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Taylor County
Taylor County is named after the twelfth president of the United States of America, Major General Zachary Taylor. It can be found in the bottom row of the counties in Iowa and three over from the western border of Iowa.In 1851, Taylor County had a population of three hundred and ninety-three. The population revealed from the 2000 census was 6, 958.
Bedford is the Taylor County seat which means it’s only a little part of what makes the county so fantastic. Taylor County consists of nine towns, Athelstan, Bedford, Blockton, Clearfield, Conway, Gravity, Lenox, New Market, and Sharpsburg.Athelstan is a former town of Taylor County along the Platte River, and is majority owned by one family. The total population was eighteen in 2000. In 2004, after years of rural flight, the tiny city was disincorporated, ending its status as an officially recognized community. That doesn’t mean that people in Taylor County doesn’t recognize it though.Blockton is another town located along the Platte River. Blockton is uniquely placed just on the Taylor side of Highway P14. Higway P14 is the divider between Taylor and Ringgold County. In the year 2000, the total population was one hundred ninety-two.Clearfield is a town recognized in Taylor County. The unique thing about Clearfield is that it lies on the Taylor/Ringgold counties line. Half of the town is technically considered to be in Ringgold County and the other half in Taylor County. Clearfield has its own elementary school, and when the students get to 7th grade they get to chose whether to go to Lenox High School or Mount Ayr High School. The 2000 census revealed a population of three hundred and seventy-one. Clearfield is also recognized for driving the shuttle busses at the Iowa State Fair every year.Conway is located northeast of the famous Lake of Three Fires. It’s along the East Fork of the One Hundred and Two River. The population was sixty-three in the year 2000.Gravity is also found along the One Hundred and Two River, but instead of the East Fork it is found along the Middle Branch. The total population was revealed to be two hundred and eighteen in the 2000 census.Lenox is another city recognized by Taylor County, but is unique. Lenox technically lies in Adams and Taylor counties. In the year 2000 the total population was 1, 401. Lenox is infamously known for the Lenox Rodeo held annually by the Lenox Stock and Saddle Club. Lenox is home to the Lenox School District. They are also very competitively known in the classroom and athletically.New Market is located just off of Highway 2. The 2000 census stated the population to be four hundred and fifty-six. Like many other small towns across the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, New Market was considered a “Sundown Town”. This term referenced that African Americans were not allowed to be in town after dusk and would suffer severe consequences if found there. New Market was one of the first towns to abolish this ordinance and began having interracial bands play in town.Sharpsburg is also another town located northeast of the famous Lake of Three Fires. The population was ninety-eight in the year 2000.
