Montgomery County is named for Richard Montgomery, who was a United States general killed in the American Revolutionary War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Pottawattamie County and Cass County
E – Adams County
S – Page County
W – Mills County
Created: January 15, 1851
County Seat:
Frankfort 1853 – 1864
Red Oak 1864 – present
County Courthouse – Red Oak
Location: 105 East Coolbaugh Street / North 1st Street
Built: 1890 – 1891
Style: Richardsonian Romanesque
Architect: H C Koch and Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Contractor: Richard & Company
Description: The building faces south and is a four story red colored Missouri limestone, red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center od Red Oak. The building has a raised basement and a high square clock tower with steep peaked roof on the southeast corner. The first story is course white colored limestone. The southwest corner has round tower with red colored dome. On the west side is larger three sided towers. In the interior are titled floors and iron stairs. The County Magistrate Court courtroom is located at the northwest side of the second story. The large County District Court courtroom is located along the north side of the second story. The courtroom has a high ceiling and a large mural at the rear. The building houses the County District Court of the 4th Judicial District. The building exterior was renovated in 2024. The contractor was Andrew Tuckpointing LLC of Clarinda. To the southwest is the Old City Jail and Fire Station at 318 East Washington Street built in 1901.
See: The architect, H C Koch and Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, designed courthouses in Jefferson County, Mahaska County and Webster County and in Kansas in Marshall County. The courthouse is similar to the courthouse in Jefferson County.
Note: A contract was let to an Omaha construction firm for $69,000. The contractor failed to complete the contract The County received much of the construction material without charge. The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1900.
See: The 4th Judicial District includes Audubon County, Cass County, Fremont County, Harrison County, Mills County, Page County, Pottawattamie County and Shelby County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Frankfort was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a single room log structure built in 1856. The second courthouse was a two story structure built at a cost of $1,000 and in 1864, the second courthouse was moved by a 30 yoke team of oxen to Red Oak when the county seat was moved. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1890 to 1891 at a cost of $100,000.
County Courthouse – Red Oak
County District Court courtroom
County Magistrate Court courtroom
Old City Jail and Fire Station – Red Oak
Photos taken 2008 and 2024
Images 36*