Woodbury County is named for Levi Woodbury, who was a governor of New Hampshire, United States Secretary of the Navy, United States Secretary of the Treasury and Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Plymouth County and Cherokee County
E – Ida County
S – Monona County
W – Thurston County, Nebraska, Dakota County, Nebraska and Union County, South Dakota
Created: January 15, 1851
County Seat:
Sioux City 1856 – present
County Courthouse – Sioux City
Location: 620 Douglas Street / 7th Street
Built: 1915 – 1918
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: William LaBarthe Steele and George Grant Elmslie and William Gray Pucell both of Minneapolis
Contractor: Splady, Albee & Smith
Description: The building faces west and is a ten story buff colored Roman brick and granite structure. The building is located in the center of Sioux City. The west entrance has a large square brick arch with sculptured figures representing the Spirit of Law. The main building rises five stories. In the center is a multi-story tower rising 157 feet. The interior is decorated with murals by John W Norton and has a skylight. The building houses the County District Court of the 3B Judicial District.
See: The architect William LaBarthe Steele also designed the courthouse in Charles Mix County, South Dakota
See: National Register of Historic Places – Woodbury County Courthouse
See: The 3B Judicial District includes Crawford County, Ida County, Monona County, Plymouth County and Sioux County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Sioux City was selected as the county seat. Judge John C Cook contracted to build a courthouse for $848.08, but only the foundations were laid. The first courthouse was designed by William L Foster and constructed by Charles E Hedges and D T Hedges in 1878 at a cost of $75,000. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1915 to 1918.

County Courthouse – Sioux City







Photos taken 2008