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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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Keokuk County, Iowa
Keokuk County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Sigourney
Year Organized: 1837
Square Miles: 579 |
Court House: 101 S. Main Street
County Courthouse
Sigourney, IA 52591-1419
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
Keokuk is named for Keokuk, the Sauk Native American leader.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Keokuk County is named for the famous
Sac Indian chief. The name means "Watchful Fox," or "He Who Has Been
Everywhere."
In May 1843 the entire county was established and opened up for settlement.
Before this time the county was attached to Washington County. Like most
counties, Keokuk County had its share of problems with the location of the
county seat. Some wanted to locate the county seat in the geographical center of
the county; others wanted to located it in the population center of the county.
This argument was finally settled with the location of the county seat at
Sigourney, the geographical center of the county, in 1844. The town was named
after the author and poet Lydia Huntley Sigourney. She showed her appreciation
by providing the trees which were planted on the courthouse grounds, and
presenting 50 volumes to the town library.
Before the county seat was located at Sigourney, county business was completed
at Western City (or Newton Village). County offices consisted of a log cabin and
a log schoolhouse.
The first courthouse owned by the county was erected at Sigourney in 1845. The
small building was made from hewn logs at a cost of $218. This building not only
functioned as the courthouse but also the schoolhouse, church, jail, meeting
room, and a hotel for travelers. This building served the county until the
county seat was removed to Lancaster the following year.
Lancaster won the county seat by a vote in a special election held on August 7,
1846. The county seat was removed to Lancaster, because it was closer to the
population center of the county. In 1848 a two-story frame courthouse was
constructed at a cost of $699. It did not serve the county long, because the
county seat was again moved back to Sigourney by election on April 12, 1856.
Even though Sigourney was declared the county seat, a courthouse was not built
in Sigourney for quite some time. Residents thought it wise not to construct a
building until the county seat question was answered. When the Iowa Supreme
Court finally declared Sigourney the county seat, the third courthouse for
Keokuk was begun.
This two-story brick courthouse was completed in 1858, at a cost of $17,200.
Improvements and later additions were made at a cost $3,980.
In 1909 this building was leveled and replaced by the existing courthouse.
Construction began with the laying of the cornerstone on June 8, 1909 and ended
with a dedication ceremony on September 19, 1910. Architects for the building
were Wetherell and Gage. It was constructed by J. L. Simmons.
Neighboring Counties:
- North: Iowa County
- East: Washington County
- Southeast: Jefferson County
- Southwest: Wapello County
- West: Mahaska County
- Northwest: Poweshiek County
Cities and Towns:
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- Delta |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Gibson |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Harper |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Hayesville |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Hedrick |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Keota |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Keswick |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Kinross |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Martinsburg |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Ollie |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Richland |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Sigourney
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- South English |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Thornburg |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Webster |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- What Cheer |
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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