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Chief Poweshiek
POWESHIEK COUNTY
The county was established on February 17, 1843. After its boundaries were
defined, it was attached to Iowa County for three years. After that it was
formally organized and attached to Mahaska County until April 3, 1848, when the
county held its first election.
The county is named for the Fox-Mesquaki Indian Chief that was for peace in the
Black Hawk War. The present area of the county was said to be the hunting and
fishing grounds for Chief Poweshiek.
The first courthouse was built in Montezuma in 1850. The courthouse was a
two-story wooden structure that contained three apartments on the second floor
for county officials. This building was used as a courthouse, school, church,
and a social gathering place until 1857. In 1857 the construction of the
county's second and current courthouse was begun, thus making it one of the
oldest courthouses in Iowa.
The total cost of this courthouse was $21,928.15. It is constructed of brick and
its foundation, caps and sills are of limestone. Over the years the building has
undergone several changes. In 1890 an addition was completed, and in 1933-1934
the courthouse was raised, and a full basement and new foundation were
completed. This project cost approximately $15,000 to complete.
Taken from History of County Governments in Iowa, published in 1992 by
Iowa State Association of Counties, Des Moines, Iowa
Latitude 41 deg 39 min North, longitude 92
deg 37 min West.
In 1842, a treaty was signed by the US Government and the Sac
and Fox Indian tribes, opening up the area now encompassing Poweshiek County to
settlement. It was first a part of Keokuk County, later part of Iowa County and
then part of Mahaska County before being officially designated Poweshiek County
on April 3, 1848. It is named after Chief
Poweshiek of the Sac and Fox Tribes. Chief Poweshiek was known as the
"Peaceful Indian", having signed the Treaty that ended the Black Hawk
War. Iowa officially became a state in 1846.
The first permanent settlers arrived in May 1843: Richard B.
Ogden and his wife in the southern part of the county and Henry Snook and his
wife and eight children settled in the northern part. A steady stream of
settlers followed. The settlement of the county progressed generally from south
to north. The county seat of Montezuma was selected in the southern part of the
county because at the time, it was felt the northern portion of the county would
not be settled.
The county first had three townships: Sugar
Creek, Jackson,
and Bear
Creek. These were later subdivided and the eventual sixteen townships now in
existence were formed, adding: Chester,
Deep
River, Lincoln,
Grant,
Jefferson,
Scott,
Malcom,
Warren,
Union,
Madison,
Washington,
Pleasant,
and Sheridan.
[Click to go to Townships
page.]
Originally, nine schools were designated for each township.
Montezuma was designated the county seat in June 1848, and the first courthouse
was built in that year. The present courthouse was begun in 1856, and is said to
be the second oldest courthouse still in use in Iowa. It has been enlarged in
recent years, in the same style, and is currently on the National Register of
Historic Places.
In 1856, a contingent of Mormon settlers, migrating from Nauvoo,
IL to Utah crossed Iowa including Poweshiek County. One of the settlers sons,
Job Wellington, Jr. is buried near the present town of Malcom. The settlers
traveled pulling handcarts.
Poweshiek
County 1895
           
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