e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide

Find Online Colleges

Find Campus Colleges

Iowa State...

Iowa

Choose a County

Adair, Adams, Allamakee, Appanoose, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Clinton, Crawford, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Delaware, Des Moines, Dickinson, Dubuque, Emmet, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Lyon, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Muscatine, O'Brien, Osceola, Page, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Sac, Scott, Shelby, Sioux, Story, Tama, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, Worth, Wright

Iowa Counties

Click Image to Enlarge

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.

Davis County, Iowa

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

County Seat: Bloomfield
Year Organized: 1843
Square Miles: 503

Court House:

Courthouse Square
County Courthouse
Bloomfield, IA 52537-1611

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Davis is named for Garrett Davis, a United States Representative from Kentucky.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Davis County was named in honor of Garret Davis, a Congressman from Lexington, Kentucky. In its early days Davis County was referred to as "the Hairy Nation." The name was given to the county because of the shaggy, rough, unkempt appearance and rude manner of the men that resided in the area.

There was an early dispute on the site of the county seat. One site was the area of Bloomfield, and the other site was the town of Richmond. Numerous petitions were filed on behalf of both towns at the Territorial Legislature. The matter was settled in an election, with Bloomfield gaining a majority.

The naming of the county seat was done by the county commissioners. Since the commissioners all favored different names, the matter was settled by the luck of the draw. The name Bloomfield was pulled out of a hat. The other choices were Jefferson and Davis.

The county was established in 1843. The first courthouse was a two-story, hewed-log building that was finished in 1844. The construction cost was $164, and in November 1844, $175 was paid for lumber, glass and putty. This building underwent many repairs, and finally in 1851, the building was abandoned. For the next 27 years county offices were kept at various locations in Bloomfield.

Five different propositions for a courthouse went to the voters. All failed, except the last one in 1875. On August 22, 1877 the cornerstone for the present courthouse was laid. The cost of the building was $61,496.58, and an additional $2,500 was spent for an iron fence. The fence has since moved to Jay Cemetery in Lick Creek township in Davis County.

In June 2002, Davis County celebrated its 125th anniversary (1877-2002) with festivities in the courtyard and courthouse tours. A courthouse cookbook was also created to remember the celebration.

Source: Megan Clyman, Davis County Deputy Recorder, 2002

Neighboring Counties:

North: Wapello County
Northeast: Jefferson County
East: Van Buren County
Southeast: Scotland County, Mo.
Southwest: Schuyler County, Mo.
West: Appanoose County
Northwest: Monroe County

Cities and Towns:

- Bloomfield (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Drakesville	city	Incorporated Area
- Floris	city	Incorporated Area
- Pulaski	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."