Category Archives: Town Sign Project

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

Town Sign Project: Butler County

August 10, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few Saturdays back I cruised around Butler County with Carla harvesting their town signs. Here are some facts about Butler County:

+ Population is 14,628 (2019 estimate). That makes Butler County the 54th most populous county in Iowa. Below Kossuth County and above Harrison County.
+ The county seat is Allison.
+ The largest town is Parkersburg.
+ Organized in 1854.
+ Named after William Orlando Butler a U.S. Army general and a congressman from Kentucky.
+ Major highways are IA-3, IA-14, IA-57, and IA-188.
+ Adjacent counties are Floyd, Bremer, Black Hawk, Grundy, Franklin, Chickasaw, Cerro Gordo, and Hardin.
+ Population peaked in 1940 at 17,986.

The Butler County Courthouse isn’t much to look at:

The Butler County Courthouse located in Allison, Iowa.

The Butler County Freedom Rock is located in Greene, Iowa.

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

31 counties completed. 31.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Butler County:

Parkersburg, Iowa
PARKERSBURG
Population: 1,870

Clarksville, Iowa
EST. 1853
CLARKSVILLE
Population: 1,439

Shell Rock, Iowa
Shell Rock
Population: 1,296

Greene, Iowa (Also Floyd County)
WELCOME TO GREENE
Population: 1,130

Aplington, Iowa
APLINGTON
Northeast Iowa’s best-kept secret
Population: 1,128

Allison, Iowa
Welcome To ALLISON
Population: 1,029

Dumont, Iowa
DUMONT
SMALL TONW BIG HEART
Population: 637

New Hartford, Iowa
NEW HARTFORD
City of Gardens
Population: 516

Bristow, Iowa
BRISTOW
Home of Iowa’s Smallest Church
Population: 160

Aredale, Iowa
WELCOME TO AREDALE
It’s not your Dale,
It’s not my Dale,
it’s Aredale.
Population: 74

Butler Center, Iowa – Ghost Town
Site of BUTLER CENTER
BUTLER COUNTY SEAT
1860-1880

Butler County has this weird phenomenon where the larger a town gets, the worse its sign gets. It is hard to pick out the worst in show because it could go to any of the larger towns in the county. But I have to give it to Shell Rock. Their sign is even more disappointing when you juxtapose it with a mural in the downtown area that I will share at a different date.

I think there are 3 contenders for Best in Show for Butler County. Bristow, Aredale, and New Hartford. with Aplington being a dark horse contender. However, I have to give it to New Hartford and not just because I love their gardens. Which I do, I love their gardens.

New Hartford – Best in Show – Butler County

A few towns did have alternate signs, including a fascinating one in Bristow, where the man who was the father of moder hot air ballooning was born. Here is an article from the Iowa History Journal I found on him:

Though brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier in Annonay, France, are credited with successfully launching the first free flight hot air balloon carrying human passengers in 1783, the invention of the first modern hot air balloon and the popularity of competitive ballooning is tethered to mid-20th century Iowa.

Gas-powered dirigibles made appearances in Iowa in the early 1900s at county fairs and other events. Some were shaped like teardrop hot air balloons seen today floating over Iowa, while others were designed like airships with propellers. Most, however, were crude by today’s standards as pilots often had to parachute to the ground as they were unable to control their landings.

Improved safety, maneuverability and distance were ushered in when the first modern hot air balloon was developed in 1960 by a native Iowan inventor.

Paul E. “Ed” Yost, who was born in Bristow in 1919, is considered the father of modern ballooning. He devoted his life to flying, particularly balloons. He was employed by the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1945; he flew airplanes in Alaska after the war until 1948; and in 1949 worked as a senior engineer and tracking pilot for the High Altitude Research Division of General Mills in Minneapolis, Minn., where he worked on many scientific high altitude balloon projects, including launching a 3.2 million-cubic-foot balloon carrying U.S. Navy instruments into the stratosphere to study cosmic rays in 1952.

Four years later, Yost and three others from General Mills formed Raven Industries. The U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research commissioned Raven Industries in Sioux Falls, S.D., to develop a hot air balloon capable of carrying one man and enough fuel to fly for up to three hours, reach an altitude of 10,000 feet and be reusable.

He worked with gasoline, kerosene, coal, oil and other fuels until he found propane worked best. It’s what pilots still use today.

“The first balloon didn’t have a basket; just a seat that looked like a lawn chair,” said Becky Wigeland, director of the National Balloon Museum in Indianola and co-author of “Indianola: Ballooning Capital of Iowa.” “It had upside down tanks on two sides and a small burner. It totally changed ballooning because they’d never had something that was reusable, and the only balloons people then had seen were gas balloons.”

The new balloon, with a nylon envelope, had its first flight in Bruning, Neb., on Oct. 22, 1960. Yost went on to develop a number of items related to ballooning, and he held 21 patents on balloons and lighter-than-air mechanisms. Among them, was a lightweight, disposable balloon that was used to send U.S. leaflets behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War and a balloon that carried a camera to photograph enemy territories. Another invention of his was a fast-deploying parachute used to deliver supplies to U.S. troops during the Vietnam War. He never sought compensation for his inventions because he saw them as necessary to solve problems and create techniques and devices that would make ballooning safer and possible.

Just three years after his invention, Yost and Don Piccard flew a modern hot air balloon nicknamed “Channel Champ” over the English Channel from England to France in a little more than three hours. The publicity generated by the flight brought worldwide attention to the fact that dependable, practical and relatively inexpensive balloons were now accessible to anyone.

Almost immediately, a new sport was born thanks to Yost. In 1961, the Balloon Federation of America, the ruling body of balloonists in the United States, was developed. The first National Hot Air Balloon Championship was held in Michigan in 1963 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ballooning takes flight in Iowa

The first person in Iowa to own a modern balloon was an attorney from Fort Dodge named Don Kersten. He purchased a balloon from Piccard, who brought it to Iowa in July 1965 and taught him how to fly it.

“After three lessons, Piccard told him, ‘Ok, you’ve got your license,’” Wigeland said with a laugh.

The balloon was named “Merope” after his wife and that year he competed in the U.S. National Championships where he took third place. In the late 1960s, he was one of about a dozen hot air balloonists in the U.S. and he was instrumental in bringing the U.S. National Championships to Iowa.

So suck on that Indianola!

Here are the alternate signs of Butler County:

Clarksville – Alternate

Clarksville – Alternate (Yes Mollie B.!)

Parkersburg – Alternate

Greene – Alternate

Dumont – Alternate

Bristow – 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 – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next time we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Warren County. Yes, the county so many of you have been wondering about. Finally on the docket.

Art, Road Trip, Teresa, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Ida County

August 3, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

A few Saturdays back I cruised around Ida County with Teresa harvesting their town signs. There aren’t many. Ida County only has 5 towns. Ida County might be best known for the castle buildings in Ida Grove.

Here are some facts about Ida County:

+ Population is 6,901 (2019 estimate) making Ida County the 92 most populous county in Iowa. Below Fremont County and above Pocahontas County.
+ The county seat and largest town is Ida Grove.
+ Ida County was formed on January 15, 1851, but nobody lived there, so there was no government. The county government was formed in 1858 when there were about 40 residents.
+ Named for Ida Smith, the first child of European immigrants born in the region.
+ Major highways ae US-20, US059, IA-3, and IA-175.
+ Adjacent counties are Cherokee, Sac, Crawford, and Woodbury.
+ The population peaked in 1900 at 12,327.

The Ida County Courthouse is a cool old looking courthouse:

The Ida County Courthouse in Ida Grove, Iowa.

The Ida County Freedom Rock is located in Holstein, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

30 counties completed. 30.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Ida County:

Ida Grove, Iowa
IDA GROVE
OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZE OUR RIGHTS WE WILL MAINTAIN
Population: 2,142

Holstein, Iowa
Holstein
WILLKOMMEN FREUNDE
Population: 1,396

Battle Creek, Iowa
WELCOME to BATTLE CREEK
Small in size, Big in HEART
Est. 1865
Population: 713

Galva, Iowa
Galva Welcomes You
the friendly town
Population: 434

Arthur, Iowa
WELCOME TO ARTHUR
EST. 1881
Population: 206

I don’t think that there is a bad town sign in Ida County. So rather than giving away the award for worst town sign in the county, I’ll just say that I found Holstein’s sign to be the most disappointing. It isn’t a bad sign, but with a name like Holstein how do you not have a cow on your sign? If you haven’t figured it out yet, I like signs with animals on them.

I do think the best town sign is pretty much a no-brainer. It is Ida Grove. Their town sign is a castle, with the state slogan, bird and flower on it. At first, I have to confess I wasn’t sure it was “the” town sign. But after examining it and thinking on it, it clearly is the town sign.

Ida Grove – Best in Show – Ida County

A couple towns did have alternate signs:

Ida Grove – Alternate

Holstein – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – 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 – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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

Art, Road Trip, Teresa, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Sac County

July 27, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

A few Saturdays back I cruised around Sac County with Teresa harvesting their town signs. I knew Sac County was the home of the Largest Popcorn Ball in the World, but I did not know that popcorn was so huge to the development of the entire region. I found references to popcorn in three towns and one unincorporated town. The next time I fire up the Union Street Theater popcorn maker I will think of Sac County. (Unrelated, but the Union Street Theater has recently been upgraded substantially. If you haven’t stopped by for a show lately, you probably should get on that.)

Here are some facts about Sac County:

+ Population is 9,802 (2019) estimate. Making Sac County the 75th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Montgomery County and above Calhoun County.
+ The county seat and largest town is Sac City.
+ Was formed on January 13, 1846.
+ Named for the Sauk people.
+ Home of the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball.
+ Home of Blackhawk State Park.
+ Major highways are: US-20, US-71, IA-39, IA-110, and IA-175.
+ Adjacent counties are: Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Crawford, Ida, and Pocahontas.
+ Population peaked in 1930 at 17,641.

The Sac County Courthouse is fair looking, well it was, until they added that horrible addition to it:

The Sac County Courthouse in Sac City, Iowa.

The Sac County Freedom Rock is located in Sac City, Iowa:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

29 counties completed. 29.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Sac County:

Sac City, Iowa
Sac City
Population: 2,220

Lake View, Iowa
Lake View
Black Hawk Lake
Population: 1,142

Odebolt, Iowa
ODEBOLT
RICH HISTORY-PROUD COMMUNITY
Established 1877
Population: 1,013

Wall Lake, Iowa
WELCOME TO WALL LAKE
BIRTHPLACE OF ANDY WILLIAMS
Population: 819

Schaller, Iowa
Welcome to SCHALLER
Popcorn Capital of the World
Population: 772

Early, Iowa
City of EARLY
Established 1882
Population: 557

Auburn, Iowa
AUBURN
a taste of home.
Population: 322

Nemaha, Iowa
Nemaha
A “MIGHTY” SMALL TOWN
Population: 85

Lytton, Iowa – Also Calhoun County
LYTTON
Population: 315

Ulmer, Iowa – Unincorporated
WELCOME TO ULMER

Sac County has a solid set of signs. I don’t strongly dislike any of them. Put in a position, of having to choose a worst sign, It would have to come down to Early, Lake View, Auburn, and Lytton. My feet to the fire, I give the worst town sign to Early. There is no pithy slogan, which is what saves Auburn. There is no boat, that is what saves Lake View. And Lytton gets points for just throwing their town sign on a big rock.

But who has the best town sign in Sac County. Who gets Best in Show. It really comes down to Wall Lake and Nemaha. The alternate town sign for Schaller would be an underdog for this award, but I only consider primary signs for this award, unless we get into a tie-breaker situation, like we did for Lucas County. With apologies to Andy Williams, my huckleberry friend, I’m going to paddle down this river that is wider than a mile, looking for rainbow’s end, to the town waitin’ around the bend, and give Best in Show to Nemaha.

Nemaha – Best in Show – Sac County

A few towns in Sac County have alternate signs:

Wall Lake – Alternate

Schaller – Alternate

Sac City – Alternate

Auburn – Alternate

You might be sitting there wondering, what makes Schaller the Popcorn Capital of the World? I mean, Sac City houses the World’s Biggest Popcorn Ball, just where does Schaller get off?

I pulled over and asked a guy name Derrick just where Schaller gets off making such a bold claim. Turns out that Derrick is the owner of Bango Haunted Crib. He told me that Schaller used to be the home of 3 popcorn companies. Jolly Time, Bango, and American. Now, the only company left in town is Jolly Time. Some of the people in town turned the old Bango building into a haunted house. I will get into the details of this in a future post of Sac County Auxiliary Images. But you combine that with the fact that Schaller has hosted Pop Corn Days for 70 years now. Now you know.

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Sac County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The Next time we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT we will visit Ida County.

Art, History, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Calhoun County

July 20, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 6 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

—

From Boone

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

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

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

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

—

Married Here

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

—

Held in Jail

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

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

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

Here is the newspaper article:

Part 3 of the story tomorrow.

+++++++

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

Here are some facts about Calhoun County:

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

Calhoun County has a gorgeous courthouse:

The Calhoun Courthouse in Rockwell City, Iowa

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

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

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

Here are the town signs of Calhoun County:

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

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

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

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

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

Lohrville, Iowa
LOHRVILLE
Better Not Bigger
Population: 368

Lytton, Iowa
LYTTON
Population: 315

Somers, Iowa
Welcome to Somers
Population: 113

Knierim, Iowa
Welcome To KNIERIM
ESTABLISHED 1899
Population: 60

Rinard, Iowa
CITY OF RINARD PARK
Population: 52

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

Yetter, Iowa
YETTER IA TOWN HALL
Population: 34

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

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

The rankings go like this:

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

Then way down at the bottom…

Dead Last: DOT Sign

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

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

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

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

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

Manson – Best in Show – Calhoun County

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

Yetter – Alternate

Rockwell City – Alternate

Pomeroy – Alternate

Manson – Alternate

Manson – Alternate

Jolley – Alternate

Lohrville – Alternate

Back of Farnhamville Sign

Farnhamville – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Calhoun County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Liberty Stones

July 18, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

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

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

Boone County Freedom Rock

Greene County Courthouse

Greene County Freedom Rock

Hamilton County Freedom Rock

Hardin County Courthouse

Hardin County Freedom Rock

Webster County Courthouse

Webster County Freedom Rock

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

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

Courthouses and Freedom Rocks

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

Art, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Humboldt County

July 13, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

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

Here are some facts about Humboldt County:

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

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

The Humboldt County Courthouse in Dakota City, Iowa.

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

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

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

Here are the town signs of Humboldt County:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thor, Iowa
Welcome to Thor
Population: 186

Rutland, Iowa
Rutland
Population: 126

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

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

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

Pioneer, Iowa
Pioneer
Population: 23

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

Diana sent the following email to a news organization:

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

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

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

Bradgate – Best in Show – Humboldt County

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

Renwick – Alternate

Ottosen

Lu Verne – Alternate

Livermore – Alternate

Gilmore City – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Lucas County

July 6, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

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

Here are some facts about Lucas County:

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

Lucas County has a beautiful courthouse:

Lucas County Courthouse in Chariton, Iowa

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

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

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

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

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

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

Here are the town signs of Lucas County:

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

Russell, Iowa
Russell – Since 1867
Population: 554

Lucas, Iowa
Lucas – Since 1868
Population: 216

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

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

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

Here are the alternate signs of Lucas County:

Chariton – Alternate

Russell – Alternate

Lucas – Alternate

Derby – Alternate

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

Lucas – Best in Show – Lucas County

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Grundy County

June 29, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

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

Here are some facts about Grundy County:

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

Grundy County has a gorgeous courthouse:

Grundy County Courthouse in Grundy Center, Iowa.

The Grundy County Freedom Rock is located in Conrad:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

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

Here are the town signs of Grundy County:

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

Grundy Center, Iowa – Back

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

Dike, Iowa
Welcome to Dike
Population: 1,209

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

Wellsburg, Iowa
Wellsburg
Population: 707

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

Stout, Iowa
Stout Astrodome
Population: 224

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

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

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

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

Beaman – Best in Show – Grundy County

There were a couple of towns with alternate signs:

Wellsburg Alternate

Reinbeck Alternate

Beaman Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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

Art, Jesse, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Poweshiek County

June 22, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

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

Here are some facts about Poweshiek County:

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

Poweshiek County has a beautiful courthouse:

Poweshiek County Courthouse in Montezuma, Iowa

The Poweshiek County Courthouse is located in Montezuma:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

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

Here are the town signs of Poweshiek County:

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

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

Montezuma, Iowa
Welcome to Montezuma
Population: 1,462

Victor, Iowa
Victor
Population: 893

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

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

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

Searsboro, Iowa
Searsboro – Est. 1876
Population: 148

Hartwick, Iowa
<- Hartwick 3
Population: 86

Guernsey, Iowa
Est 1884 – Guernsey
Population: 63

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

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

Malcom – Best in Show – Poweshiek County

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

Grinnell Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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

Art, Jesse, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Benton County

June 15, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

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

Here are some facts about Benton County:

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

Benton County has a beautiful courthouse:

Benton County Courthouse in Vinton, Iowa

The Benton County Freedom Rock is located in Shellsburg:

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

PURPLE=COMPLETED

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

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

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

Atkins, Iowa
Atkins
Population: 1,670

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

Urbana, Iowa
Welcome to Urbana
Population: 1,458

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

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

Blairstown, Iowa
Welcome to Blairstown
Population: 692

Van Horne, Iowa
Welcome to Van Horne – Population 682

Keystone, Iowa
Welcome to Keystone
Population: 622

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

Garrison, Iowa
Garrison
Population: 371

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

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

Watkins, Iowa
Watkins Mudhens Baseball State Champions
Unincorporated

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

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

Norway – Best in Show – Benton County

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

A few towns in Benton County also had alternate signs:

Van Horne Alternate

Norway Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

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