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In 1868, with Iowa fast outgrowing its only prison in Fort Madison, state lawmakers began thinking about building a new penitentiary. Several cities around the state vied for the prestige and economic benefits the new prison would provide. Anamosa, a rapidly growing town of 2,000 in east-central Iowa, was ultimately awarded the prize, in no small measure because of its proximity to some of the largest and finest dolomite limestone deposits in the world, coveted as the perfect building material for the massive institution. From 1873 until major construction ended in 1943, inmate workers literally built walls around themselves, slowly erecting a structure from the Iowa prairie whose imposing and magnificent architecture would continue to command respect and awe even to the present day. From Wild West bad man Polk Wells and boy-murderer Wesley Elkins to heinous mass murderer John Wayne Gacy, many have passed through Anamosa's iron gates and, with the quietly dedicated men and women who managed them, have contributed to the rich tapestry of Anamosa prison history.
Contains the reports of state departments and officials for the preceding fiscal biennium.
Anamosa is in the heart of Jones County along the Wapsipinicon River. Initially named Buffalo Forks in 1838, the town was platted as Dartmouth and incorporated as Lexington. In 1842, a Native American girl named Anamosa passed through with her family and endeared herself to those who met her. At Edmund Booth's suggestion, the town's name was changed to Anamosa in 1851. Gradually, it incorporated Strawberry Hill, a small settlement to the east. Grant Wood was born just east of Anamosa and is laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery. He is best known for his painting American Gothic; the dour woman and somber man, who is holding a pitchfork, is an iconic image of the 20th century. Anamosa is now a thriving community and was named the "Pumpkin Capital of Iowa" in 1993. It is the only "Anamosa" in the world.