Visitors Guide to West Point
Lee County, Iowa
The first settler in West Point was a man by the name of Whiteaker who in 1834 who was impressed with the place as a location for a town. Whiteaker took the necessary steps to claim a large part of the land upon which West Point is now built. In 1835 Whiteaker sold his claim to John Howell and John L. Cotton, who had built a log cabin and a small store near the present day north-west corner of the square. The young town was called “Cotton Town” due to the success of Cotton’s store. In 1836 Abraham Hunsicker bought all the claims who laid out a square with one tier of lots on each side. Most of the early settlers in West Point were from Kentucky who purchased lots from Hunsicker. The name of West Point was given it at the suggestion of the officers of the nearby garrison at Fort Des Moines in Montrose, who agreed, if allowed to name the town, to purchase a number of lots.
The first church in the community was erected in 1838,. This brick structure, one block west of the northwest corner of the City Square, was the first brick building in West Point and the first brick church in Iowa. The church was the third to be organized under the authority of the Presbytery of Schuyler (Illinois), in the territory which is now Iowa. The other two churches lasted only for a short time, making the West Point Presbyterian Church the oldest church of its denomination in the state.
In the late 1830s and early 1840s there was a battle over where to locate the county seat. Residents away from the Mississippi River complained that Fort Madison was too far away from the center of the county. Franklin was declared the county seat by a commission, but no courthouse was ever built there. After more dissatisfaction, Fort Madison won a special election was after pledging to build a new courthouse. A group from West Point petitioned the Legislative Assembly of the Iowa Territory to remove the county seat to West Point. The assembly agreed and named West Point as the new county seat. West Point agreed to build a brick courthouse with a stone foundation. It was to be completed by September 1, 1844. Fort Madison was to remain the county seat for one more year, then the courthouse would be sold with two-thirds of the proceeds going back to Fort Madison. That auction never took place, and West Point was never the county seat. During that year the appeal of West Point as the county seat faded so the county seat remained at Fort Madison. In the end the General Assembly passed a special Act, establishing two county seats in Lee County. One was at Fort Madison and the other at Keokuk, making Lee County the only county in Iowa to have two county seats.
Historic West Point is rich with German heritage and the community boasts nearly 100 acres of parkland, thriving retail businesses in and around the community. Centrally located between major roadways in Lee County, West Point has the distinction of being one of the first communities in the state of Iowa. West Point holds an Sweet Corn Festival in August.
www.westpointiowa.com - The official website of the town of West Point. This web site has detailed information about the town, its history, the things to do, and local events.
