Anamosa, IA

Anamosa is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,450 at the 2020 census.^[3] It is the county seat of Jones County.^[4]

History

What is now Anamosa was founded as the settlement of Buffalo Forks in 1838 and incorporated as Lexington in 1856.^[5] 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.”^[6]

The romantic origin of the naming of the town of Anamosa comes from its early history. A Native American family was passing through town in 1842. The family stayed at the Ford House. The little girl, a Native American Princess, named Anamosa, endeared herself to the townspeople and following the family’s departure from town, local citizens decided to name their town after her.^[7]

The Wapsipinicon River flows through Anamosa. According to legend, a Native American maiden and her lover threw themselves off a bluff overlooking the Wapsipinicon River; one was named Wapsi, the other Pinicon. Origins of this legend are unconfirmed.^{[citation needed]}

Anamosa was named the Pumpkin Capital of Iowa by the Iowa State Legislature in 1993 and hosts Pumpkinfest, a pumpkin festival and weigh-off, each October.^[8]

The Anamosa Boot Hill Cemetery is still open today and is northwest of the town.^[9]

 

Landmarks and industry

Anamosa State Penitentiary

Anamosa is home to the Anamosa State Penitentiary, formerly known as the Iowa Men’s Reformatory, a medium/maximum security prison that is the largest in Iowa, housing over 1,200 male inmates. Anamosa State Penitentiary was home to infamous criminal John Wayne Gacy as well as Robert Hansen, the inspiration for the movie Frozen Ground.^[15] It was established in 1872 and constructed from locally quarried Anamosa Limestone in the style of a castle, inspiring its nickname as “The White Palace of the West”. The prison grounds also house the Anamosa State Penitenitiary Museum, which contains artifacts and exhibits on prison life from throughout its history.

Motorcycles have been a common sight in Anamosa. Anamosa was home to J&P Cycles, a supplier of aftermarket motorcycle parts and accessories, until its last operations in town closed at the end of 2023 ^[16] and was home to the National Motorcycle Museum, until its closing in September 2023.^[17] The museum had over 300 vintage motorcycles, including a replica of the “Captain America bike” from the movie Easy Rider.^[18]

Anamosa was the birthplace and burial place of the regionalist artist Grant Wood; he is buried in Riverside Cemetery, next to a large monument of a recumbent lion. Visitors can view a collection of satirical interpretations of his most famous work American Gothic at the Grant Wood Art Gallery on Main Street.

The unincorporated town of Stone City is a few miles northwest of Anamosa and was the location for some of Grant Wood’s paintings. Historic buildings built of local stone are still standing. The quarry that supplied the limestone still exists today as Weber Stone Company.

Wapsipinicon State Park is on the southwest edge of the city. The Hale Bridge is inside the park. The Iowa Army National Guard flew the three spans of the Hale Bridge from the Olin/Hale staging areas to the new home across the Wapsipinicon River at Wapsipinicon State Park by helicopter.

 Anamosa Businesses

 Anamosa Churches

Homes for Sale in Anamosa, IA