Brighton was laid out in 1840. During the 1840s and 1850 quickly developed into one of the largest centres of hog production west of the Mississippi. In 1851, David Powers discovered the fossil remains of a Mastodon. The fossil was three and a half feet long, fourteen inches wide at the larger end, and weighed eighty-three pounds. In 1854 Brighton was sorely afflicted by the Cholera.
Passages that mention Brighton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Washington County, Iowa1880 · page 623Read the page →
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Champaign county, Ohio, where he applied himself at his trades for two years; in 1849 he came to Iowa and located at Brighton where he at once went into the chair making, painting, and furniture trade, which lie has continued since; he was town assessor from 1860 to 1869 and made
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The history of Washington County, Iowa, its cities, towns, and c., a biographical directory of its citizens ..1880 · page 623Read the page →
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e has continued since; he was town assessor from I860 to 1869 and made the last assessment of the town of Brighton; was mayor of Brighton in 1878; helped take the census of Brighton and Clay township in 1870; has been recorder of the town of Brighton since 1869, except two
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The history of Washington County, Iowa, its cities, towns, and c., a biographical directory of its citizens ..1880 · page 565Read the page →
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Brighton township is composed of a part of township 74, range 8. In 1875 it had a population of 1,230, over half of which belonged to the town of Brighton. In the first division of the county into precincts, in 1839, that portion of country now composing Brighton township was a part of two precincts: that part south of Skunk river belonged to Skunk river precinct, and that part north belonged to Walnut creek precinct. When the county was first sub-divided into civil townships, in January, 1844, Brighton township consisted of the entire territory comprised in congres-
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The history of Washington County, Iowa1880 · page 565Read the page →
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Brighton township is composed of a part of township 74, range 8. In 1875 it had a population of 1,230, over half of which belonged to the town of Brighton. In the first division of the county into precincts, in 1839, that portion of country now composing Brighton township was a part of two precincts: that part south of Skunk river belonged to Skunk river precinct, and that part north belonged to Walnut creek precinct. When the county was first sub-divided into civil townships, in January, 1844, Brighton township consisted of the entire territory comprised in congres-
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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). How TownRatings grades history →
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