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Iowa Counties

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Iowa Counties

There are 99 Counties in Iowa. The first two counties, Des Moines County and Dubuque County, were created in 1834 when Iowa was still part of the Michigan Territory. In preparation for Michigan's statehood, part of Michigan Territory was formed into Wisconsin Territory in 1836]. Two years later, the western portion was split off to become Iowa Territory. The south-eastern part of Iowa Territory became Iowa, the 29th state in the union, on 28 December 1846, by which point 44 Counties had been created. Counties continued to be created by the state government until 1857, when the last county, Humboldt County, was created.

Butler County, Iowa

Butler County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Allison
Year Organized: 1851
Square Miles: 580

Court House:

P.O. Box 325
County Courthouse
Allison, IA 50602-0325

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Butler is named for William Orlando Butler, a Kentucky candidate for the vice presidency and general in the Mexican-American War.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Butler County was named in honor of General William Orlando Butler, a Kentucky statesman, general in the Mexican War and a unsuccessful candidate for the vice presidency in 1848. The county was established in 1851.

In 1853 a full staff of county officials was elected to start governing. Because the office positions were not considered sufficiently lucrative, a trip to Independence to swear in the officials was never made, and the office holders failed to qualify.

In August 1854, elections were held again, and the officials this time took the oath of office.

The first courthouse was constructed at Clarksville in 1858. The two-story courthouse was constructed of bricks and cost approximately $20,000 to complete.

Soon after this building was completed there were numerous battles over the removal of the county seat. The most prominent of those battles came from the town of Butler Center. An election was held in April 1858, in which Butler Center won by only 21 votes. The citizens of Clarksville then obtained an injunction blocking the removal of the county seat. In July of 1859 the district court found irregularities in the election and issued an order voiding the election. A second election was then held in April 1860. Again Butler Center won, but this time by a majority of 80 votes. So, in 1860 the county seat was removed to Butler Center for a period of 20 years. The old courthouse was sold to the local school district for $2,800.

Butler Center erected a simple, two-story frame courthouse that cost only $2,000. The two-acre site of land was donated by Arthur Mullarkey.

The residents of Butler County became disenchanted with the town of Butler Center as their county seat. It was removed to the city of Allison in 1881 after several elections. It was there where the county constructed its third courthouse. The residents of Allison donated $7,000 to the $10,000 project. In 1903 an addition was added to the courthouse at a cost of $5,000, and in 1937 a second addition was completed. It cost approximately $9,000. Finally, $5,000 was used to remodel the courtroom in 1959. In the mid-1970s, an attorney expressed interest in buying the courthouse, dismantling it, and moving it to California to use as a law office. The deal fell through, but this courthouse was replaced by the current courthouse in 1974.

The present courthouse is located just south of the previous courthouse's location. Total cost of the project was $936,950.84, just under the $940,000 that was allowed by the bond election in 1973. This building was officially dedicated on December 14, 1975.

On November 25, 1975 a Iowa National Guard helicopter lifted the 94-year-old cupola off of the courthouse and placed it on the grounds. Today it sits as a historic display and a hall of fame of Butler County residents.

Neighboring Counties:

North: Floyd County
Northeast: Chickasaw County
East: Bremer County
Southeast: Black Hawk County
South: Grundy County
Southwest: Hardin County
West: Franklin County
Northwest: Cerro Gordo County

Cities and Towns:

- Allison (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Aplington	city	Incorporated Area
- Aredale	city	Incorporated Area
- Bristow	city	Incorporated Area
- Clarksville	city	Incorporated Area
- Dumont	city	Incorporated Area
- Greene	city	Incorporated Area
- New Hartford	city	Incorporated Area
- Parkersburg	city	Incorporated Area
- Shell Rock	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."