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SMALL TOWNS - 4

Osterdock - A city located in Clayton County, Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59, up from 50 at the 2000 census.

History - Osterdock had its start in the year 1877 by the building of the railroad through that territory.

The median income for a household in the city is $31,250, and the median income for a family is $46,250.

Notable people - William Smith, Latter Day Saints leader (also found as William B. Smith) (March 13, 1811 – November 13, 1893) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Smith was the eighth child of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith and was a younger brother of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

Learn more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Smith_(Latter_Day_Saints)

Ottosen - A city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 55 in the 2010 census, a decline from

61 in 2000.

History - Much of the town burned in a fire in the mid 20th century and was never rebuilt.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,000, and the median income for a family was $34,000.

(Gran Elevator: By Brandonrush - Public Domain

Click on Images for Larger View

Iowa, Ottosen - Bigfoot Encounters - Reports of Hairy Beast, Night Screams Have Iowa Town on Edge. A fortnight ago Anna Dodrill froze with fear when she looked up from a load of dishes into the burning red eyes of a big long-nosed,

black-faced, hairy-headed creature staring at her through a window a few feet away. Terror tied her tongue. Her brother, who

earlier that evening…… (read more here… http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/ottosen.htm) By Steven Klaus

Farmers Cooperative Elevator

P.O. Box 8 - Ottosen, Iowa 50570

Owasa - A city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 43 at the 2010 census.

History - Owasa was platted in 1883 when the railroad was extended to that point. The name is derived from the Fox language, meaning "bear”.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,417, and the median income for a family was $75,938.

Owasa, Iowa – The three-story brick school sits in shambles, overlooking a town whose population has dwindled by sixty- percent since an Iowa Supreme Court ruling shut the building down in 1967.

That ruling upheld a controversial state law passed in 1958 that required almost all Iowa schools to be a part of a K-12 district; a law that ultimately resulted in the closure of thousands of schools.

Plano - A city in Appanoose County, Iowa, United States. The population is 68

History - Plano was incorporated in 1916. A large portion of the early settlers being natives of Plano, Illinois, caused the name to be selected.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $33,125.

Boarded up: Iowans wrestle with school closures - Pictures found at

Pioneer - A city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23 at the 2010 census.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,375, and the median income for a family was $36,875

Notable residents - Merle J. Isaac, arranger and composer - (October 12, 1898 – March 11, 1996) was a prolific arranger who focused on arranging famous pieces for performers of lower experience, especially school orchestras. After graduating from the Vandercook College of Music in 1932, he began to teach at John Marshall High School, in Chicago, Illinois. While he was there, Isaac realized that there was little good music available to lower-level orchestras, and began to arrange music for his orchestra, beginning with Bohm's Perpetual Motion. After 35 years working in Chicago area schools, he retired from education, though he continued to be a clinician and guest conductor around the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_J._Isaac

Pioneer

Horizon

Of all the towns and villages of Humboldt County, Pioneer has the most unique beginning.

http://iagenweb.org/humboldt/history/pioneer_history.htm

Pleasant Plain - A city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 97 as of 2014.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,125, and the median income for a family was $31,250

"PLEASANT PLAIN -- Just as the name suggests, Pleasant Plain is affable and unpretentious. It is a quiet community of about 100 residents located in the far northeast corner of Jefferson County.

Rathbun - A city in Appanoose County, Iowa, United States. The population was 89 at the 2010 census.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $40,625.

History - Incorporated in 1897, Rathbun was established in 1892 as a mining town. It was named for Charles H. Rathbun, a mine official. At the end of the 19th century, "the valley of Walnut Creek was one continuous mining camp, known under different names, Jerome, Diamond, Mystic, Clarksdale, Rathbun and Darby" (later known as Darbyville).

Rodman - A city in Palo Alto County, Iowa, United States. The population was 45 at the 2010 census.

History - Rodman had its start in the early 1880s by the building of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway through that territory. It was named for one Mr. Rodman, a retired sailor, who owned the town site.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $31,250

Click on images for larger view

Cemetery site http://www.celticcousins.net/paloalto/riversiderodman.htm

Old School Building - Cemetery - Downtown Building http://www.flickriver.com/places/United+States/Iowa/Rodman/

Rodney - A city in Monona County, Iowa, United States. The population was 60 at the 2010 census.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $47,500.

Rodney Dry Goods - Groceries - Meats.jpg

Town & Township

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/gallagher-how-long-can-rodney-hang-on/article_9a3cfd61-568e-5b64-9d24-3501f1341af6.html

Fire destroys house in small town of

Rodney, Iowa

Neighbor pulls owner out of burning home

http://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/fire-destroys-house-in-small-town-of-rodney-iowa/590445528

Fire guts semi repair business

http://www.ktiv.com/story/985 7632/fire-guts-semi-repair-business-in-rodney-ia

http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=262640

https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=q82AVFESb0U

http://iagenweb.org/monona/Rodney.html

Rossie - A city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 70 in the 2010 census, an increase from 58 in the 2000 census.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,833, and the median income for a family was $41,250

http://iowabackroads.com/general-store-rossie-iowa/

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/columnists/gallagher/gallagher-in-tiny-rossie-iowa-everyone-but-no-one-is/article_6034e9d0-ec4a-5552-8268-9ce6b5ee103a.html

Sandyville - A city in Warren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 51 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History - Sandyville was laid out in 1851. It was named for its founder, J. Moorman Sandy.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,667, and the median income for a family was $34,375.

Down the steet, Sandyville Mayor Scott Benge was greeting people with a greasy handshake and kept the peace with his “security wagon,” a vehicle he cobbled together from an old riding lawn mower and a 360cc Honda motor.

He fired up the unmuffled motor to cheers from passersby.

“This town has really come along,” Benge, 49, said. “I was born and raised here. I guess no one else wanted the job (as mayor). It used to be a lot worse here.”

Sandyville Cemetery

Scarville - A city in Winnebago County, Iowa, United States. The population was 71 in 2014.

History - Scarville was platted in 1899, and incorporated as a city in 1904. The city was named for Ole Scar, a local landowner.

In 1973, investigators from the United States Atomic Energy Commission investigated a possible criticality accident on a railcar at the local grain elevator, but nothing conclusive was found.

The median household income was $40,139 and the median family income was $38,750.

Shannon City - A city in Union and Ringgold counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 71 - 2010 census.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,583, and the median income for a family was $23,750.

Sharpsburg - A city in Taylor County, Iowa, United States. The population was 89 at the 2010 census.

Sharpsburg was founded in 1884 as a stop on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. A post office was established in 1886, and the city was incorporated in 1905.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,042, and the median income for a family was $28,125

Welcome to Sharpsburg

Former School

US Post Office

Page

To Top of Page

The business district in this northern Iowa town in Hardin County once housed two grocery stores, a barber shop and a gas station.

Empty buildings or vacant land have taken their places.

3D MAP

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/54188

Tiny Church

Well-maintained tiny church just off a county road can seat a half-dozen, or ten if they're fasting.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10521199)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/lost-schools/2014/12/06/iowans-wrestle-school-closures/19966673/

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Finish reading here:

http://iowabackroads.com/friends-church-pleasant-plain-iowa/

Friends Church (Pleasant Plain, Iowa)

Pleasanton - A city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 49 at the 2010 census.

History - Pleasanton was founded in 1854. It was originally called Pleasant Plain, but the name was changed to avoid confusion with another community of that same name in the state. The present name is commendatory.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,250, and the median income for a family was $54,375

Decatur County, Iowa Part of the IAGenWeb Project

History of Pleasanton - Decatur County, Iowa

Pleasant Plain was established on the divide between Grand and Little Rivers located on the south line of Decatur County. According to one account, the town was laid out by Daniel Bartholow in 1854. Another account states that they town was founded by William Snook and William Loving in 1854. The town name was changed to Pleasanton. The town grew slowly until the arrival of the Des Moines & Kansas City Railroad in 1883. At this time, the town was called Harding, a name that didn't last long.

Plover - A city in Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. The population is 74 as of July 1, 2016 - three fewer than the 2010 census.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,306, and the median income for a family was $30,625

Popejoy - A city in Franklin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 79 at the 2010 census.

History - Popejoy platted in 1880; originally called Carleton. Popejoy was incorporated in 1908.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,464, and the median income for a family was $35,625

Popejoy includes 18 nearby mining deposits.

Ralston - A city in Carroll and Greene Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 79 at the 2010 census, and 76 in 2014.

History - Ralston was incorporated in 1900. It was named for William Chapman

Ralston, a California banker.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,375, and the median income f

or a family was $44,000.

Randalia - A city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 68 at the 2010 census.

Decline - Locals in Randalia have been finding their community in a state of decline. In October 2007, the city lost its post office, some time after losing its school and general store.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,875, the median income for a family $40,625.

Seed Corn in Randalia, Iowa - April 18, 2017 - Corn farmers in Randalia Iowa usually take farming very seriously. This means that the farmers do everything to ensure they harvest good quality corn. They also ensure that the seed corn they plant will be able to produce high yields.

Corn farmers in Randalia Iowa usually take farming very seriously. They also ensure that the see corn they plant will be able to produce high yields.

One of the primary reasons…. Read More Here http://www.bigcob.com/randalia-seed-corn/

http://www.dailyiowegian.com/news/local_news/new-owners-take-over-at-tackle-this-in-rathbun/article_39e96470-4bdc-563b-a18e-a322b46945a5.html

The Star Coal Company of Streator, Ill. operated the Rathbun Mine, with an 82-foot-deep (25 m) shaft. This mine was in operation in 1895, and by 1908 it was considered one of the best equipped longwall mines in the county. The Darby mine, operated by the Unity Block Coal Company, was about a mile northeast of Rathbun. This had a 50-foot (15 m) shaft and was nearly played out by 1908. The Evans Mine, about halfway between the Rathbun and Darbyville, formerly operated by the American Coal Company, had already been closed by 1908. In 1912, United Mine Workers Local 372 in Rathbun had 213 members. This was close to half the total population at the time.

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History - Plover was platted in 1883, soon after the Des Moines and Fort Dodge Railroad was built through that territory. The railroad president named the town after the plover bird.

Plover sits in Powhattan Township, which was first settled in 1864. The township name honors the father of Pocahontas. In the early 1870s, the first Plover post office was constructed on what is now county road N57. Once the railroad through the township was completed in 1882, the town of Plover was born and named by the railroad president to recognize a common bird visible along the route. In 1885, McEwen and Garlock built the first store.

The Town Hall and Public Library in the Pocahontas County town of Plover dates to December 8, 1889, when the 26 x 40 feet building was dedicated as the first permanent home for the Plover Presbyterian Church. Constructed at a cost of $1,800, the church was active for 75 years before merging with the nearby Presbyterian Church in the county seat of Pocahontas. It shortly served as an Open Bible Church before being sold to the town in the early 1970s. After some remodeling, the building was repurposed for use as Plover’s town hall and library.

http://iowabackroads.com/town-hall-and-public-library-plover-iowa/

http://rolfeareacemeteries.org/powhatan.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q3SQ-ySdq0

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https://www.yelp.com/biz/country-corner-restaurant-ralston

http://www.regi.com/about-reg/locations/biorefineries/production-mode/reg-ralston

United Brethren Church

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ralston+iowa&clk_rvr_id=1343833122569&geo_id=10232&MT_ID=70&crlp=188992278614_1413&rlsatarget=kwd299940599427&keyword=ralston+iowa&abcId=473846&treatment_id=7&poi=21145&adpos=5t1&device=c&crdt=0&ul_noapp=true

Ralston Public School

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Redding - A city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 82 at the 2010 census

The median income for a household in the city was $13,750, and the median income for a family was $36,250.

A treaty entered between the Pottawattamies and the United States government on July 15, 1830 relinquished the tribes' right to the western portion of what would become Ringgold County.

The remainder of the land was ceded to the United States in 1846. When the survey of the county was completed in 1849, the land was opened to settlement.

Read the rest of the story: http://iagenweb.org/ringgold/history/redding/hist-redding.html

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Rinard - A city in Calhoun County, Iowa, United States. The population was 52 in 2014.

History - Rinard was platted in 1904. The town soon became a key shipping point as it was located at the junction of the Chicago Great Western and the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern railways.

Notable people - Helen Elizabeth Clark Derr (December 17, 1918 – June 21, 2011) Louisiana journalist graduated from Rinard High School

Helen Elizabeth Clark Derr was a nationally recognized journalist, religion writer, and editor during a career at the Alexandria Daily Town Talk that spanned from 1955 to 1977. She later co-founded the adult day-care center Friendship House in Alexandria, the largest city in Central Louisiana and the seat of Rapides Parish.

More of her story here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Derr

The median income for a household in the city was $16,875, and the median income for a family was $26,250.

Rinard High School basketball team picture, Rinard, Iowa, 1939

https://calisphere.org/item/b0a76486df29b4866a7a0df2e6b3941b/

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=rinard+iowa&ul_noapp=true

Ebay - 1997 Cookbook

Cedar Cemtery Near Rinard

http://cedarcemetery.blogspot.com/

http://edwardiantimes.com/dean/elevators/ele11.html

This is the elevator at Rinard, Iowa

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http://www.flickriver.com/places/United+States/Iowa/Rodman/

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https://www.findagrave.com/cgibin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=96298

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The Sandyville Christian church was first organized in 1874 by the Rev. Mr. CHEETAM. The membership grew rapidly and soon a church building was erected with a seating capacity of 300.

The building was blown down during a storm July 23, 1884, and the debris was left there for several years. Later the salvaged lumber was sold, and the proceeds set aside for the construction of a new building.

The Sandyville Christian Church, written by Mrs. Leo SPURGIN, is copied from the History of Warren County, Iowa, by Gerard SCHULTZ and Don L. BERRY, The Record and Tribune Company, Indianola, Iowa, 1953, pages 119-151

Sandyville Christian Church, Sandyville, Iowa.

(Photo copied from “Data on Warren County Churches” at the State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, IA.

http://warrencountygenes.org/people/churches/scc.html

http://printbrochure.locationone.com/PDFHandler.ashx?id=1954&profilename=WCEDG&doctypeid=5&user=WCEDG