What are the most historic towns in Iowa? (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids: hotel, lawyer)

[dinandriver]

Just curious. I may be coming out there this summer to drive around the state for a week and would like to see the more historic places...
Thanks!

[metro223]

Dubuque was the first town in the state, so there is quite a bit of interesting history there.

Council Bluffs also has some interesting history since it was one of the towns in the state that was founded by Mormon pioneers. I believe a lot of Mormon's who didn't want to continue west stayed there. (prev. Kanesville)

Iowa City used to be the capital, and Des Moines has a lot of history being the capital now and it also has Ft. Des Moines.

Just some of the bigger towns/cities I know of in Iowa first hand with a lot of history.

[Capt. Dan]

Amana-Keokuk-Clear Lake

[DBQer]

Dubuque is the most historic, hands down. The city is Iowa's oldest, celebrating the 175th anniversary of its founding this year (although it was settled for nearly 50 years before that). Historic architecture, Victorian neighborhoods, and 100+ year-old churches, houses, etc...

National Register of Historic Places (in Dubuque County)

[pepe1]

Mason City boasts an impressive collection of prairie school architecture. There are several homes and buildings in the city designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Burley Griffin, and other famous prairie school designers.

The Stockman House in Mason City is a functioning Museum that is open for tours, Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture is prominent in Iowa communites. Wrightiniowa.com will provide informaiton on these historical sites.. There is also a walking tour of the Rock Glenn distirct, there are some absolutley beautiful prairie school homes on that tour. The last remaining Wright designed hotel is in downtown Mason City - It is currently under-going restoration.

[QuadCityImages]

Don't forget Davenport, another of Iowa's oldest towns. (162 years old, to be exact) Davenport was the site of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi, which was promptly crashed into by a drunken steamboat captain, causing a legal battle that brought into play a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.

Arsenal Island was used as a prisoner camp for Confederate soldiers taken prisoner by the Union, so it houses a Confederate Cemetery. The Island also has the 2nd largest private residence owned by the Federal Government, with the first being the White House.

The area has lots of museums and historic sites, so I would definitely not skip the Quad Cities on an Iowa historic tour.

[dinandriver]

Great! Thanks for all the info. I'll do some more research to figure out which towns to see, sinse I will only have a week or maybe ten days at most...

[DMRyan]

Most of the towns along the Mississippi River are historic. Keokuk was a former Iowa territorial capitol. Burlington is up there with Dubuque as having one of the largest intact historical building stocks. The Quad Cities are an excellent choice to take in some wealthy neighborhoods with mansions on the bluffs.

[SharpHawkeye]

If I had a week, it'd go like this: Start in Davenport, wind up the river via Clinton and Bellevue, hit Dubuque, go down to Cedar Rapids/Iowa City stopping in Dyersville (Field of Dreams/Ertl) and Anamosa (Grant Wood), go over to Des Moines via Hwy 6, stopping at the Amanas on the way. If you had time still, you could bop over to Council Bluffs. Of course, I'm biased toward eastern Iowa.

My biggest piece of advice: Stay off the four-lane highways/interstates as much as possible. If you want to see the real Iowa, you have to venture off on to the two-lane highways.

[pinetar10]

is pella historic?