Southeast Iowa Trivia

• Simon Estes, one of the world's leading bass-baritones, was raised in Centerville.
• Oskaloosa is the only county seat in Iowa with a bandstand rather than a courthouse in the middle of the square.
• Buxton, with a 1910 population of around 6,000, was composed mainly of African Americans.
• Gary J. Vermeer of Marion County invented the large round hay bale that modernized the hay baling industry by enabling the farmer to put up large quantities of hay by himself/herself.
• B.O. Gammon of Warren County established one of the major beef breeds of cattle, the Polled Herford.
• Jesse Hiatt of Madison County discovered the red delicious apple, which was originally called the Hawkeye apple.
• The largest coal-producing county in the state is Marion County.
• Bruce Jenner, 1976 Olympic gold medallist in the decathlon, is a graduate of Graceland College in Decatur County.
• Rainwater falling on the east side of the Lucas County courthouse runs into the Mississippi River, while rainwater falling to the west side flows into the Missouri River.
• Lineville is named for its location on the Iowa-Missouri border, with the main street being the state line.