Howard County, Iowa
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 7 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1977. Most listings are in or near Cresco, Protivin, Riceville.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Iowa is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Howard titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP6 of 7 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
7 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Bohemian Savings Bank | Protivin | 1990 |
| Cresco Opera House | Cresco | 1981 |
| Fellows, James C., House | Riceville | 1982 |
| Howard County Courthouse | Cresco | 1981 |
| Kellow House | Cresco | 1977 |
| Lime Springs Mill Complex | Lime Springs | 1977 |
| Polygonal Barn, New Oregon Township | Cresco | 1986 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBHoward was formed in 1851 (1851-01-15) from unknown / original county.
HOWARD created from Non-County Area 6 attached to DELAWARE.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusHoward County population from 1860 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,168 | 10,837 | 14,512 | 13,705 | 13,531 | 13,105 | 12,734 | 11,114 | 9,932 | 9,469 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS19 cemeteries and 2 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 19 of 19 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Albion Township Cemetery |
| Calvary Cemetery |
| Calvary Cemetery |
| Cedar Hill Cemetery |
| Chester Hill Cemetery |
| Foreston Cemetery |
| Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Holy Trinity Cemetery |
| Howard Cemetery |
| Howard Center Township Cemetery |
| New Oregon Cemetery |
| Oak Lawn Cemetery |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery |
| Phillips Cemetery |
| Pleasant Hill Cemetery |
| Reckner Cemetery |
| Saint Patricks Cemetery |
| Saint Pauls Lutheran Church Cemetery |
| Saratoga Township Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 2 of 2
| Name |
|---|
| Forest City |
| Lowther Station |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Howard County, Iowa
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