This week (1/15/26) marked the 175th birthday of Franklin County. The county was officially created by the Iowa Legislature on January 15th, 1851, as settlers continued moving west across the prairie. Early on, there weren’t enough residents to support a local government, so Franklin County was temporarily attached to neighboring counties for legal and civil matters.
That changed on August 5, 1855, when the county was formally organized and its first officers were elected at the home of pioneer James B. Reeve. The county was named for Benjamin Franklin, honoring the values early settlers admired.
Surveying of the land began even earlier, in the late 1840s, laying out the townships that would grow into today’s communities.
And a tip of the hat to Franklin County Auditor Katy Flint for sharing the birthday reminder on her Facebook page and the historical details for this story which came from the Franklin County, Iowa history page at franklincountyia.gov.
