Correctionville in Woodbury County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

How Correctionville Got Its Name!

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, February 21, 2016

1. How Correctionville Got It's Name! Marker

Inscription. Correctionville — the city with the longest single name in Iowa — was named for the correction line which forms Fifth Street through the heart of the Business District.

Correction lines were used by surveyors in making land divisions. Since the world is round, every land division from north to south cannot be the same size, because the Earth curves toward the top.

To allow for this, east/west correction lines were established, then adjustments were made along those lines to make all land parcels nearly equal in size.

In Correctionville, each North/South street is adjusted at the 5th Street correction line, creating a “Jog.” Our Main “Jog” is at the heart of town (5th and Driftwood) where the three townships of Rock, Kedron and Union meet.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 42° 28.492′ N, 95° 47.144′ W. Marker is in Correctionville, Iowa, in Woodbury County. Marker is at the intersection of 5th Street and Driftwood Street, on the right when traveling east on 5th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Correctionville IA 51016, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Built for a Lifetime of Service

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); Veteran's Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Correctionville's Engine for Growth (approx. 0.6 miles away); Strong, Simple and Economical (approx. 0.6 miles away); Woodbury County Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (approx. 7.1 miles away); Theobald Subwatershed (approx. 10.1 miles away); Kingsley Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (approx. 11.9 miles away).

More about this marker. Fifth Street is right on one of the east-west correction lines, therefore the jogs on the north-south streets(see map).

Also see . . . Vintage Photographs of Correctionville. (Submitted on March 5, 2016, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.)

How Correctionville Got It's Name! Marker Spot image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, February 21, 2016

2. How Correctionville Got It's Name! Marker Spot

Correctionville Map Showing the 5th Street “Jogs” image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Google Maps

3. Correctionville Map Showing the 5th Street “Jogs”

Click on image to enlarge

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 29, 2016, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 1,919 times since then and 266 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week March 6, 2016. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 29, 2016, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 3. submitted on March 5, 2016, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.