October 2, 2015: The Civil War sentry protects the Taylor County Courthouse from the Missourians lurking a mere seven miles away.
Southwest Iowa’s Taylor County isn’t exactly on the beaten path. Bedford, the county seat, doesn’t have a stoplight and is 50 miles or more from the nearest interstate in all four directions. It took RAGBRAI 20 years to get there, the last county of 99 to have the bike ride go through.
Yet somehow, I managed to visit Taylor County in four consecutive years TWICE — setting foot there in a trip in eight of the past ten years. Last year, I didn’t — and now that it’s four hours away instead of two, it would take a bit of planning to start another cycle.
A couple of those were barely-there’s, a hop over the county line to nab New Market and Clearfield schools. But most others included a pass by the Taylor County Courthouse, situated offset on the grid at the north end of a business district so old-fashioned the streets are still brick. If only more storefronts were occupied.