Anamosa dates to 1838, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #29 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
8 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 21 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1847.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Anamosa’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Anamosa is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #29 of 140 in Iowa. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Anamosa’s overall grade.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Anamosa’s 51.5 sits above most of its state (76% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 29 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.3 points). Two sources give 1838.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Anamosa’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
What is now Anamosa was founded as the settlement of Buffalo Forks in 1838 and incorporated as Lexington in
1856. Lexington was a popular name for towns at that time, so when Lexington chose to become incorporated as a city in 1877, the name was changed to Anamosa to avoid mail delivery confusion. There are many stories on how Anamosa was chosen as a name. Some believe it was named for a local Native American girl named Anamosa, meaning "white fawn", while others say it means "You walk with me."
Passages that mention Anamosa, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Jones County, Iowa, past and present1910 · page 306Read the page →
Read the text
its own municipal government. The division line betweenAnamosa and Strawberry Hill was Division street and all east of Division street constituted Strawberry Hill. By a vote of the people on August 20, 1901, Strawberry Hill was annexed and became a part of the city of Anamosa and has been ever since When it was annexed two councilmen were elected from Strawberry Hill so that she might have representation in the city affairs. In February, 1904, the city of Anamosa reduced the number of councilmen from six to four and also reduced the number of wards from six to four, and that part of Strawberry Hill north
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Jones County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens ... history of the Northwest, history of Iowa ..1879 · page 427Read the page →
Read the text
In the early part of 1854, a petition was presented to the County Judge of Jones County, requesting the appointment of an election to decide whether or not Anamosa should become an incorporated town. The Judge granted the petition, and named May 1, 1854, as the day on which said election should be held, and at which election persons residing in the platted village of Anamosa should be electors. The result was in favor of an incorporation.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Jones County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens ... history of the Northwest, history of Iowa ..1879 · page 433Read the page →
Read the text
Oatholic Church. — When this western country was all a vast mission of the Catholic Church, occasional meetings were held wherever the priests could gather their congregations. We have no records of services of this denomination at Anamosa prior to 1857, at which time a mission station was established with this town as its head, the station at that time embracing a very large circuit, as the following towns were all included in the work : Anamosa, Castle Grove, Langworthy, Wyoming, Monticello, Fairview, Cass, Madison and the Buffalo Creek country. Meetings were held in the old Court
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Jones County, Iowa, past and present1910 · page 351Read the page →
Read the text
In the year 1895 the young men of Anamosa desiring to improve the Anamosa fair and make it one of the best fairs in the state organized themselves into an association under the name of the Anamosa District Fair Association. These young men took an active energetic interest in the Anamosa fair, improving its grounds, built a large amphitheater which would hold ten thousand people, moved the horse stables from the north side of the fair grounds to the south side as they now stand, planted elm trees so as to make a nice shady park and improved the grounds in every particular. The Anamosa District Fair Association and the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Anamosa, 1838 to 1913
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
AnamosalocaleAnamosa Community Hospital HeliportairportIowa State Reformatoryschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Anamosa
Holy CrossRiverside
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Anamosa’s history
What year was Anamosa founded?
In 1838, according to Wikidata. Anamosa’s post office opened in 1847, and the census of 1860 counted 889 people here.
How does Anamosa rank for history?
Anamosa is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #29 of 140 in Iowa. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Anamosa?
8 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Anamosa Public Library (listed 1983, the first), 2 historic districts, the Iowa Men's Reformatory Historic District and the State Quarry, Iowa Men's Reformatory, with 21 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 29 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Anamosa?
20% of Anamosa’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.3 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1973.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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