Category Archives: Town Sign Project

Art, History, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Fremont County

October 12, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

A few weeks back I cruised around Fremont County on a solo town sign harvesting trip. Fremont County was the third county I harvested on that day. I have no connection to any of the towns in Fremont County. I’ve never left I-29 on any of my trips through Fremont County. However, I was strangely looking forward to Fremont County. Not only because Fremont County is in the southwest corner of Iowa, but also because my Paris grandparents lived on Fremont Street. Funny how the mind works and makes strange connections.

Here are some facts about Fremont County:

+ Population is 6,605. That makes it the 93rd most populous county in Iowa. Right below Ida County and right above Wayne County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Sidney.
+ Formed in 1847.
+ Named after John C. Fremont. An explorer, military officer, U.S. Senator from California and the first Republican nominee for President of the United States. Fremont, is one of the most interesting figures in American history that gets forgotten. But that is just my opinion. I’m not saying he was a great person or a bad person. Like most people of his time that didn’t flat out suck (see John C. Calhoun) he was a mixed bag. But he was an interesting mixed bag.
+ Home of the world’s largest continuous outdoor rodeo in Sidney. Started in 1928.
+ Major highways are I-20, US-59, US-275, IA-2, and IA-333.
+ Adjacent Iowa counties are: Mills and Page.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 18,546.

Fremont County has an average to slightly better than average looking courthouse:

The Fremont County Courthouse located in Sidney, Iowa.

The Fremont County Freedom Rock is located in Hamburg, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLTETED

40 counties completed. 40.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Fremont County:

Sidney, Iowa
SIDNEY
IOWA
Population: 1,070 (-68)

Hamburg, Iowa
You’re Always Welcome In HAMBURG
ESTABLISHED 1858
Population: 890 (-297)

Tabor, Iowa – Also in Mills County
WELCOME TO TABOR
Lighting the Way Since 1852
Population: 1,014 (+58)

Farragut, Iowa
Welcome to FARRAGUT
EST. 1870
“DAMN THE TORPEDOES! FULL STEAM AHEAD!
-ADMIRAL D. G. FARRAGUT
Population: 490 (+5)

Riverton, Iowa
Welcome to RIVERTON
EST. 1870
Population: 245 (-59)

Thurman, Iowa
WELCOME TO THURMAN
Population: 167 (-67)

Randolph, Iowa
WELCOME TO RANDOLPH
Population: 189 (+21)

Imogene, Iowa
IMOGENE
Population: 39 (-33)

Technically a small sliver of Shenandoah is in Fremont County, but not enough to share it yet. That will wait until I reveal the town signs of Page County.

Who has the worst town sign in Fremont County? I don’t know that I think there is a bad town sign in the county, so I’m going to give the distinction to Thurman, even though I actually love its rustic charm.

Then who gets Best in Show for Fremont County? I’m fascinated by how Imogene, a town of 39 people, has such an expensive looking sign. However, they do have a restaurant that is on The Tenderloin Trail 2.0, so it isn’t a town without means. At least the have the means of making a pretty good tenderloin. I haven’t tried it yet, so I will hold back my praises for the time being. I also like the Sidney sign and how it fits in with the rodeo “theme” of their town. Then there is Farragut’s sign. It isn’t the most impressive design, but I stay awake nights wondering why they put quotation marks at the beginning of the quote from Admiral Farragut, but not at the end of the quote. However, my favorite town sign belongs to Tabor. You might be wondering why there is an old-timey lantern on it. Was Tabor once the home of a burgeoning lantern industry. You may be disappointed to find out the answer is “no”. It actually represents Tabor’s place on the Underground Railroad. Here is a snippet on the history of the town of Tabor:

In 1852 the city of Tabor was founded by several Christian clergymen, who were also active abolitionists (George Gaston, Samuel A. Adams, and Rev. John Todd), and their families. They chose to settle in what is now Tabor in order to found a Christian college, which eventually became Tabor College. The founders “were impressed with this high location and mutually selected the name ‘Tabor’ after the Biblical name of Mount Tabor, a mountain near Nazareth, the town of Jesus’ childhood”.

The residents of Tabor held monthly abolitionist prayer meetings, and helped runaway slaves whenever they could.

In the 1850s the abolitionist John Brown kept a store of weapons in Tabor, and met here with other supporters to plan his raids in Kansas and Virginia, including the raid on Harpers Ferry. The town was the home of many abolitionists, including John Tod, a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad and co-founder of Tabor College. Tabor College was located in the city from 1853 until 1927, when it closed for financial reasons. The college’s buildings housed German Prisoners of War during World War II.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, those German prisoners of war didn’t carve a nativity set that can only be described as exactly what a nativity set carved by Germans would look like.

One last tidbit about Tabor. The novel “Gilead” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 was based on Tabor, Iowa.

Anyways, they have a cool sign:

Tabor – Best in Show – Fremont County

A few town have alternate town signs:

Sidney Alternate

Imogene Alternate

Hamburg Alternate

Hamburg

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 – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas 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 Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster 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 Page County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Montgomery County

October 5, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks back I cruised around Montgomery on a solo town sign harvesting trip. Montgomery County was the second county I harvested on that day.

Here are some facts about Montgomery County:

+ Population is 10,330. That makes it the 72nd most populous county in Iowa. Below Mitchell County and above Keokuk County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Red Oak.
+ Named after Revolutionary War general Richard Mongtomery.
+ Birthplace of Clyde Cessna of aviation fame.
+ Location of the infamous unsolved Villisca Axe Murders that knocked the Titanic off the front pages of the nation’s newspapers.
+ Major highways are US-34, US-71, and IA-48.
+ Adjacent counties are Pottawattamie, Cass, Adams, Page, and Mills.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 17,803.

Montgomery County has a beautiful courthouse:

The Montgomery County Courthouse in Red Oak, Iowa.

The Montgomery County Freedom Rock is located in Red Oak, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

39 counties completed. 39.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Montgomery County:

Red Oak, Iowa
Welcome to RED OAK
Population: 5,596 (-146)

Villisca, Iowa
VILLISCA
Population: 1,132 (-120)

Stanton, Iowa
STANTON
Population: 678 (-11)

Elliott, Iowa
WELCOME TO ELLIOTT
Est. 1879
Population: 338 (-12)

Grant, Iowa
Grant
Population: 86 (-6)

Coburg, Iowa
Coburg
Population: 26 (-16)

Tenville, Iowa – Unincorporated
POP 30
TENVILLE

Montgomery County might have the worst collection of signs to date. But even in a collection of mediocre, it is pretty easy to pick out the worst. Coburg only has a DOT sign. So they have the worst town sign in Montgomery County.

Best in Show is also pretty easy. It goes to Grant, even though their town sign is sitting on the ground in the courtyard of the town bar. I do believe that they are getting ready to put up a new town sign, so maybe I’ll have to check that out again on my future travels, but until then, Grant wins Best in Show.

Grant – Best in Show – Montgomery County

A couple towns do have alternate town signs:

Stanton – Alternate

Red Oak – 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 – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Montgomery County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster 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 Fremont County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Adams County

September 28, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back I cruised around Adams County on a solo town sign harvesting trip. Adams County was just the first county I harvested on that day.

Here are some facts about Adams County:

+ Population is 3,704, making it the 99th most populous county in Iowa. Also known as the least populous county in Iowa. Behind Ringgold County and above no counties.
+ The largest town and county seat is Corning.
+ Established in 1851.
+ Named after the second POTUS John Adams or his son the sixth POTUS John Quincy Adams.
+ Was the site of one of the last Icarian Cult (Community) Compound.
+ Major highways are: US-34, IA-25, and IA-148.
+ Adjacent counties are Cass, Adair, Union, Taylor, and Montgomery.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 13,601.

The Adams County Courthouse is mostly meh:

The Adams County Courthouse in Corning, Iowa.

The Adams County Freedom Rock is located next to a gas station in Corning, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

38 counties completed. 38.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Adams County:

Corning, Iowa
CORNING
Population: 1,564 (-71)

Lenox, Iowa – Mostly in Taylor County
WELCOME TO LENOX
EST. – 1872
Population: 1,339 (-68)

Prescott, Iowa
Welcome to Prescott
Home of the Kline Museum
Population 266
Population: 191 (-66)

Nodaway, Iowa
A Perfect Place to… NODAWAY
Population: 74 (-40)

Carbon, Iowa
Welcome to CARBON
EST. 1873
Coal Mining Town
Population: 36 (+2)

I’m going to put Lenox aside for now because it is mostly in Taylor County. That really only leaves 4 signs to choose from and that means obviously Corning has the worst town sign in Adams County.

But who has Best in Show of the remaining 3. Prescott and Carbon have solid signs, but it is pretty obvious that Nodaway has the Best Town Sign in Adams County:

Nodaway – Best in Show – Adams County

Only Lenox had alternate town signs:

Lenox – Alternate

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 – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster 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 make a stop in Montgomery County.

Art, Brandon, Logan, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Cass County

September 21, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back I cruised around Cass County with Brandon and Logan harvesting the town signs of Cass County. We did a little more sightseeing in other counties than I normally do, so it was one of the rare trips where all the town signs are harvested were only in one county. It was a good trip.

Here are some facts about Cass County:

+ The population is 13,127 making Cass County the 58th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Allamakee County and above Wright County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Atlantic.
+ Established in 1851.
+ Named for Lewis Cass a Michigan senator and Democratic candidate for president in 1848.
+ Birthplace of Edwin Perkins, the inventor of Kool-Aid.
+ Major highways are: I-80, US-6, US-71, IA-48, IA-83, IA-92, IA-148, and IA-173.
+ Adjacent counties are: Audubon, Adair, Montgomery, Adams, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.
+ Population peaked in 1930 at 19,422.

The Cass County Courthouse looks similar to Boone’s City Hall:

Cass County Courthouse in Atlantic, Iowa.

The Cass County Freedom Rock is located in Lewis, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

37 counties completed. 37.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Cass County (Population is 2020 Census. In parentheses is change since 2010 Census):

Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic
Coca-Cola CAPITAL OF IOWA
Population: 6,792 (-320)

Griswold, Iowa
GRISWOLD
ESTABLISHED 1879
Population: 994 (-42)

Anita, Iowa
ANITA
A Whale Of A Town
Population: 963 (-9)

Massena, Iowa
Welcome to MASSENA
Population: 359 (+4)

Lewis, Iowa
WELCOME TO OUR HOME LEWIS, IOWA
Population: 357 (-76)

Cumberland, Iowa
Welcome to Cumberland
Since 1884
Population: 215 (-11)

Marne, Iowa
WELCOME TO MARNE
FROM A PROUD PAST TO A PROMISING FUTURE
EST.1875
Population: 110 (-10)

Wiota, Iowa
WELCOME TO WIOTA FROM DENNIS ANDERSEN
Population: 91 (-25)

The worst town sign in Cass County is pretty obvious. It is Atlantic. Coca-Cola? We all know that RC Cola is the poo, so take a big whiff Atlantic*. However, if you get past how gross Coca-Cola is, Wiota’s sign or lack of sign was pretty awful. That Welcome to Wiota banner I found was hanging off some guy’s flagpole in his front yard. And what is with the handcuffs? Is Wiota the host to a big bondage convention? I guess only Dennis Andersen truly knows. But I like to think the gimp from PULP FICTION was originally from this little southwest corner of Iowa.

The best town sign is so completely obvious, I don’t even have to say it:

Anita – Best in Show – Cass County

This was the rare Best in Show that I knew before I even got there. Carla went camping there earlier this year and sent me a picture of it. Anita’s town sign is so great, it could be the sign that goes on the cover of my future book.

Here are the alternate town signs of Cass County:

Marne – Alternate

Lewis – Alternate

Cumberland – Alternate

Atlantic – Alternate

Anita – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cass County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster 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 make a stop in Adams County.

*Come for the high quality photography. Stay for the references to the 2000 Kirsten Dunst classic BRING IT ON.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Worth County

September 14, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back I cruised around Worth County with Jesse harvesting their town signs.

Here are some facts about Worth County:
+ Population is 7,445. Making it the 88th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Monroe County and ahead of Van Buren County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Northwood.
+ Founded in 1851.
+ Named for William Jenkins Worth. An American officer during the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican-American War.
+ Major highways are: I-35, IA-27, IA-65, IA-69, IA-9.
+ Adjacent counties are Mitchell, Cerro Gordo, and Winnebago.
+ The population peaked in 1920 at 11,630.

The Worth County Courthouse is a fair looking courthouse:

The Worth County Courthouse located in Northwood, Iowa.

The Worth County Freedom Rock is located in Kensett, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

36 counties completed. 36.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Worth County:

Northwood, Iowa
Welcome to NORTHWOOD
EST. 1858
Population: 2,072 (+83)

Manly, Iowa
WELCOME TO MANLY
Population: 1,256 (-67)

Fertile, Iowa
Welcome to The City Of Fertile
est. 1856
Population: 305 (-65)

Kensett, Iowa
Kensett (Heart) of Worth Co.
Population: 257 (-9)

Grafton, Iowa
GRAFTON WELCOMES YOU
Population: 216 (-36)

Joice, Iowa
Welcome To… JOICE
Population 245
Population: 208 (-14)

Hanlontown, Iowa
HANLONTOWN
Population: 206 (-20)

Bolan, Iowa (Unincorporated)
BOLAN IOWA
WELCOME!

The worst town sign in Worth County is pretty obvious. It is Manly. How do you have a great town name like Manly and have such an awful town sign. Their town sign should clearly have a picture of me, when my beard is full on on their town sign. Maybe I’ll just make one for them, sneak into their town and put it up for them. I was also a little disappointed in Fertile’s sign as well.

I think there a couple contenders for Best in Show for Worth County. Grafton has a great sign. Hanlontown has an interesting sign as well. However, I have to give it to Joice.

Joice – Best in Show – Worth County

Here are the alternate town signs of Worth County:

Grafton – Alternate

Bolan – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Worth County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we visit THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will visit Cass County.

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

Town Sign Project: Cerro Gordo County

September 10, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 7 Comments

This Saturday from 8-12 we are going to have the final sale at my Mom’s house. There is still lots of glassware and collectibles for sale. A few tools. Many decorations. Maybe some furniture. Some other stuff will be added this week as well I’m sure. The address is 111 South Benton Street. The sale is in the garage and in the garage only. The garage is on the alley. The alley is a dead end, so don’t come down the alley and try to park. I’ll let you know if any of the details change.

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The Thursday before Pufferbilly Days, Jesse and I cruised around north Iowa and harvested the town signs of Cerro Gordo County.

Here are some facts about Cerro Gordo County:
+ Population is 42,834, making it the 14th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Muscatine County and above Marshall County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Mason City.
+ Was formed in 1851.
+ Named after the Battle of Cerro Gordo from the Mexican-American War where General Winfield Scott defeated General Santa Anna.
+ Site of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and their pilot Roger A. Peterson.
+ Location of Music Man Square.
+ Major highways are: I-35, US-18, US-65, IA-27, and IA-122.
+ Adjacent Counties are: Worth, Mitchell, Floyd, Franklin, and Hancock.
+ Peak population was 49,894 in 1960.

The Cerro Gordo Courthouse is hideous:

The Cerro Gordo Courthouse in Mason City, Iowa.

The Cerro Gordo County Courthouse is located in Clear Lake, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

35 counties completed. 35.4% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Cerro Gordo County:

Mason City, Iowa
Welcome to Mason City
Population: 27,338 (-747)

Clear Lake, Iowa
WELCOME TO Clear Lake
EST. 1871
Population: 7,687 (-90)

Rockwell, Iowa
WELCOME TO ROCKEWELL
Population: 1,071 (+32)

Ventura, Iowa
VENtURA
SPORTSMAN’S PARADIS
Population: 711 (-6)

Thornton, Iowa
WELCOME TO THORNTON
Population: 400 (-22)

Plymouth, Iowa
WELCOME TO PLYMOUTH
Population: 375 (-7)

Meservey, Iowa
Welcome To Meservey
Est. 1886
Population: 222 (-34)

Swaledale, Iowa
WELCOME TO SWALEDALE
Population: 144 (-19)

Rock Falls, Iowa
WELCOME TO ROCK FALLS
Population: 150 (-5)

Dougherty, Iowa
WELCOME TO DOUGHERTY
LIL’ IRELAND
Population: 62 (+4)

Cartersville, Iowa (Unincorporated)
CARTERSVILLE ELEVATOR

I don’t know that there is an absolutely terrible sign in this collection. However, I’m going to have to give the worst sign in Cerro Gordo County to Plymouth.

But what gets Best in Show? I’m normally not a big fan of rock signs. They look like tombstones. However, I actually like Ventura’s sign, although I can’t figure out why all the letters are capitalized except the “t”. I love how Rock Falls clearly turned an old DX sign into their town sign. However, it loses some of the luster because Grafton (future post) did the same thing. I have to give Best in Show to Dougherty.

Dougherty – Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Here are the alternate signs of Cerro Gordo County:

Ventura – Alternate

Rockwell – Alternate

Thornton – Alternate

Swaledale – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Cerro Gordo County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we visit THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Worth County.

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

JUNK

JUNK! What a great theme for Week 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what exactly is a JUNK photo. JUNK isn’t necessarily garbage, but it could be. JUNK is defined as things that are useless or of little value. But that doesn’t mean JUNK has no value. Just like the theme reveal image, I bet everybody reading these words has a JUNK drawer. Off the top of my head, I have at least 9 of them and several JUNK bins. So go out and find something that has been set aside because it has little value and give it some value by turning it into art.

And don’t forget that some food is considered JUNK as well. And of course, there are other definitions for the word JUNK. Some more safe for work than others.

Happy photo harvesting.

Andy, Brandon, Carla, Contests, Elainie, Evie, Jen, Jesse, Kio, Layla, Logan, Mom, Pufferbilly Days, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait Project, State Fair, Teresa, Town Sign Project

Selfie Project – August 2021

September 1, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

Yesterday I completed yet another successful month of THE SELFIE PROJECT. I was surprised how packed a month it was. When I looked back at some of the images, I thought, “that happened in August? It feels like such a long time ago!”

Here are my favorites from August:

August 1, 2021

August 3, 2021

August 4, 2021

August 5, 2021

August 7, 2021

August 8, 2021

August 11, 2021

August 12, 2021

August 13, 2021

August 15, 2021

August 17, 2021

August 19, 2021

August 22, 2021

August 24, 2021

August 27, 2021

August 28, 2021

August 29, 2021

August 31, 2021

There can only be one Selfie per day, but I’ve decided to start sharing some alternate selfies from the month, that just didn’t make the cut:

If you want to peruse all the THE SELFIE PROJECT images, click on the link below:

Selfie Project – 2021

Hopefully September is another successful month!

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

Town Sign Project: Pocahontas County

August 31, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks back I cruised around Pocahontas County harvesting their town signs. Some of these I harvested on a trip to northwest Iowa with Teresa. The rest I harvested on a solo trip.

Here are some facts about Pocahontas County:

+ Population is 7,078. It is the 93rd most populous county. Behind Ida County and ahead of Wayne County.
+ The largest town and county seat is Pocahontas.
+ Formed in 1851.
+ Named for the Powhatan “Princess” Matoax. Pocahontas was a childhood nickname and she kept her real name hidden from the colonists that held her hostage. The truth of her story is pretty widely misrepresented by Disney… to say the least.
+ Home of a giant (and terrible) statue of Matoax (Pocahontas).
+ Home to a sweet sculpture of the greatest mascot in all the lands, Cy.
+ Home of Palmer’s boys basketball team (now consolidated) that won 103 straight games in the 1980s.
+ Major highways are: IA-3, IA-4, IA-7, IA-10, and IA-15.
+ Adjacent counties are: Palo Alto, Humboldt, Webster, Calhoun, and Buena Vista.
+ Population peaked in 1940 at 16,266.

The Pocahontas County courthouse is similar to the one in Boone.

The Pocahontas County Courthouse located in Pocahontas, Iowa.

The Pocahontas County Freedom Rock is located in Rolfe, Iowa:

The Pocahontas County Freedom Rock is right across the street from a sweet sculpture of Cy, so it probably doesn’t get as much attention as the rest of the Freedom Rocks in Iowa.

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

34 counties completed. 34.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Pocahontas County (population from 2020 Census):

Pocahontas
WELCOME TO POCAHONTAS
“THE PRINCESS CITY”
Population: 1,867 (+78)

Laurens, Iowa
LAURENS
Population: 1,264 (+6)

Fonda, Iowa
FONDA
HOME TOWN WITH A HEART
Population: 636 (+5)

Rolfe, Iowa
ESTABLISHED 1863
WELCOME TO Rolfe
Population: 509 (-75)

Gilmore City, Iowa (Humboldt County)
IOWA’S LIMESTONE CAPITAL
GILMORE CITY WELCOMES YOU
Population: 487 (-17)

Palmer, Iowa
PALMER
Population: 138 (-27)

Havelock, Iowa
HAVELOCK
EST. 1881
Population: 130 (-8)

Varina, Iowa
A LITTLE TOWN WITH A BIG HEART
Population: 68 (-3)

Plover, Iowa
PLOVER
EST. 1882
Population: 50 (-27)

I think the town with the worst town sign in Pocahontas County is pretty obvious. It is Fonda. They allegedly used to have a pretty cool town sign, but it is either gone now or in the process of being replaced, cause I combed (with Teresa) pretty much every inch of that town and didn’t find it.

I think it is a two horse race for the best town sign in Pocahontas County. Pocahontas and Rolfe have nice signs, but it really comes down to Plover and Havelock. I’m going to give it to Plover because the backwards “1”s in Havelock’s sign makes me think it is a clue to some kind of New World Order/Masonic Temple conspiracy that might be going down in that town. I actually think Plover’s alternate town sign is even better than their main town sign.

Plover – Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Here are the alternate town signs of Pocahontas County:

Pocahontas – Alternate

Plover – Alternate

Laurens – Alternate

Havelock – Alternate

Varina – Alternate

Something I find interesting about Pocahontas County is that a couple of the towns are references to things in Matoax’s life. Rolfe (assumptions here) is named after John Rolfe the Englishman that Matoax would marry after she was baptized and changed her name to Rebecca. Varina is named after Varina (another assumption) the farm where Matoax and John Rolfe lived. If you are a fan of the musical HAMILTON (and we probably aren’t friends if you aren’t), Laurens is named after Hamilton’s close friend and critic of slavery John Laurens. And Plover is named for a bird. And Fonda is named because the post office in the day was too incompetent to tell the difference between Manson and Marvin.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Pocahontas County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the dusty trail with THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Cerro Gordo County.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Hancock County

August 24, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back I cruised around Hancock County harvesting their town signs. It was a very interesting trip as Hancock County has some very nice towns.

Here are some facts about Hancock County:

+ Population is 10,802 (2019 estimate). Making it the 68th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Louisa County and ahead of Guthrie County.
+ The largest town (entirely in Hancock County) and county seat is Garner.
+ Was established on June 28, 1858.
+ Named after John Hancock, the leader of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
+ Home of the World’s Largest Bullhead.
+ Home of a National Hobo Convention.
+ Major highways are: US-18, US-69, and IA-17.
+ Adjacent Counties are: Winnebago, Cerro Gordo, Wright, and Kossuth.
+ Population peaked in 1940 at 15,402.

The Hancock County Courthouse isn’t ugly, but it isn’t much to look at either.

The Hancock County Courthouse located in Garner, Iowa.

The Hancock County Freedom Rock is located in Britt, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

33 counties completed. 33.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Hancock County:

Forest City, Iowa – Mostly in Winnebago County
Forest City
Population: 4,151

Garner, Iowa
Welcome to GARNER
EST. 1870
Population: 3,129

Britt, Iowa
BRITT
NATIONAL HOBO CONVENTION
Population: 2,069

Kanawha, Iowa
Welcome To… KANAWHA, IOWA
Celebrating 100 Years and still on track!
Population: 652

Klemme, Iowa
WELCOME TO KLEMME
Population: 507

Corwith, Iowa
CORWITH
Population: 309

Crystal Lake, Iowa
Crystal Lake
Home of the world’s largest bullhead
Population: 250

Woden, Iowa
WELCOME TO WODEN
Population: 229

Goodell, Iowa
LITTLE TOWN
GOODELL
FRIENDLY PEOPLE
Population: 139

Duncan, Iowa – Unincorporated

I would say that Hancock County has a solid but not great set of signs. I don’t think there is a bad sign, but Garner’s is the most boring and corporate, so it get worst town sign in Hancock County.

I like the town signs of Goodell, Britt, and Kanawha. I’m going to give Best in Show for Hancock County to Britt for the picture of the hobo:

Britt – Best in Show – Hancock County

There are a few alternate town signs in Hancock County:

Klemme – Alternate

Kanawha – Alternate

Goodell – Alternate

Forest City – Alternate

Corwith – Alternate

Britt – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hancock County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the dusty trail for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Pocahontas County.

Art, Road Trip, Shannon, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Warren County

August 18, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few Sundays back I cruised around Warren County with Shannon harvesting their town signs. Yes, the county that many people have wondered why I hadn’t wandered around has been harvested. I was waiting for Shannon to accompany me and assist me on harvesting their town signs as she lives in an unincorporated/ghost town in Warren County.

Here are some facts about Warren County:
+ Population is 50,076 (2019 estimate) making it the 11th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Dallas County and ahead of Clinton County.
+ The county seat and largest town (fully in Warren County) is Indianola.
+ Was formed in 1846.
+ Named after Revolutionary War figure Joseph Warren.
+ Home of Simpson College.
+ Home of the National Balloon Classic.
+ Major highways are I-35, US-65, US-69, IA-5, IA-28, IA-92, and IA-316.
+ Adjacent counties are Polk, Marion, Lucas, Clarke, and Madison.
+ Currently at peak population.

The Warren County Courthouse is currently under construction:

The Warren County Courthouse located in Indianola, Iowa.

The Warren County Freedom Rock is located in Norwalk, Iowa:

The Warren County Freedom Rock is the first Freedom Rock that I’ve noticed where the paint is in pretty bad shape. I don’t know if that is something that is maintained or eventually the Freedom Rocks will go back to just being rocks.

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

32 counties completed. 32.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Warren County:

Des Moines, Iowa (Mostly in Polk County)
Population: 203,4333

Indianola, Iowa
Indianola
EST. 1849
Population: 14,782

Norwalk, Iowa (Also Polk County)
norwalk Welcomes You
Population: 8,945

Carlisle, Iowa (Also Polk County)
CARLISLE
THE NATURAL CHOICE
ESTABLISHED 1851
Population: 3,876

Milo, Iowa
WELCOME TO City of MILO
EST. 1880
Population: 775

Hartford, Iowa
HARTFORD
A GROWING COMMUNITY
ESTABLISHED 1849
Population: 771

New Virginia, Iowas
Welcome to NEW VIRGNINIA
est. 1855
Population: 489

Martensdale, Iowa
WELCOME TO MARTENSDALE
WATCH US GROW – EST. 1913
Population: 465

Lacona, Iowa
WELCOME TO LACONA
Population: 361

Cumming, Iowa
CITY OF CUMMING
Population: 351

St. Marys, Iowa
St. Marys
Est. 1870
“A little town with a big spirit”
Population: 127

Bevington, Iowa
BEVINGTON CITY HALL
PLATTED MARCH 1872
INCORPORATED MARCH 6TH, 1916
Population: 63

Ackworth, Iowa
ORIGINAL SITE OF ACKWORTH CITY WELL – 1855
Population: 83

Spring Hill, Iowa
City of Spring Hill
Population: 63

Sandyville, Iowa
ANDYVILLE COMUNITY CEER
Population: 51

Prole, Iowa – Unincorporated

Medora, Iowa – Unincorporated

Liberty Center, Iowa – Unincorporated

Churchville, Iowa – Unincorporated

Beech, Iowa – Unincorporated

Summerset, Iowa – Unincorporated

Shannon feels that Summerset should get a special “shout out” since she lives there. She loaned me a book on the history of Summerset. there is too much info in the book to get into, but here is a little info:

Summerset was settled by emigrants from the British Isles and name for a county in southwest England named Somerset. Although Pennsylvannia, Massachusetts, and Ohio have towns named Somerset, South Dakota is the only other state with a Summerset, a community north of Rapid City, established in 2005. Summerset was named sometime after July 2, 1849, the date Madison County commissioners selected “Winterset” as the name of their county seat.

I might get more into the history and remains of Summerset at a later date.

It would be hard to not give the worst town sign in Warren County to Sandyville. But having to use a mailbox to represent Spring Hill’s town sign is up there for sure. A town as big as Norwalk should really try harder with their town sign. Same goes for Indianola.

But what gets Best in Show for Warren County. I like Milo’s sign. I also like the simplicity of Lacona’s sign. St. Marys sign gets points as well. Martensdale gets points for being the hardest sign to read and the smallest, farthest from the road sign I’ve ever seen. I also like Hartford’s rustic rusty sign. However, I have to give Best in Show to New Virginia:

New Virginia – Best in Show – Warren County

There are a few alternate town signs in Warren County. Shannon would argue that New Virginia’s alternate town sign is better than their main sign. She might be right:

St. Marys – Alternate

Saint Marys – Alternate

New Virginia – Alternate

Milo – Alternate

Lacona – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Butler County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Ida County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Warren County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we hit the dusty trail for THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Hancock County.