An open air market features fresh produce/Photo courtesy Fayette County Tourism Council

Scenic treasure beckons with hills, history

By B.J. Smith
For Iowa.com

“One of the best places to live in rural America.”

Don’t just take Fayette County’s word for it that it’s a great place to “live, work and play,” words drawn from its official slogan. The Progressive Farmer declared it so in 2008, naming this scenic treasure one of the ”

Residents work hard to keep it that way. Clermont and Oelwein completed new streetscape improvement projects recently. West Union is an “Iowa Great Place” and a Green Pilot Community. No one is standing still.

Fertile rolling hills surround the communities of West Union, Hawkeye and Fayette. Forested bluffs overlook Clermont, Wadena and Elgin. Timberlands and fields teem with wild turkey, pheasant, squirrels and songbirds, while the scenic Volga and Turkey Rivers help support diverse populations of other wildlife, including soaring bald eagles, white-tailed deer, red fox, muskrats and migrating geese. The county’s scenic wonders and rich natural resources also support many small businesses and farms.

Outdoors lovers here find plenty to do: fishing in sparkling streams and meandering rivers, hunting for mushrooms, searching for wildflowers. The Volga River Recreation Area is one of the largest recreation areas in the state and just one of many great parks in Fayette County.

History buffs should be sure to visit the Montauk Historic Site in Clermont, home of Iowa’s 12th governor; the Union Sunday School; and some of the county’s many one-room schoolhouses, fascinating cemeteries and other attractions. The county courthouse and the Mill Race Bridge in West Union are other examples of historical sites in the area.

Fayette County’s biggest employers are Upper Iowa University in Fayette; Palmer Lutheran Health Center, which has locations in Oelwein, Sumner and West Union; Mercy Hospital in Oelwein, Grandview Healthcare Center in Oelwein and Atwood Mobile Products in West Union.

Sources: Visit Iowa, Fayette County Economic Development, Fayette County Tourism Council.

Cities in Fayette County

Arlington pop. 490
Clermont pop. 716
Elgin pop. 676
Fairbank pop. 1041
Fayette pop. 1351
Hawkeye pop. 489
Maynard pop. 500
Oelwein pop. 6692
Oran
Randalia pop. 84
St. Lucas pop. 178
Wadena pop. 243
Waucoma pop. 299
West Union pop. 2549
Westgate pop. 234

Source: Iowa League of Cities