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OTTUMWA -- It’s time to talk “Heartland History 101”.

The Wapello County courthouse in Ottumwa has been around since 1894. A large clock tower was part of the original design, however in 1950 it was removed.

Steve Siegel, Wapello County supervisor says residents in the town helped make the landmark part of the national historic register.

“The city of Ottumwa has a historic preservation committee and the process to put buildings on the registry, national historic registry, is to have them nominate them,” said Siegel. 

A former county auditor recently made an interesting discovery regarding the Indian on top of the building.

“It’s not really Chief Wapello,” said Siegel.  “It’s an off-the-shelf, store-bought Indian statue if you will.  But they bought it to make it Chief Wapello.”

The original courthouse was actually a simple log cabin.  The courthouse you see now originally was built with $100,000 worth of bonds.