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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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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
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Davis is named for Garrett Davis, a United States Representative from Kentucky.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
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:
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- Bloomfield
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Drakesville |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Floris |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Pulaski |
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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