2017 Spencer Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Spencer, Iowa  2017  Comprehensive Plan

C HAPTER H ISTORY Early prairie settlers made their way to a flat area of Midwest prairie land at the confluence of the Ocheyedan and Little Sioux rivers which is now known as the City of Spencer, Iowa. Since 1871, Spencer has been the county seat for Clay County. With that said, the site of the first courthouse in Clay County was originally in the City of Peterson, in southwestern Clay County, until Spencer was formally platted. Since Spencer was more centrally located its residents felt the courthouse needed to be in Spencer. An election was held in 1871 in which Spencer was named the county seat by a mere 159 votes. The first courthouse in Spencer was built for $1,333 and later sold to the City of Spencer. A second courthouse was built in 1884 at a different location for $5,000, but was later criticized for being too boring. Finally, in 1900 Clay County voted on a new courthouse at a cost of more than $60,000. The new courthouse opened in 1901. This is the courthouse that stands in Spencer today. 2 . S PENCER

Spencer’s history began in 1859, when George E. Spencer gave his name to the City of Spencer. Mr. Spencer lived in Iowa prior to serving as a U.S. Senator from Alabama. Shortly after the City of Spencer was founded, the community started growing quickly. The first residential dwelling and the first schoolhouse were both built in 1866. The town’s first business or store opened in 1869. By 1871 the town of Spencer was platted for the first time. With a growing population, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was built in Spencer in 1878 to make trade and transit easier. Spencer was officially incorporated as a town on March 26, 1880 and organized as a city on March 21, 1892. From 1880 until 1892 the town grew from 884 to 1,800 and had 166 businesses at that time. Spencer’s Clay County Fair was established early in the community’s history, and the impact of the fair was felt early on. In 1917, the Clay County Fair Association was organized. Spencer hosted the first modern Clay County Fair in 1918. Originally, the race track was completed in 1918 along with the two ornamental entrance ways to the fairgrounds. The two entrance ways (one on the east side and one on the north side) were constructed with archways and towers on either side. The historic entrance way on the fairgrounds east

Historic photo of Railroad Depot in Spencer Photo courtesy of www.epodunk.com

Historic Photo of Clay County Fair entrance Source: Dennis Beck, Northwest Iowa & Spencer Iowa Photos on Pinterest

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NW Iowa Planning & Development