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Lyon County

Lyon County was named in honor of General Nathaniel Lyon. Lyon was killed while leading the First Iowa Infantry at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri. This was the first battle in which Iowa troops took part.

The county was originally called Buncombe County, in honor of Edward Buncombe of North Carolina. On September 11, 1862 it was officially changed to Lyon County.

The first county business was held in the homes of the various county officials, often over 45 miles apart. Some offices were held in the village of Beloit. In 1873 the county offices were all located in the town of Rock Rapids, named for the rapids found in the Rock River.

Bids for the first courthouse were opened on May 5, 1873 but it was not until June 24, 1874 that the cornerstone was laid into place. The $14,000 courthouse was dedicated in 1875.

This building was later moved to the north, where it became the Marietta Hotel. Today the three-story building stands as the Boon-Mar Apartments.

The present Lyon County courthouse was started in 1916 and completed one year later at a cost of $135,053. The three-story structure is constructed of Indiana limestone, and the main entrance is appropriately decorated with a carved stone lion.

Construction of an elevator for the courthouse was first proposed in 1967, but objectors appeared at a public hearing with a petition signed by 136 people who were opposed to the project. The matter was dropped until 1987, when an elevator and an exterior chairlift were installed.

Many of the original pieces of oak furniture are still used in the building. In the summer of 1991, an inventory was taken of all unused furniture, equipment and miscellaneous items throughout the building. Many of these pieces were donated to the Lyon County Historical Society. A public auction was held to dispose of the rest of the items.

Sources: Buncombe to Twenty Two, Paul C. Smith & Lucy Colby
Anniversary Booklet and Lyon County Minute Books
Kenneth Mellema, Lyon County Auditor

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