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.
West Point boasts nearly 100 acres of parks and over 70 thriving retail
businesses. 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 a number of well attended events
throughout the year including a day long Fourth of July celebration, a
Sweet Corn Festival in August, and a Fall Festival in October.
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.
