The Great American Survey: A Slapdash Database of Historic Buildings

Founding:  1840 Parent counties:  Warren, and White Namesake:  Martin Van Buren, U.S. president Seat:  Spencer (1840–) Land area:  273 square miles Population (2020):  6,168 Population (historic):  2,674 (1850); 2,725 (1870); 2,863 (1890); 2,784 (1910); 3,516 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1850; 1860–1880; 1890s; 1920–1940; 1960–2020 Subdivisions:  One town Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  158 (5.9%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  18.1% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  6% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  24.5% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  20.5% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $362 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $246 Average farmhouse size (1940):  3.8 rooms Number of farms (1920):  432 Average farm size (1920):  44.7 acres _________________________________________________________________________________ Spencer Namesake:  Thomas Spencer, early Tennesse...

Founding:  1836 Parent county:  Des Moines Namesake:  Martin Van Buren, U.S. president Seat:  Farmington (1836–1837); Rochester (1837–1838); Keosauqua (1838–) Land area:  485 square miles Population (2020):  7,203 Population (historic):  12,270 (1850); 17,672 (1870); 16,253 (1890); 15,020 (1910); 12,603 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1850–1870; 1890s; 1990s Subdivisions:  Seven cities; three CDPs; 15 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  1,340 (36.7%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  42.2% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  5.7% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  10.6% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  15.9% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,630 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,376 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.4 rooms Number of farms (1920):  2,013 Average farm size (1920):  103.9 acres Sources of settlement:  Ohio, Indiana, ...

Founding:  1837 (declared in 1829) Parent county:  Unorganized territory Namesake:  Martin Van Buren, U.S. president Seat:  Paw Paw (1837–) Land area:  607 square miles Population (2020):  75,587 Population (historic):  1,910 (1840); 15,224 (1860); 30,807 (1880); 33,274 (1900); 32,637 (1930) Periods of population growth:  1830–1880; 1890s; 1920s; 1940–2000 Subdivisions:  Four cities; seven villages; 18 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  7,402 (20%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  55.3% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  14.2% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  8.9% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  10.7% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,690 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,309 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.1 rooms Number of farms (1920):  4,662 Average farm size (1920):  57.1 acres Sources of settlement:  New York, Ohio, Canada, Indian...