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Iowa Counties
There are ninety-nine 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.Boone County, Iowa
Boone County Education, Geography, and History
Boone County is a county located in the state of Iowa. Based on the 2010 census, the
population was 26,306. Boone County was created
on January 13, 1846. The county seat is Boone.
The county is named in honor of Daniel Boone, the
famous frontiersman and his son, Daniel Nathan Boone (1781–1863), a
colonel in the United States Dragoons and one of the first to survey
Iowa.
Boone County comprises the Boone, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA Combined
Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Boone County Name
Boone county is named for Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, and his son, Daniel Nathan Boone, a colonel in the U. S. Dragoons.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Boone County History
Boone County was named as a tribute
to Daniel Boone and his son, Colonel Nathan Boone of the US Dragoons. Boone
was among the first white men to explore this region and to give an accurate
account of the natural resources.
The county was established in 1846. When Boone County originated in 1849, there
were about 400 inhabitants. Rivals for the county seat Boonsboro and Boone
Station were incorporated in the 1860's. Boonsboro was the original county seat.
Boone Station changed its name to Montana, then to Boone. These two towns are
now merged into the modern city of Boone, which became the county seat in 1887.
A legendary incident which has been proclaimed throughout the surrounding
territory has been linked with Boone County through the heroism of Kate Shelley.
The 15 year old Shelley braved a raging rainstorm to warn passengers of a night
express that the bridge at Honey Creek had been washed out. She crossed the Des
Moines River to Moingona, where the train was to arrive, and averted a terrible
catastrophe.
Mamie Doud Eisenhower was born in Boone November 14, 1896. Much of the furniture
for the restoration of her Victorian home was provided by the Doud family, and
this is one of only two homes of First Ladies to be restored in the United
States.
Boone has long been a center for activity of the Chicago and Northwestern
Transportation Company, now United Pacific. Out of this railroad heritage has
grown the annual Pufferbilly Days Celebration the weekend after Labor Day.
In 1996 Boone County celebrated the sesquicentennial of our county with an open
house here at the court house, with tours of the building.
Source: Sheryl Thul, Boone County Recorder, 2002
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 572 square miles (1,480 km2) is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) (0.4%) is water.
Boone county is located close to the center of Iowa. Ledges State
Park is in this county, the sandstone cliffs that give the area the name
Ledges were the result of glacial melting. Ledges still floods regularly
by the nearby Des Moines River.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Northeast: Hamilton County
- East: Story County
- Southeast: Polk County
- South: Dallas County
- West: Greene County
- Northwest: Webster County
Education
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