Pella, IA

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Pella was founded in 1847 by 800 Dutch immigrants led by Henry Peter Scholte. Scholte and the other immigrants were fleeing famine and religious persecution at the hands of the state church of the Netherlands. Before leaving the Netherlands, the immigrants decided to name their new home Pella, or City of Refuge, in the prairieland of Iowa.

After arriving in the United States, the group selected a settlement between the Skunk and Des Moines rivers in Marion County. They were able to purchase 18,000 acres of fertile farm land for about $1.25 per acre. Within a decade of settling in Pella, the residents had established three churches, a newspaper, and schools. Central College was founded by the Baptists in 1853, when Scholte gave them 160 acres of land.

Pella is the childhood home of Wyatt Earp. Wyatt’s father, Nicholas Porter Earp, settled on a farm near Pella. Wyatt’s brothers, Warren and Morgan, were born in Pella.

The picturesque town later became known as the Garden City. It is famous for Tulip Time, the annual spring tulip festival.