Poweshiek-History-History of Poweshiek County

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US-GCS DCL Arch Pamph-Poweshiek-History-1.2

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Poweshiek-History-History of Poweshiek County

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Written History of Poweshiek County

Poweshiek County was named in honor of Chief Poweshiek, one of the leaders of the Sac and Fox (Mesquakie) Tribe, whose members made their home in the game-rich Skunk River area near present-day Searsboro. (The name Poweshiek means “Roused Bear” or “Shaking Bear”.) Following the Black Hawk War in 1832, a series of treaties were negotiated, which compelled the Sac and Fox to sell their lands to the government, thereby opening them to settlement. Following the Treaty of 1842, the remaining tribal lands in Iowa were sold, and the Tribe was forced to move to a reservation in Kansas. In 1850 some of the members of the Sac and Fox Tribe returned to Iowa and in 1856 purchased 80 acres near Tama, where the Sac & Fox Indian Settlement was established.

The county was originally part of Keokuk County from 1837 to 1840 and subsequently Iowa and Mahaska Counties. It was formally organized on April 3, 1848, the date on which the first election was conducted, and on June 5, 1848, the elected commissioners selected a site for the county seat of justice, naming it Montezuma. The first courthouse, a frame building, was erected in 1850 on the northeast corner of the present town square. Construction of the present courthouse, the second oldest in Iowa still in use, was begun in 1856. In the 1930s, the building was raised by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and has since been enlarged.

Poweshiek County is roughly square in shape, covering an area of 580 square miles, and is divided into sixteen townships. Of the scattered early settlements, eight cities remain: Brooklyn, Deep River, Grinnell (the largest), Guernsey, Hartwick, Malcom, Montezuma, and Searsboro. In addition, portions of the cities of Barnes City and Victor lie in the county. It is predominantly rural in character with a large agricultural base, although there are many other industries in Brooklyn, Grinnell, and Montezuma. The public school system first originated in 1852, and Poweshiek County is presently the control county for three school districts: Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom (BGM), Grinnell-Newburg, and Montezuma Community. Grinnell College, a four-year liberal arts institution, is located in Grinnell.

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