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Anamosa,
Iowa is located in Jones County.
Historically, Jones County was in the heart
of the “Black Hawk Purchase”. Following the
Black Hawk War, a treaty was made on
September 21, 1832 with the Sac and Fox
Indians. They ceded a strip of territory
extending 50 miles westward from the
Mississippi River to the U.S. Government.
This land was opened to settlements on June
1, 1833. It was a part of Michigan
territory, then Wisconsin. Jones County is
named in honor of General George W. Jones of
Dubuque. |
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At the second
annual session of the legislature of
Wisconsin, this land was subdivided into 14
counties as it is at the present time. This
subdivision covered land in the Black Hawk
Purchase and even further west to Indian
lands not yet ceded to the United States.
The first settlement in the Anamosa area was
in 1838. The region was called “Buffalo
Forks” because of the meeting of the Buffalo
and Wapsipinicon Rivers. In 1856, the area
was known as Lexington and was incorporated.
In 1877, it was incorporated as a city. The
name was changed to Anamosa, however,
because of the confusion with mail delivery.
There were many Lexington's in the United
States. |
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Anamosa was
supposedly the name of a young Indian girl.
Anamosa means white fawn. Several other
legends exist about the story behind the
name, one of which says that Anamosa and
Wapsipinicon were star-crossed Indian
lovers. The more popular story says that the
Indian girl, Anamosa, stayed at an inn with
her father at the time that the City fathers
were searching for a unique name for their
town. The Indian girl was unique in her
dress and manner and her name was
different-suitable for the new name of the
city because it would not be confused with
other cities. |
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In the early
days, two-thirds of the Anamosa area was in
timber, mainly oak. Along the Buffalo and
Wapsipinicon Rivers, there were thick
forests, mostly of oak trees. The soil was a
rich black loam with an under layer of
clay-well suited for growing corn and grain. |
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The north half
of Fairview Township, in which Anamosa is
located, has rolling hills while the south
half is more level. The Wapsipinicon River
enters at the northwest corner of the
township and runs southeasterly. Buffalo
Creek runs in a southeasterly direction,
uniting with the Wapsipinicon River west of
the city of Anamosa. Situated at the edge of
Anamosa is Wapsipinicon State Park that
features caves and camping as well as
fishing and hiking or bicycling on the steep
hills and winding curves in the park. |
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Other towns in
Fairview Township include Stone City, home
of the Grant Wood Art Festival, which is
held the second Sunday in June. This
festival celebrates the work of artists and
artisans and the well-known work of native
son, Grant Wood. His most famous painting is
the “The American Gothic”, a work of satire
that has been parodied many times.
Controversy surrounds the issue of whether
Grant Wood meant for the couple to be father
and daughter, or husband and wife. Models
for “The American Gothic” were Grant Wood’s
sister, Nan, and a dentist, Dr. Byron H.
Mckeeby. Grant Wood and his sister Nan, are
buried in Riverside Cemetery in Anamosa. |
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The village of
Fairview is one of the oldest settlements in
Jones County. It is situated 4 miles from
Anamosa on the Old Military Road to Martelle.
Strawberry Hill, an independent village, was
annexed to the city in 1901. On February 6,
1872 Anamosa was divided into wards and
declared a city. |
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Anamosa has a
population of 5,595 and has been the county
seat of Jones County since 1847. Within the
city limits are the Jones County Courthouse
and the Anamosa State Penitentiary, which is
also known as the “White Palace of the West”
because of its impressive dolomite
structure. The Penitentiary was built by
inmates with stone from the quarries in
Stone City and is listed on the National
Historic Register. |
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At the height
of the Railroad era, there were three
railways running through Anamosa: Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul; Chicago and
Northwestern Railway; Chicago, Anamosa and
Northern Railway. There are no longer any
railroads in Anamosa. An added asset to
commuters and travelers is the widening of
U.S. Highway 151. At the present time, the
highway is four lanes from Anamosa to
Marion. Plans are underway by the DOT to
extend the widening of U.S. Highway 151 so
that it is four lanes from Cedar Rapids to
Dubuque. |
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