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Emmet County was organized on February 7, 1859.
It is situated in the northern tier of Iowa counties and is bounded on the
north by the state of Minnesota; on the east by Kossuth County; on the
south by Palo Alto County; and on the west by Dickinson County. It
includes congressional townships 98, 99, and 100 North of Ranges 31, 32,
33 and 34 West. The townships along the northern border are fractional, so
that the extent from north to south is only seventeen miles. From
east to west it is twenty-four miles and the total area of this county is
408 square miles. The west fork of the Des Moines River flows
through the county along the west side. The east fork has its source
in Tuttle (Okamanpadu) Lake in the northeast part of the county and flows
southerly along the east side of the county. The county has several lakes
that afford good fishing. There are a total of six incorporated towns in
Emmet County they include: Armstrong, Dolliver, Estherville, Gruver,
Ringsted and Wallingford.
Estherville is the county seat. The first courthouse
for Emmet County was in the town's first school building located where the
post office now stands. An election in 1879 moved the county seat from
Estherville to Swan Lake. A couple years later, it was moved back. The
first courthouse was built in 1883 and was located between the present
library and courthouse. That first courthouse was torn down in 1958 when
the present courthouse was constructed.
The Estherville Meteorite is world famous. The largest
meteor fall on record landed two miles north of Estherville in May of
1879. It created interest world wide and parts of it are in international
museums with a large piece being located in the Estherville Library.
- from the website of Emmet County
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