Larrabee County, Iowa
Larrabee County was a proposed county in the northern part of Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The county was named after governor William Larrabee. In November 1914, the Iowans of Kossuth County voted against the creation of Larrabee County. The county was preceded by Crocker County until it was disestablished being illegal. A referendum was held in Kossuth County in order to propose the existence of Larrabee County. The proposal failed and Kossuth County remained the largest county in Iowa.
Background[edit]
When Iowa became a state in 1846, it had 48 counties. On January 15, 1851, the third Iowa General Assembly added 52 more counties, making Iowa a state of 100 counties.[1] In 1855, Bancroft County was disestablished because it was not suitable for settling due to its marshes and wetlands.[1] Bancroft County's land was merged with Kossuth County, making Kossuth the largest county in Iowa, and made Iowa a state of 99 counties.[2][3]
On May 13, 1870, after post-Civil War migration to the area, Bancroft County was re-established with the name Crocker County.[4] The county lasted from 1870 to 1871, deemed as illegal and unconstitutional.[5][4] The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in the case L.K. Garfield vs R.I. Brayton that Crocker County was a violation of the Iowa constitution,[1] which declares in Article 11 that "no new county shall be created which contains less than 432 square miles."[4] After Crocker County was disestablished in 1871, its land was merged into Kossuth County.[2]
Proposal[edit]
On February 22, 1913, Larrabee County was proposed by James McHose, an Iowa congressman from Boone, Iowa.[1] The name "Larrabee" would honor governor William Larrabee.[1][6] The proposal would divide Kossuth County, making the northern part Larrabee County.[1][6] If Larrabee County were to be created, it would consist of the north one third of Township 97, all of townships 98, 99 and 100 north, of ranges 27, 28, 29 and 30 west of the fifth principal meridian in the state of Iowa.[7] The residents of northern Kossuth County sent a delegation to Des Moines to express that they did not want Larrabee County to exist.[1]
In November 1914, a referendum was held in Kossuth County to determine whether Larrabee County should be established.[1][8] The proposal received 920 votes compared to the opposition's 3599 votes; therefore, Larrabee County was not established which meant Iowa remained a state of 99 counties,[1] and Kossuth County remained the largest county in Iowa.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Fannon-Langton 2019, p. 6.
- ^ a b Brown 2023.
- ^ Riley 2015.
- ^ a b c d Schiek 2019, p. 4.
- ^ "Crocker County, Iowa (extinct)". www.past2present.org. 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- ^ a b "Bill to Create Larrabee County Indorsed by House Committee". The Des Moines Register. 1913-03-20. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
- ^ Allen 1913, p. 353.
- ^ Long 2007.
Works cited[edit]
- Fannon-Langton, Dianne (2019-04-21). "What happened to Iowa's 100th county?". The Gazette. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
- Brown, Abby (2023-04-25). "Development of Iowa's 99 Counties". Iowa PBS. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- Riley, Roger (2015-11-24). "What Ever Happened to Iowa's 100th County?". Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- Allen, W.S. (1913-04-17). "LAWS OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Iowa Legislature. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
- Schiek, Richard O. (2019-03-06). "Pieces of Iowa's Past - The 100th Iowa County" (PDF). Iowa Legislature. LSA. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- Long, John H (2007). "IA: Consolidated Chronology". Iowa: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries. Retrieved 2024-05-24 – via Newberry Library.