Palo Alto County, Iowa
Founding: 1858 (declared in 1851) Parent county: Unorganized territory Namesake: The Battle of Palo Alto, fought during the Mexican–American War Seat: Paoli (1858–1875); Emmetsburg (1875–) Land area: 564 square miles Population (2020): 8,996 Population (historic): 132 (1860); 4,131 (1880); 14,354 (1900); 15,398 (1930) Periods of population growth: 1860–1900; 1910s; 1930s Subdivisions: Nine cities; 16 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 1,483 (32.3%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 44% Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 2.7% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 7.1% Average farmhouse value (1930): $1,949 Average outbuilding value (1930): $2,602 Average farmhouse size (1940): 6.4 rooms Number of farms (1920): 1,815 Average farm size (1920): 159.6 acres Sources of settlement: Illinois, Germany, Wisconsin, Ireland, Norway, and Denmark _____________________________________...