It was a weird situation I found myself in.  Usually if I have trouble photographing a courthouse, it’s because there are too many treesand I have to remind the Future Arborists of America about some best practices.  In Denison though, the problem was too many flags!  It doesn’t have a huge courthouse and for some … Continue reading 954. Denison, Crawford County (IA12) →

Heightened expectations strike again!  I recognized the style (aesthetic, not architectural [though yes, I saw that, too]) of the courthouse, but I suspected that the red rock that had given me enjoyment in the last few counties was in short supply here.  It’s a perfectly nice courthouse and all, and brick is good enough, but … Continue reading 953. Ida Grove, Ida County (IA11) →

After so many lovely courthouses, one of them had to be a dud.  You can’t have everything, can you?  A plaque out front revealed that the original courthouse, a lovely Romanesque building, had been destroyed in 1966.  With as small a place as Cherokee is, they may not have had the money to do better … Continue reading 952. Cherokee, Cherokee County (IA10) →

So why did they name this place Le Mars?  Was Ein Ares taken?  Jokes aside, the town’s name is an acronym of the first names of the female members of a party visiting with a railroad magnate in 1871.  Regardless of the source of the name, their courthouse game was peak!  This gorgeous classical piece … Continue reading 951. Le Mars, Plymouth County (IA09) →

Is this courthouse made of catlinite? Because it looks a lot like Pipestone County to me. My immediate thought on arrival was that we were returning to a more midwestern style of courthouses because somehow I managed to blank Madison and Ada out of my head despite seeing them literally hours before. But I also … Continue reading 950. Orange City, Sioux County (IA08) →

How fitting is it that the day after GWB's eighth anniversary my sixth and latest interview with HQ dropped! What timing! I talk about my travels up to Manitoba and in the Deep South along with a splash (but only a splash, mind you) of future plans. I promise there's not a deep narrative thread … Continue reading Here It Is 17: More Words For HQ! →

Back in Iowa again! The last time I was here, the wind was almost strong enough to blow my clothes off, but this time it was a little more temperate in that regard. I looked forward to the chance to take another slice off the state on my way home. When I laid eyes on … Continue reading 949. Rock Rapids, Lyon County (IA07) →

Today is the eighth anniversary of this site. First of all, I want to thank all of you folks who have been going along with me on my journeys. I know that you have a lot of other things that draw your attention from both an entertainment and a living perspective so I'm honored that … Continue reading An Eighth Year Gone By →

The Rock County Courthouse turned out to be a little disappointing photographically because this is the front, ironically the least interesting face of the entire structure. What you can't see is the castle-like tower in the back corner or the glass walls or anything like that. They were stunning. They were also nigh-impossible to photograph … Continue reading 948. Luverne, Rock County (MN12) →

Pipestone County continued the day's pattern of lovely courthouses. This one, though, was a minor departure from normal identification procedures in that the flagpole was on the side of the building, not the front. Yes, I did consider for a moment that the flagpole entrance might actually be the front, but since it was a … Continue reading 947. Pipestone, Pipestone County (MN11) →