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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.

Shelby County, Iowa

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

County Seat: Harlan
Year Organized: 1851
Square Miles: 591

Court House:

612 Court Street
County Courthouse
Harlan, IA 51537-1441

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Shelby is named for Isaac Shelby, a general in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 who served as the first governor of Kentucky.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Shelby County was established in 1851 and named after General Isaac Shelby. General Shelby was famous for serving in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and becoming the first governor of the state of Kentucky.

The county originated in 1853. The first court held in the county was in a farmhouse that doubled as a saloon and grocery. This building was located at the first permanent settlement in the county, Galland's Grove.

In 1857 there was a movement to construct the first county courthouse in Shelby County. It was to be located at Shelbyville, but the proposition lost by three votes in a special election. A second proposition limited to $3,000 was also defeated.

Following this there was a bitter county seat battle. The towns involved were Shelbyville, Somida and Harlan. On April 4, 1859 Harlan was declared the county seat of Shelby County -- by a majority of only nine votes.

Following two failing attempts by the county to build a courthouse, one was finally constructed in 1860. The $2,500 brick courthouse was destroyed by a fire before it was completed. The county then purchased a building that was being constructed as a "store" building. The total purchase price was $5,000. This building was used until 1876, when it was replaced by a frame structure at a cost of $4,250.

After two years of heated controversy over whether the county could afford a new courthouse, in 1892 the present courthouse was completed in the town square of Harlan. The cornerstone laying ceremony was complete with a parade, bands, speeches and even a baseball game between the stonecutters and the brickmasons; it is not known who won the game.

The impressive looking building was built of stone and brick at a total cost of $62,733.90, including furnishings. One significant feature noted was a private room and toilet room for ladies only adjoining the courtroom. Later, in 1907, the local Woman's Union asked the board of supervisors for another rest room in the basement. The original courthouse contained a large tower, but by 1899 it was causing the building to settle, and thus the tower was removed.

In the December 16, 1903 board minutes a resolution was adopted to prohibit the use of the courthouse basement "as a resort for bootlegging and drinking whiskey."

In 1978, the Shelby County Courthouse was designated as a national historic site. Around that time the courthouse interior was getting a $300,000 facelift. All of this was funded with federal money.

Source: Shelby County Courthouse (centennial booklet, 1992)

Neighboring Counties:

North: Crawford County
Northeast: Carroll County
East: Audubon County
Southeast: Cass County
Southwest: Pottawattamie County
West: Harrison County

Cities and Towns:

- Defiance	city	Incorporated Area
- Earling	city	Incorporated Area
- Elk Horn	city	Incorporated Area
- Harlan (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Irwin	city	Incorporated Area
- Kirkman	city	Incorporated Area
- Panama	city	Incorporated Area
- Portsmouth	city	Incorporated Area
- Tennant	city	Incorporated Area
- Westphalia	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."