Appanoose

Formed December 17, 1843 (29^th county)

Appanoose County (12,315), Centerville (5,421)

The classic stone and masonry courthouse was constructed in 1904.  It is located on a square at 12^th, Jackson, 13^th, and Van Buren streets.  Iowa State Highway 2 is one block south of the facility.  Smith & Gage are the architects for this 20^th Century Revival and Romanesque courthouse.  The grounds feature a stage, memorials, a canon, and a Freedom Rock.  The facility has a working clock tower.  The county was established on December 17, 1843 from Davis County as the 29^th county.  It is named for a Native American chief.  There were 1848 and 1864 courthouses previously in the county all in Centerville the only county seat.  The county seat is named for Tennessee Governor De Witt Clinton Senter and eventually was misspelled to its present form. 

Appanoose County government consists of a sheriff, a recorder, an attorney, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Supervisors (legislative.)  Fifteen District Court Judges and Thirteen Magistrates serve Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington counties (judicial.) The county is in the south part of state bordering Missouri.  Des Moines, Iowa is northwest and Davenport, Iowa is northeast of the county.  The county center is 2.2 miles North-Northeast of Centerville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Monroe, Wapello, Lucas, and Davis counties and Missouri and Wayne County. 

The county has an area of 496 square miles.  It is 73 of 99 in the state.  It ranks 61 out of 99 in population in the state.  It has a density of 24.8 persons per square mile making it 53 out of 99 in the state.  Appanoose County has 62.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is a rectangle with Centerville being near the county’s center.  Centerville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 44.0% of the county population.  The county is pronounced AP-PA-NOOS.