to be filled with photography. So, what are the most popular photo galleries on the Photography 139 website? Glad you asked:

TOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY 139 PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERIES (LAST 365 DAYS)

To View the Gallery, Click on its Representative Image

10. Iowa – 35,595 Views

9. 9 Emotions Project – 69,259 Views

8. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 8 – 74,730 Views

7. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 9 – 77,929 Views

6. SELFIE PROJECT – 2022 – 84,763 Views

5. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020 – 95,358 Views

4. Christopher D. Bennett – 104,433 Views

3. Town Sign Project – Auxiliary Images – 108,873 Views

2. Selfie Project – 2021 – 120,185 Views

1. Town Sign Project – 176,664 Views

At post 4,250 these were the 5 most popular galleries:
5. Gorshe Family
4. Town Sign Project
3. Weekly Photo Challenge – Year 8
2. Selfie Project – 2021
1. Alexis Pregnancy Photo Shoot – 2020

But what are the most popular single images of the last 365 days? Don’t worry, I’m gonna feed you baby birds.

Top 10 Photography 139 Images

10. Coon Rapids, Iowa – 2,319 Views

9. Carla and Teresa – 2,379 Views

8. Dexter, Iowa – 2,426 Views

7. Scranton, Iowa – 2,484 Views

6. Moingona, Iowa – 2,770 Views

5. The Howards – 2,842 Views

4. Miami – 2,920 Views

3. Alexis Pregnant – 3,458 Views

2. Me and Mom – 4,134 Views

1. Bellevue – 14,629 Views

The final statistic I want to share with everybody before riding off into the sunset and not boring you with these statistics for another 250 posts is the 5 people with the highest Photography Subscriber Loyalty Scores.

Top 5 Photography 139 Loyalty Scores
5. Frank Meiners – 97.0%
4. Michelle Haupt – 98.6%
3. Angie DeWaard – 99.5%
2. Joe Duff – 99.7%
1. Mary Green – 100.0%

People right outside the Top 5:
+ Linda Bennett
+ Tamara Peterson
+ Jeannette Duff

To be honest, I don’t know how this number is figured. I believe it is the percentage of emails from the subscriber list that you open within the first 24 hours of getting an email from me, but but I really don’t know if we are being honest. But thanks for doing what it is you are doing!

I think that is enough. Here is to the next 4,500 posts!

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Mitchell County

June 14, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks back I headed up to Mitchell County to harvest their town signs. It was a good trip and I really enjoyed my brief time in Mitchell County.

Here are some facts about Mitchell County:
+ Population is 10,558 making it the 70th most populous county in Iowa. Below Guthrie County and above Winnebago County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Osage.
+ Founded in 1851.
+ Named after Irish patriot John Mitchel.
+ Major highways are: US-218 and IA-9.
+ Adjacent counties are Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Howard, and Worth.
+ Peak population was 14,121 in 1940.

Mitchell County has a pretty, but maybe not gorgeous courthouse:

The Mitchell County Courthouse in Osage, Iowa.

The Mitchell County Freedom Rock is located in Saint Ansgar, Iowa.

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

75 counties completed. 75.8% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Mitchell County:

Osage, Iowa
OSAGE
Population: 3,627 (+8)

Saint Ansgar, Iowa
WELCOME TO SAINT ANSGAR
est 1853
Population: 1,160 (+53)

Riceville, Iowa – Partially in Howard County
RICEVILLE
Population: 806 (+21)

Stacyville, Iowa
WELCOME TO Stacyville
Population: 458 (-36)

Mitchell, Iowa
Established 1854
WELCOME TO MITCHELL
Population: 124 (-14)

McIntire, Iowa
Welcome to McIntire
Population: 113 (-9)

Carpenter, Iowa
CARPENTER
COMMUNITY CENTER
Population: 87 (-22)

Orchard, Iowa
ORCHARD
1869
Population: 68 (-3)

New Haven, Iowa – Unincorporated
Welcome to New Haven

Little Cedar, Iowa – Unincorporated
Where Nature Smiles
For Almost 5 Miles
Little Cedar, Iowa

Toeterville, Iowa – Unincorporated
Toeterville
WHERE FRIENDSHIPS GROW
EST. 1898

Mona, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME
MONA IOWA
ESTABLISHED 1869

Meyer, Iowa – Unincorporated
MEYER
HOME OF
Sacred Heart Church

Mitchell County has a ton of unincorporated town that actually had signs. My policy is still to only hit an unincorporated town, if it is within a couple miles of my route. Usually there is not town sign and frequently there isn’t really a town. Mitchell County’s unincorporated towns were quite the revelation.

The worst town sign in Mitchell County is pretty obvious. It is Carpenter. Not really a town sign, but more a sign for their community center.

The race for first place isn’t really a race. It is obviously Riceville. However, the alternate town signs for Toeterville will definitely be making the book!

Riceville – Best in Show – Mitchell County

Here are the alternate town signs of Mitchell County:

Riceville – Alternate

Osage – Alternate

Mitchell – Alternate

Toeterville – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – 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 – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – Kossuth County

Best in Show – Linn County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Lyon County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Mahaska County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Mills County

Best in Show – Mitchell County

Best in Show – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will hit the roads of Floyd County!

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

TOWN SIGN PROJECT: EMMET COUNTY

June 7, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back that I headed up Emmet County to harvest their town signs. It is a small county with only 6 incorporated towns.

Here are some facts about Emmet County:

+ Population is 9,322 making it the 79th most populous county in Iowa. Below Clarke County and above Howard County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Estherville.
+ Formed in 1851. Organized in 1859.
+ Named for Robert Emmet, an Irish patriot who was hanged as a traitor by the British at the age of 25.
+ Struck by a 455 pound meteorite on May 10., 1879.
+ Major highways are IA-4, IA-9, and IA-15.
+ Adjacent counties are Kossuth, Palo Alto, and Dickinson.
+ Population peaked in 1960 at 14,871.

The Emmet County Courthouse is a hideous eyesore.

The Emmet County Courthouse located in Estherville, Iowa.

The Emmet County Freedom Rock is located in Armstrong, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

74 counties completed. 74.7% of the Cyclone State conquered.

With Emmet County harvested, I am done with the northwest corner of the state. Next I am going to start hammering away on the northeast corner of the state. My goal is to have the northeast corner finished by July 4. It is a realistic and attainable goal. Hopefully not a pipe dream. If I can accomplish that, then I might actually do an overnight trip to southeast Iowa on the week of the 4th of July.

Here are the town signs of Emmet County:

Estherville, Iowa
ESTHERVILLE
1881
Population: 5,901 (-456)

Armstrong, Iowa
ARMSTRONG
Population: 875 (-51)

Ringsted, Iowa
RINGSTED IOWA
SMALL TOWN WITH BIG IDEAS
2 U
Population: 365 (-57)

Wallingford, Iowa
WALLINGFORD
EST 1913
Population: 165 (-32)

Dolliver, Iowa
DOLLIVER
SMALL BUT FRIENDLY
Population: 65 (-1)

Gruver, Iowa
GRUVER
Est. 1900
Population: 63 (-31)

4 out of 6 town signs are similarish, but they are all better than the Estherville sign that is clearly the worst in the county.

But who gets the purple ribbon? Clearly not Armstrong. Wallingford would get 4th place. But I really like the Gruver, Dolliver and Ringsted signs. I think I like Ringsted the best even though it doesn’t have a very good backdrop. Ringsted it is!

Ringsted – Best in Show – Emmet County

There are no alternate signs in Emmet County.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – Emmet County

Best in Show – 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 – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – 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 – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will hit Mitchell County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Dickinson County

May 31, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

A few weeks back I headed up to Dickinson County to harvest the balance of their town signs. I could spend more time than I did photographing the Iowa Great Lakes area, but I will head back there at some point to spend more time there.

Here are some facts about Dickinson County:

+ The population is 17,260. Making it the 41st most populous county in Iowa. Behind Clayton County and above Delaware County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Spirit Lake.
+ Formed in 1857.
+ Named for Daniel S. Dickinson, a U.S. Senator from New York.
+ Home of the University of Okoboji.
+ Major highways are: US-71, IA-9, and IA-86.
+ Adjacent counties are Emmett, Clay, and Osceola.
+ Currently at peak population.

For a modern courthouse, I dig the Dickinson County Courthouse:

The Dickinson County Courthouse located in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

The Dickinson County Freedom Rock is located in Lake Park, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

73 counites completed. 73.7% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Dickinson County:

Spirit Lake, Iowa
SPIRIT LAKE
Population: 5,439 (+599)

Milford, Iowa
GATEWAY TO THE IOWA GREAT LAKES
MILFORD
EST. 1892
Population: 3,321 (+423)

Lake Park, Iowa
ON THE SHORES OF Silver Lake
LAKE PARK
Population: 1,167 (+62)

Arnolds Park, Iowa
ARNOLDS PARK
ARNOLDS PARK IOWA
CITY OF 5 LAKES
Population: 1,110 (-16)

Okoboji, Iowa
WELCOME
CITY OF OKOBOJI
Population: 768 (-39)

Orleans, Iowa
Welcome to the City of Orleans
Est. 1895
Population: 521 (-87)

Wahpeton, Iowa
Village of Wahpeton
Population: 345 (+4)

Terril, Iowa
TERRIL
Population: 334 (-33)

West Okoboji, Iowa
City of West Okoboji
Population: 308 (+19)

Superior, Iowa
SUPERIOR MUNICIPAL BUILDING
Population: 132 (+2)

I should point out that Carla spends lots of time in Dickinson County as Jason’s parents have a house there. She let me know that there is an intersection where you can see three town signs at once. I bet this is the only intersection in the state where this occurs.

The worst town sign in Dickinson County is pretty obvious. Superior and their lack of town sign takes the cake. From driving through the town there was a spot that looks like it might have housed a town sign at one time, but it was either destroyed by a storm or ripped out and has never been replaced.

As for Best in Show? I like the concept of the Spirit Lake town sign, it is just too busy. I also like the town signs of Wahpeton, Orleans, and Lake Park. But I have to give the Purple Ribbon to Terril.

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County

At some point, I want to see the sign at night with the neon all lit up. I bet it is glorious!

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

Terril – Best in Show – Dickinson County
Best in Show – Dickinson County

Best in Show – 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 – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – 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 – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next county we will visit for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT is Emmet County. That will complete the northwest corner of the Cyclone State. Next we will start slowly hammering away at the northeast corner.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Black Hawk County

May 24, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back I prowled around the backroads of Black Hawk County harvesting their town signs before have a delicious meal at Zeno’s. It was a good trip!

Here are some facts about Black Hawk County:
+ Population is 131,813 making it the 5th most populous county in Iowa. Below Johnson County and above Woodbury County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Waterloo.
+ Formed on February 17, 1853.
+ Named after Black Hawk, the Sauk leader during the 1832 Black Hawk War.
+ Home of Iowa State Normal School. Might go by a different name now.
+ Major highways are: I-380, US-20, US-63, US-218, IA-21, IA-27, IA-57, IA-58, IA-175, and IA-281.
+ Adjacent counties are: Bremer, Buchanan, Benton, Tama, Grundy, Butler, and Fayette.
+ Reached peak population in 1980 at 137,961.

The Black Hawk County Courthouse is a hideous eyesore:

The Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo, Iowa.

The Black Hawk County Freedom Rock is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

72 counties completed. 72.7% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Black Hawk County:

Waterloo, Iowa
Welcome to Waterloo
Population: 67,314 (-1,092)

Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls Iowa
Home of UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
Population: 40,713 (+1,457)

Evansdale, Iowa
WELCOME TO EVANSDALE
Population: 4,561 (-190)

Hudson, Iowa
WELCOME TO HUDSON
THE GEM OF BLACKHAWK VALLEY
Population: 2,546 (+264)

La Porte City, Iowa
WELCOME TO LaPorte City
HOME OF IOWA’S FIRST FFA AG MUSEUM
Population: 2,284 (-236)

Elk Run Heights, Iowa
WELCOME TO ELK RUN HEIGHTS
SMALL CITY FRIENDLY
BIG CITY CONVENIENT
Population: 1,069 (-48)

Dunkerton, Iowa
Welcome to DUNKERTON
‘Home of the Raiders’
Population: 842 (-10)

Gilbertville, Iowa
Welcome to Gilbertville
Population: 794 (+82)

Raymond, Iowa
Welcome to RAYMOND
Est. 1867
Population: 759 (-29)

The worst sign in Black Hawk County is pretty obvious. Evansdale. No need for further discussion.

I think there are two real contenders for the purple ribbon. It is Hudson and Gilbertville. While it is close, I’m going to give it to Gilbertville.

Hudson – Best in Show – Black Hawk County

There are a couple of alternate town signs in Black Hawk County:

Dunkerton – Alternate

Hudson – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Black Hawk County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

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 – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – 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 – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Dickinson County.

Art, Jesse, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Woodbury County

May 17, 2022 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

A few weeks back Jesse and I went to Woodbury County on our way to Harlan, the most direct route, and harvested the rest of the Woodbury County signs that I needed.

Here are some facts about Woodbury County:
+ The population of Woodbury County is 102,687 making it the 6th most populous county in Iowa. Below Black Hawk County and above Story County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Sioux City.
+ Established in 1851 as Wahkaw County (which is an infinitely better name), but had the name changed to Woodbury to honor Levi Woodbury. A senator, a governor and Supreme Court justice from New Hampshire.
+ The Ho-Chunk Tribe of Nebraska owns reservation land in Woodbury County.
+ The 3rd largest county by area.
+ Home of Morningside University and Briar Cliff University.
+ Major highways are: I-29, I-129, US-20, US-75, US-77, IA-12, IA-31, IA-140, IA-141, and IA-175.
+ Population peaked in 1960 at 107,849.

The Woodbury County Courthouse is fascinating looking:

The Woodbury County Courthouse in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Woodbury County Freedom Rock is located in Anthon, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

71 counties completed. 71.7% of the Cyclone State conquered!

Here are the town signs of Woodbury County:

Sioux City, Iowa
WELCOME TO SIOUX CITY
Population: 85,797 (+3,029)

Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
Sergeant Bluff
est. 1854
Population: 5,015 (+788)

Moville, Iowa
Welcome to MOVILLE
est. 1887
Eastern Gateway to Western Hospitality
Home of the WOODBURY COUNTY FAIR
Population: 1,687 (+69)

Sloan, Iowa
Welcome to Sloan
A Great Place to Grow
Population: 1,042 (+69)

Lawton, Iowa
Welcome to LAWTON
Hands down… the best town
Population: 943 (+35)

Correctionville, Iowa
Welcome to Correctionville
Jog down our main street
Population: 766 (-55)

Anthon, Iowa
135th Anniversary
“My Kind of Town!”
Anthon, Iowa
1888-2013
Population: 545 (-20)

Pierson, Iowa
PIERSON
SMALL TOWN WITH A BIG HEART
Population: 337 (-29)

Danbury, Iowa
WELCOME TO THE CITY OF DANBURY
GEM CITY OF NORTHWEST IOWA
Population: 320 (-28)

Salix, Iowa
Welcome to SALIX
Population: 295 (-68)

Bronson, Iowa
BRONSON
1 1/2 MILE
a SMALL CITY that is a BIG COMMUNITY
Population: 294 (-28)

Hornick, Iowa
WELCOME TO HORNICK
Population: 253
Established in 1887
Home of the Willow Workers 4-H Club
Population: 255 (+30)

Cushing, Iowa
Welcome To CUSHING
Population: 230 (+10)

Smithland, Iowa
Welcome to SMITHLAND
The Oldest City in Woodbury County
Home of the First School House in Woodbury County
Population: 181 (-43)

Oto, Iowa
OTO
Population: 72 (-36)

Climbing Hill, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME – 6 MI.
CLIMBING HILL
EST. 1868

There are lots of good signs in Woodbury County. So the worst one is pretty easy to pick out. It is the snorefest sign in Sergeant Bluff.

What is the best sign in Woodbury County? What gets the purple ribbon? I really like the sign for Sioux City. For a big city, it has a surprisingly good sign. Not unlike Cedar Rapids. I love the sign in Bronson and Hornick and Anthon and Lawton and Oto. But I think the Best in Show goes to Sloan.

Sloan – Best in Show – Woodbury County

There are several alternate signs in Woodbury County:

Sergeant Bluff – Alternate

Bronson – Alternate

Anthon – Alternate

Pierson – Alternate

Correctionville – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Adams County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Bremer County

Best in Show – Buena Vista County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cedar County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Cherokee County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Clay County

Best in Show – Clinton County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Decatur County

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 – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Iowa County

Best in Show – Jackson County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Jones County

Best in Show – 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 – Monona County

Best in Show – Monroe County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – O’Brien County

Best in Show – Osceola County

Best in Show – Page County

Best in Show – Palo Alto County

Best in Show – Plymouth County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Pottawattamie County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Ringgold County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Shelby County

Best in Show – Sioux County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Taylor County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Wayne County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Winnebago County

Best in Show – Woodbury County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the open road for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will visit Black Hawk County.