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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.

Winnebago County, Iowa

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

County Seat: Forest City
Year Organized: 1847
Square Miles: 400

Court House:

126 South Clark Street
County Courthouse
Forest City, IA 50436-1706

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Winnebago is named for the Winnebago Native American tribe.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Winnebago County was named in honor of the Winnebago Indian tribe that resided in the area. The term Winnebago means "Men of the Bad Smelling Waters," or "People of Stinking Water."

The county was established in 1851. The earliest white settler of Winnebago County was George W. Thomas in 1855. The county was organized in the fall of 1857, the following being the first officers elected: Robert Clark, county judge; C.H. Day, treasurer and recorder; B.F. Denslow, clerk of courts; John S. Blowers, sheriff; and C.W. Scott, superintendent of schools and surveyor.

The first and only county seat of Winnebago County is Forest City. Forest City, which was platted by Robert Clark in 1856, was named after the abundance of timber found there.

The first courthouse was a two-room log cabin that was located on the courthouse square. In 1860 a petition was circulated calling for a more appropriate building. Soon after, $20,000 in bonds was sold for the construction of this building. After the construction had begun, the conservative members of the board opposed such an expensive building. Consequently, a less expensive, two-story soft brick building was constructed. This building, like the previous building, was located on the courthouse square. A frame addition was completed in 1877.

This courthouse was torn down and replaced in 1896. Architects Kinney & Orth and contractor F. A. Gross constructed a Romanesque style building made of red brick and trimmed with stone. The building was completed on January 6, 1897, at a cost of $20,496.

Neighboring Counties:

Northeast: Freeborn County, Minn.
East: Worth County
Southeast: Cerro Gordo County
South: Hancock County
Southwest: Kossuth County
Northwest: Faribault County, Minn.

Cities and Towns:

- Buffalo Center	city	Incorporated Area
- Forest City (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Lake Mills	city	Incorporated Area
- Leland	city	Incorporated Area
- Rake	city	Incorporated Area
- Scarville	city	Incorporated Area
- Thompson	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."