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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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Harrison County, Iowa
Harrison County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Logan
Year Organized: 1851
Square Miles: 697 |
Court House: 111 North 2nd Avenue
County Courthouse
Logan, IA 51546-1370
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Harrison is named for William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
The first territorial governor of
Indiana and ninth president of the US, William Henry Harrison, is the namesake
of Harrison County.
The county was established in 1851. Locating commissioners selected a site for
the county seat and named it Magnolia in 1853. The 160 acres was donated by the
United States Government. A log cabin courthouse was built at this site, and in
September 1854, it and all of the county records were destroyed in a fire.
A second courthouse was built later in 1854 with proceeds from the sale of town
lots. This building was used until 1873, when it was condemned. At this time a
brick building was constructed at a cost of $5,000. In 1876 the county seat was
moved to Logan and this building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal Church of
Magnolia.
A full block of land was donated by the city of Logan for the third courthouse.
In 1877 a two-story 55-foot x 70-foot brick building was constructed at a cost
of $14,000. The residents of Logan paid $9,000, and the county paid $5,000.
In 1890 it had become apparent that the county had outgrown the courthouse.
There was still some debate on the location of the county seat, so even after a
grand jury had condemned the old courthouse, a proposal to construct a new one
was defeated in an election. It was not until 1910 that a $100,000 bond issue
was approved.
Construction of the present courthouse commenced on July 5, 1910. The architect
was J. E. Mills of Detroit and the contractor was W. J. McAlpine of Dixon, Ill.
The 68-foot x 96-foot building was constructed of steel and concrete. It is
faced with Bedford limestone. Total cost of construction and equipment of the
courthouse was $103,205.15.
Neighboring Counties:
- Northeast: Crawford County
- East: Shelby County
- Southeast: Pottawattamie County
- Southwest: Washington County, Neb.
- Northwest: Burt County, Neb.; Monona County
Cities and Towns:
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- Dunlap |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Little Sioux |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Logan
(County Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Magnolia |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Missouri Valley |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Modale |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Mondamin |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Persia |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Pisgah |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Woodbine |
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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