Buena Vista County, Iowa
Founding: 1858 (declared in 1851) Parent county: Unorganized territory Namesake: The Battle of Buena Vista, fought during the Mexican–American War Seat: Sioux Rapids (1868–1877); Storm Lake (1877–) Land area: 575 square miles Population (2020): 20,823 Population (historic): 57 (1860); 7,537 (1880); 16,975 (1900); 18,667 (1930) Periods of population growth: 1860–1900; 1910 –1960; 1990s; 2010s Subdivisions: Ten cities; 16 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 2,360 (28.5%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 53.3% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 2% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 5.2% Average farmhouse value (1930): $2,562 Average outbuilding value (1930): $3,369 Average farmhouse size (1940): 6.9 rooms Number of farms (1920): 2,055 Average farm size (1920): 158.7 acres Sources of settlement: Iowa, Illinois, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and Norway ________________________...