▁ ▁The ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁County ▁Cour th ouse , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁in ▁the ▁Greek ▁Rev ival ▁style , ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁in ▁continuous ▁use ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁second ▁oldest ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places . ▁ ▁The ▁cour th ouse ▁was ▁the ▁scene ▁for ▁the ▁murder ▁trial ▁of ▁William ▁McC au ley . ▁A ▁guilty ▁ver dict ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁subsequent ▁dem ise ▁at , ▁appropri ately , ▁H ang man ' s ▁H ollow . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁legal ▁h anging ▁in ▁Iowa ▁history . ▁ ▁When ▁Br igh am ▁Young ▁and ▁his ▁follow ers ▁were ▁ex iled ▁from ▁their ▁base ▁at ▁Nau vo o , ▁Illinois ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁their ▁car avan ▁crossed ▁the ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁river ▁at ▁E ly ' s ▁Ford , ▁just ▁up river ▁from ▁Ke os au qua ▁on ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁M orm on ▁Tra il . ▁ ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁County ▁native ▁Vol taire ▁Tw omb ly ▁received ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁for ▁actions ▁taken ▁at ▁F t . ▁Don el son ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁His ▁post - war ▁purs uits ▁included ▁a ▁st int ▁as ▁mayor ▁of ▁Ke os au qua ▁and , ▁as ▁a ▁business ▁man ▁there , ▁he ▁built ▁a ▁stone ▁building ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁street ▁that ▁remains ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 8