U.S.A. - Iowa - Des Moines

DES MOINES, IOWA

Sent by Evan from Des Moines, USA.

Des Moines /dɨˈmɔɪn/ is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks." The city's population was 203,433 as of the 2010 census. The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 88th in terms of population in the United States with 580,255 residents according to the 2011 estimate by the United States Census Bureau. (read further)

USA - Iowa - Madison County Courthouse

Madison County, Iowa Courthouse
Built in 1876 on the ruins of the second courthouse that burned the year before, the courthouse is constructed of native limestone and sits in an enchanting town square setting. The stately dome with four clocks rises 122 feet and is visible for miles.

Sent by Renee, a postcrosser from Iowa.

This is from Wikipedia : The Madison County Courthouse is in Winterset, Iowa. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

The county's first courthouse was a log structure built in 1849 on Monumental Square in Winterset. The building was also used for a school, church, and resting spot for travelers. A stone courthouse was built and it included the jail on the second floor. It was destroyed in an 1875 fire.

The present courthouse was built in 1876. The Renaissance Revival structure has four wings which join to form a Greek cross. A silver-colored dome reaches a height of 136 feet (41.5 m) into the air and it contains a 1500-pound (680.4 kg) bell. The interior features woodwork of solid walnut. The building was built for about $120,000.

USA - Iowa - Des Moines

IOWA
Des Moines

Sent by Renée, a postcrosser from Norwalk in Iowa, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Des Moines (pronounced /dɨˈmɔɪn/) is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is named after the Des Moines River, which may have been adapted from the French Rivière des Moines, literally meaning "River of the Monks." The five-county metropolitan area is ranked 91st in terms of population in the United States according to 2009 estimates with 562,906 residents according to United States Census Bureau. The city proper population was 198,682 at the 2000 census.

Des Moines is a major center for the insurance industry and also has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. In fact, Des Moines was credited with the "number one spot for U.S. insurance companies" in a Business Wire article. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group, the Meredith Corporation, Ruan Transportation, EMC Insurance Companies, and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, ING Group, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Marsh, Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred have large operations in or near the metro area. Forbes magazine ranked Des Moines as the "Best Place for Business" in 2010. Kiplinger's Personal Finance 2008 Best Cities List featured Des Moines as #9.

Des Moines is an important city in United States presidential politics as the capital of Iowa, which is home to the Iowa caucuses. The Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event in nominating the President of the United States since 1972. Hence, many presidential candidates set up campaign headquarters in Des Moines. A 2007 article in The New York Times stated "if you have any desire to witness presidential candidates in the most close-up and intimate of settings, there is arguably no better place to go than Des Moines."

USA - Iowa - State Capitol

The Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines signifies the prodigious spirit of Iowa. Built between 1871 and 1886, this magnificent building represents both inside and out, one of the nation's finest examples of 19th century architecture.

Sent by Renee from Iowa, USA.

USA - Iowa - Mapcard

Iowa, the 29th state admitted to the Union, is one of the greatest farming states in the United States. Farms cover over 90% of Iowa's land area, and Iowa is routinely one of the United States' leading producers of soybeans, hogs, and corn.

Sent by motherbrando from Norwalk in Iowa, USA.