Wayne County, Iowa: History
Wayne County was formed in 1846 but was still attached to other counties for governmental purposes. It was named after General Anthony Wayne.
Its southern border with Missouri was uncertain until the states got a decision from the US Supreme Court in 1848 which held the 1816 Sullivan line (re-marked in 1850), originally run as the northern boundary of an Osage Indian cession. This line is not a true east–west line so the county does not have an exactly rectangular shape.
There had been settlement in this county as early as 1841 by persons thinking they were in Missouri, but the first settlers intending to be in Iowa came in about 1848. Its government was organized and the county seat was selected in 1851.