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Iowa State...
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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.
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Clay County, Iowa
Clay County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Spencer
Year Organized: 1851
Square Miles: 569 |
Court House: 215 West 4th Street
County Courthouse
Spencer, IA 51301-3860
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Clay is named for Henry Clay, Jr., a general who died during the Mexican-American War and the son of
Henry Clay, the famous U.S. statesman.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Clay County, established in 1851 and
organized in the fall of 1858, is named after Lieutenant Colonel Henry Clay Jr.
of the Mexican War and not the excellent clay that is found in the county, which
is used in the making of bricks.
Before its organization Clay County was attached to Woodbury County for judicial
and civil reasons. After its independence was declared, an election was held on
October 12, 1858. It was held at the home of A. S. Mead and its purpose was the
election of county officials. Of the 18 men who voted, 14 were elected to an
office.
Those offices were kept in the homes of the officers until 1859. At this time A.
W. Hubbard, Judge of the Fourth Judicial District, authorized a commission to
locate a county seat. On July 16, 1859 the commission chose the present site of
Spencer. But, due to the fact that Spencer was unimproved and no settler lived
within a 10-mile radius, it was refused by the residents of Clay.
In May 1860 the county judge received a petition asking that the county seat be
located at Peterson. An election was held, and all 10 participants voted in
favor of Peterson. Soon afterwards a courthouse was built at a cost of $6,000.
The county seat remained in Peterson until 1871. In 1871 the town of Spencer was
formally laid out, and since it was more centrally located than Peterson, the
question of moving the county seat was asked again. It was answered in an
election held in October of that same year; Spencer won the county seat by a
margin of 159 votes.
The first courthouse was built by the residents of Spencer. They formed a stock
company and sold shares. Those who could not afford a share offered their labor.
When the building was completed, it was sold to the city for $1,333. A second
building was built in 1884 at different location. It was criticized by the
residents as being plain and boring. It was the best that the county could do
because they were held to $5,000 by the law.
It was decided in 1900 that the county needed a new courthouse. The structure
was erected on the same site as the second and was ready for occupation in
September 1901. No formal dedication was held: the doors were just opened and
business was continued. This building is no comparison to the second. Costing
$60,000, $3,000 on marble alone, it is a beautiful structure.
In 1979 the Board of Supervisors decided to renovate the existing courthouse and
construct an administration building. The motion passed in August and $2.1
million was approved for the two projects. A dedication ceremony was held on
September 26, 1982, and Clay County now has two buildings that it can be proud
of.
Sources:
History of Clay County, 1886.
Sharon McKeever, Clay County Recorder, 2002
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Dickinson County
- Northeast: Emmet County
- East: Palo Alto County
- Southeast: Pocahontas County
- South: Buena Vista County
- Southwest: Cherokee County
- West: O'Brien County
- Northwest: Osceola County
Cities and Towns:
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- Dickens |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Everly |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Fostoria |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Gillett Grove |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Greenville |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Peterson |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Rossie |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Royal |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Spencer
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Webb |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our 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." |
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