AGRICOLA. A town laid out in 1854 in the southwestern part of section 3 and the southeastern part of section 4, Pleasant Grove Township.

Post office, 1854-81.


AUBURN. A post office (1845-81) in the northwestern part of Des Moines Township on the north side of the Des Moines River, except that during the later years of its existence it was removed to the town of Rochester (see below).


BELL FOUNTAIN. A village in the southern part of section 19, Scott Township, on the southwest side of the Des Moines River, not far east of the present town of Tracey, Marion County. Post office, 1848-76.


BERNINA. In the northeastern part of Black Oak Township. Post office, 1892-1902.


BIG GROVE. The name of a post office near or at the location where now stands the town of Fremont, in 1848. The post office of Big Grove was changed to Fremont in January 1819.


BLUFF CREEK. A post office in the southeastern part of .Jefferson Township from 1854, with a few intermissions, until 1866.


BROCK. A post office (1860-65) in the northwestern part of Jefferson Township.


BUCK HORN. A post office (1865-76) in the central part of Adams Township.


BUCYRUS. A place in the central part of Adams Township, as shown on maps of the 1880‘s.


CARBONADO. A coal mining village some three miles northeast of Oskaloosa. It had a post office from 1890 to 1897.


CHANDLER. A place in section 24, Madison Township, as shown on maps of 1868 and 1869.


CHERRY. A post office (1857-62) in the northern part of Cedar Township.


COMET. A post office in the 1860's and 1870's, first in the southwestern part of Monroe Township, and later in the southern part of Adams Township, as shown by the maps of that period.


CONCERT. A post office (1876-82) in the northern part of Cedar Township.


DES MOINES CITY. A place in section 35, Des Moines Township, on the southwest side of the Des Moines River, as appears on maps from 1856 to 1869.


ENTERPRISE. A former name of the present town of Beacon.


EVELAND.  (See Eveland Grove below).


EVELAND GROVE. A post office in the central part of Jefferson Township from 1860 to 1894. It continued a few years later as Eveland.


EXCELSIOR. A coal mining town with a post office from 1879 to 1900 some three miles southwest of Oskaloosa.


FARMERSVILLE. A post office (1866-71) in the northeastern part of· section 24, Madison Township.


FERRY. A post office (1868-1902) in the northeastern corner of section 2, Jefferson Township, near the Des Moines River.


FLINT. A post office on the north line of section 30, Prairie Township, from 1856 to 1901.


GAINFORD. A post office (1885-96) and railway station near the north line of Cedar Township.


GRANVILLE. A town in the southwestern part of section I, Richland Township. Post office, 1853-83.


HARRISBURG. Laid out as a town in 1843 on the same site as later appeared the town of Rochester (see below) Harrisburg ,was never developed.


HENNES. Listed as a post office in Mahaska County from 1884 to 1887, but the location not found.


HOPEWELL. A post office (1851-77) in the northeast corner of section 34, Monroe Township, on the west side of North Skunk River and a short distance north of the mouth of Middle Creek. maps of 1855 and 1856 locate a place called Mount Vernon at or near this point.


INDIANAPOLIS. A village in the southeastern part of section 11, Monroe Township, laid out in 1845 and prosperous until the coming of nearby railroads in the 1870's. A few dwellings and a school house and church remain. Post office, 1850-1902.


LAREDO. A post office (1857-65) in the eastern part of Black Oak Township.


LOST CREEK. A coal mining town in the western part of Harrison Township. Post office, 1896-1901.


MAHASKA. The name of a post office at or near the present city of Oskaloosa in 1844. Mahaska post office was changed to Oskaloosa in that year.


MAUCH CHUNK. A post office (1872-1900) in section 17, Monroe Township.


MIDDLETOWN. Laid out as a town, but name later changed to Union Mills, still a village in the central part of Union Township.


MOUNT VERNON.  (See Hopewell above).


MUCHACHINOCK. A coal mining town about one mile east of the present railway station of Givin, or about five miles south of Oskaloosa, in existence from 1872 until the 1890's. It reached a population of 2,000 at one time. Post office, 1874-1904.


NINE MILE. A post office (1854-66) in the northern part of Black Oak Township.


ONESKA. A post office in Mahaska County from 1897 to 1904;  Was in section 34, Pleasant Grove Township.


ORNBAUM. A post office from 1875 to 1876 at or near the later town of Rose Hill.


OSKALOOSA JUNCTION. The name of the post office in 1866 at or near the present town of Beacon.


OXFORD. A village in section 20, White Oak Township, in the 1850's. Later the post office of White Oak was established there.


PEKAY. A coal mining village in the western part of Harrison Township. Post office, 1892-1908.


PHALANX. A Fourier Association laid out this place in 1843 in the southern part of section 28, Scott Township, on the north side of the Des Moines River, about one mile west of where Rochester (see below) was later laid out.


POLK. A post office near the central part of Scott Township in 1849.


ROCHESTER. A town laid out in 1850 in the eastern part of section 27, Scott Township. The post office of Auburn (see above) was located there in the 1870's.


ROSE HILL. The post office of Rose Hill was located a mile or more west of the present town of Rose Hill from 1849 until 1860.


SCOTT. A post office (1849-67) in the central part of Scott Township.


STONERIDGE. Listed as a post office in Mahaska County from 1893 to 1894, was in section 15, Monroe Township..


WARRENSVILLE. A hamlet in the southern part of Richland Township, on the South Skunk River.  Post office 1849-54.


WHITE OAK. A post office (1865-1907) in section 20, White Oak Township.


WIDOW'S HOME. The name of a post office at or near the location of the present village of Union Mills in 1850. Widow's Home post office was changed to Union Mills in that year.

Mahaska County was named after

Chief Mahaska.

He was the Chief of the Iowa Tribe,

His name means "White Cloud".




Established February 17, 1843


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