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The Next Few Pages Are Dedicated to Small Towns
These towns are not necessarily classified as ghost towns. We receive a tremendous amount of emails from people telling about a small town and would like for us to list it. Because Iowa Ghost Towns is dedicated to featuring Ghost Towns we have created these pages to accommodate the peoples request to list these towns.
As of the 2010 census all of these towns have a population of one hundred or less.
This will be an interesting segment and we are sure you will enjoy seeing the small Iowa towns. Many could almost be classified as a ghost town.
So, Enjoy!
Ackworth, Iowa - a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 83 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Ackworth was laid out in 1874. The settlement experienced growth in 1878 when the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was built through it. Ackworth was incorporated in 1881
Aredale, Iowa - a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 74 at the 2010 census.
The town of Aredale owes its conception to cheese. The area surrounding the town had seen increasing settlement since the 1860s, and in 1890, the local dairy farmers pooled their resources to create a cheese making factory, which eventually helped the town develop enough to warrant the community its own post office and thus township rights.
The name Aredale is derived from a variation on the Pennsylvania town of Airville from which several Aredale residents had emigrated. The plat was recorded on June 28, 1900 by the Iowa and Minnesota Town Site Company. June 28 later was observed as Field Day by residents, and featured a town celebration and a baseball game visited by hundreds of people from nearby towns.
Click on images for larger view
Soon the town featured a number of competing lumberyards and stockyards, and the Aredale Savings and Loan was constructed in 1901. That same year, the First Methodist Church was organized, and purchased the Coldwater Methodist Church building, which was then moved in town. It was destroyed by fire in 1923 and replaced by a new building.
In 1953, a train wreck destroyed the town depot, and no new one is forthcoming.
In the race for mayor on November 8, 2011, the Butler County, Iowa elections office results showed that a senior at Hampton Dumont High School was elected. Jeremy Minnier, age 18, won with 24 write-in votes. Incumbent Mayor Virgil Homer received eight votes.
In April 2012 Mayor Jeremy Minnier appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Minnier discussed life in the small town and displayed photos. Host Leno and show guest Mel Gibson presented Minnier with a new town sign.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $40,625.
104 Timber Ln, Ackworth
Jeremy Minnier may not be old enough to drink, but he can now dictate municipal policy. The 18-year-
old was elected mayor in his small Iowa hometown of Aredale.
Click on images for larger view
Arispe, Iowa - a city in Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 100 at the 2010 census. It is closely related to the nearby town of Creston.
Notable person: Harold Royce (H. R.) Gross (June 30, 1899 – September 22, 1987) was Republican United States Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district for thirteen terms. The role he played on the House floor, objecting to spending measures and projects that he considered wasteful, prompted Time magazine to label him "the useful pest”
Learn more here:
Two and a half years ago, Martin was making plans to sell his 30-year-old steel company, LeMar Industries, settle down at Sun Valley Lake and farm some land he owns in Ringgold and Union counties.
But today, the 69-year-old steel industry veteran is nearing the end of his second year as founder of a new steel company, BSM Enterprises, and in the middle of constructing a factory in Arispe that could provide up to 40 local jobs.
United Methodist Church
Aspinwall - is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States. The population was 40 at the 2010 census. There are 40 people, 22 households, and 12 families residing in the city
ASPINWALL COOP
Balltown - City in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 68 at the 2010 census, down from 73 at the 2000 census.
History - Balltown was named for John Ball, an early settler said to have lived on a Mississippi river island before 1850.
Balltown is home to Breitbach's Country Dining, Iowa's oldest restaurant and bar, which was founded in 1852 and twice rebuilt by the community, following its destruction by fire in 2007 and 2008. Breitbach's Country Dining - http://www.breitbachscountrydining.com/
Outside Breitbach's, they have a large beer garden behind the restaurant. It actually looked rather nice with heavy walnut oil-stained tables and benches, a heavy roof over the top and a number of hanging baskets through out the garden. There was a garden area just to the east of that with a number of ornamental plants and flowers. It looked like a great place to hang out on a warm Friday afternoon during an Iowa summer.
Note!
Almost everything about Balltown is about Breitbach’s Country Dining.
Note!
Breitbach’s Country Dining is worth the trip from anywhere!
As webmaster of Iowa Ghost Towns this is my opinion.
Bankston - A city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the 'Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 25 at the 2010 census, down from 27 at the 2000 census.
There are 27 people, 12 households, and 9 families residing in the city
The median income for a household in the city was $18,750
Notabe People: Mike Elgin, offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts
Bassett - A city in Chickasaw County, Iowa, United States. The population was 66 at the 2010 census.
As of the census of 2010, there were 66 people, 28 households, and 22 families residing in the city.
Beaconsfield - a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 15 in the 2010 census, an increase from 11 in the 2000 census. In the 2000 census Beaconsfield had the dubious distinction of being the least populated incorporated city in Iowa; with the increase in the 2010 census it now shares that distinction with Le Roy, Iowa.
Notable People - Peggy Whitson (1960– ) astronaut on two expeditions, from October 2009 to July 2012 held the office of The Chief Astronaut.
History - Beaconsfield started when the Humeston and Shenandoah Railroad built a train station. In 1881 a town company laid it out as a village. A post office was established in 1882 and closed in 1993.
The town was incorporated on January 18, 1990. The community was named after Lord Beaconsfield of England.
The Hy-Vee grocery chain has its origin in the Beaconsfield Supply Store, a general store opened by Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg in 1930. That location is on the National Register of Historic Places.
On May 23, 1981, a tornado touched down southwest of Beaconsfield for 15.9 miles. It was a category F2 tornado
CB&Q RAILROAD DEPOT
Methodist Chapel
The Beaconsfield Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1885 with the assistance of Reverend Samuel Smith, a retired circuit rider
Rev. Smith’s theological study was done mainly on horseback.
FIRST HY-VEE STORE (BEACONSFIELD, IOWA)
(Later became Community Center)
Under the wise direction of Reverend Charles KNOLL, a new brick church was built at the cost of $7,000. The new church was dedicated on Sunday, December 24th of 1911, debt free with approximately $1,000 left over.
Methodist Church
Beaconsfield still has an active church congregation.
Tragedy struck on November 19, 1949, when the brick church and all its contents were destroyed by fire. The congregation rallied together and began fundraising for a new building the next day. Within a few weeks, over $14,000 was raised, and the new church was dedicated in early 1951. Recent changes include a new roof and ramp for handicap accessibility. The congregation shares a pastor with the United Methodist Church in nearby Kellerton.
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Downtown Beaconsfield
Hy-Vee Hstorical Paque
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Beaconsfield Community Building
Beaconsville was established in 1881 when the Humeston and Shenandoah Railroad came through the northern portion of Ringgold County. Depot agents included Aaron Lamb, Fred Bonham, Coil Miller, and Loyd Vanderpool. The Humeston and Shenandoah Railroad later became the CB&Q Railroad which later abandoned the line in late December of 1945.
Beaconsfield's post office was established in January of 1882.
(This building was initially the first Hy-Vee building)
Beaver - A city in Amaqua Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. The population was 48 at the 2010 census. It is part of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area.
Economy - Beaver maintains a functional grain elevator, which is the only form of business in the town.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $31,875.
A one story house, overgrown with trees had a once lovely front porch
Photos by Bob Kelly
This grain elevator is the only business enterprise in Beaver, and is relatively new and since it sits right on a major rail line, it is strategically placed for farmers in the area to sell their grain.
TRAIN DEPOT
Single story wooden depot with two sets of tracks. Agency service moved to Ogden, Iowa as of March 18,1958.
The station is now empty. (/as of 5-Oct-58) - Photo taken by Ronald Sims
Grain Elevator -
Photos by Bob Kelly
Old Decaying House
Post Office in Beaver, Iowa
K-12 School (not used any more)
The original K-12 school for Beaver the walls are still standing
Photos by Bob Kelly
Berkley - A city in Union Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. The population was 32 at the 2010 census, up 33.3% from 24 at the 2000 census.
Berkley was laid out as a town in 1883
There is a small auto-body shop and a greenhouse called Beaver Creek Produce in Berkley
The median income for a household in the city was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $31,250.
Economy - There is a small auto-body shop and a greenhouse called Beaver Creek Produce in Berkley
Bevington - A city in Madison and Warren Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 63 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History - Bevington was laid out in 1872. It was named for C. D. Bevington, a prominent local businessman.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,875, and the median income for a family was $35,000.
Hitchen Post & Grill
Retail/ Part-time job in Bevington, IA
Kum & Go Sales Associate
Blanchard is a city in Page County, Iowa, United States. The population was 38 at the 2010 census.
A small section of the city unofficially reaches into Missouri. This territory is known as South Blanchard.
History - Blanchard was laid out in 1879, and a post office was established that same year. It was incorporated as a town
in 1880
The median income for a household in the city was $37,917, and the median income for a family was $31,250.
The city is the southern limit of the Wabash Trace, a former rail line converted to bicycle trail.
It had a tiny gas station, which laid entirely in Missouri.
Colorful signs on the property inform the motorist of his exact location. A Cropmate nitrogen fertilizer plant is located two miles north of Blanchard.
Notable people - Pat Ragan, baseball player
Don Carlos Patrick Ragan (November 15, 1885 – September 4, 1956; born in Blanchard, Iowa, died in Los Angeles, United States) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.
On October 5, 1914, Ragan struck out three batters on nine pitches in the eighth inning of a 15–2 loss to the Boston Braves. Ragan became the second National League pitcher and the third pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine-strike, three-strikeout half-inning.
Click on picture for larger view
Blanchard Cemetery
Bradgate - A town in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States at the conjunction of Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Avery Township and rests near the banks of the West Fork of the Des Moines River.
The population was 86 in the 2010 census, a decline from 101 in 2000 census.
On May 21, 2004, the town was almost completely destroyed by a tornado.
Buck Grove - A city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States. The population was 43 at the 2010 census.
The median age in the city was 51.5 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18
Carbon - A city in Douglas Township, Adams County, Iowa, United States. The population was 34 at the 2010 census.
Carbon Iowa is located on the Nodaway River. This was home to the Pottawatomie, Oto and Iowa Indian tribes until the treaty of 1851 forced their removal to Kansas or Indian Territory now known as Oklahoma.
The first settler to Carbon was Elijah Walters, who established a sawmill there in 1849. He reported seeing huts, old camp fires but stated that the tribes had moved on, only to see an occasional "red man" appear and look over old camp sites and burial sites then move on.
Elijah built a mill on the Nodaway river that became a great social center of its time.
More here - URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon,_Iowa
Chatsworth - A city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States. The population was 79 at the 2010 census.
The median income for a household in the city was $18,333, and the median income for a family was $25,625.
Chillicothe (Chill-uh-CAW-thee) A city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 97 at the 2010 census.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,781, and the median income for a family was $31,750.
Clayton - A city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 43 at the 2010 census, down from 55 at the 2000 census.
Clayton is located directly on the Mississippi River and is only accessible by a very steep road. Many people have summer homes in Clayton due to its proximity to the Mississippi River.
Coburg - A city in Montgomery County, Iowa, United States. The population was 42 at the 2010 census.
Coburg had its start by the building of the railroad through that territory.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $31,875.
Colwell - A city in Floyd County, Iowa, United States. The population was 73 at the 2010 census.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,813, and the median income for a family was $29,688
Conway - A city in Taylor County, Iowa, United States. The population was 41 at the 2010 census.
History - Conway had its start in the year 1872 by the building of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad through that territory. The town was incorporated in 1878.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $31,875.
Waite Phillips, Businessman and philanthropist - Waite Phillips (January 19, 1883 – January 27, 1964) was an American petroleum businessman who created a fully integrated operation that combined petroleum producing, refining and marketing. With headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he also developed several office complexes and engaged in banking and ranching.
More about Waite Phillips here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waite_Phillips
Coppock - Aa city in Henry, Jefferson, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 47 at the 2010 census.
The Washington County portion of Coppock is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. There is only one business open to the public, a tavern/boat landing.
Coppock was once the junction of several railroads (Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy; Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific; Minneapolis and St. Louis).
The median income for a household in the city was $26,750, and the median income for a family was $29,583
Cotter - A city in Louisa County, Iowa, United States. The population was 48 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Muscatine Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History - Cotter, originally called Cotterville, was laid out in 1878 by Margaret E. Cotter. It was located along the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The median income for a household in the city was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $26,250.
Craig - A city in Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 89 at the 2010 census.
The town of Craig, Iowa was incorporated in Plymouth County on April 26, 1911.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,917, and the median income for a family
was $42,500.
©2005 - 2017 Iowa Ghost Towns - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
History - Last battle between two Iowa American Indian tribes - Nearby Avery’s Hill was the site of a significant event in Iowa history. The last battle between two American Indian tribes in Iowa was fought on this hill in 1854 between the Sioux and the Winnebagos.
Some eighteen Sioux warriors under the leadership of Coustawa (Big Tree) surprised the tribe of Winnebago but were driven back after the death of Coustawa. One of the Sioux warriors was reported to be Inkpaduta, who later led a band of Sioux in the famed Spirit Lake Massacre. The Pocahontas County Historical Society has marked the battle spot on the former Clarence Stearns farm with a flag pole and plaque memorial.
A few area residents of Bradgate and surrounding community have acquired large collections of American Indian artifacts, including arrowheads, discovered during walks along the river and on Avery’s Hill.
The first settlement just east of present Bradgate (Section 8) was named Willow Glen with no record of why this name was chosen. However, when the town was platted, the name was changed to Bradgate.
“The town that wouldn’t die”
In the summer of 1950, three people from Life Magazine spent a number of days in Bradgate taking numerous pictures and interviewing nearly everyone for a special profile on a small Iowa town. When the article came to be published, residents were anxious to read the story which profiled their farm community. But when the August 1950 issue appeared, all were disappointed. Bradgate was pictured as a dying town. This has remained a sore spot in the years since and in 1976, the motto “The town that wouldn’t die” was chosen to commemorate the community’s resolve to withstand the dire premonition and continue forward.
2004 Tornado
On May 21, 2004, a tornado rated F2 struck the town of Bradgate causing widespread damage. The National Weather Service reported that a tornado struck near Rolfe at 6:10 p.m. and hit Bradgate at 6:23 p.m. The tornado severely damaged 30 of the 42 homes in Bradgate. The only building in town that did not receive damage was the new fire station. Though fifteen people sustained minor injuries from flying debris, residents were grateful there were no fatalities.
Methodist church destroyed in the 2004 tornado
Crawford County, Iowa, IAGenWeb
Buck Grove History from 1862.
The Early Days, 1853-1887.
Read more here…
Buck Grove Iowa~Ivy Leaf Twined Flower Greetings~Embossed 1912 Postcard
CELEBRATION
Drug Store-Post Office
Buck Grove-Town overview
Buck Grove Exit Sign
BackYard Chickens
Roosters are allowed - Have to keep them on your property - The whole town is livestock freindly
Infrastructure - On the west side of town is a large coal-burning power plant that supplies power to a large part of southeastern Iowa. The town also rates a bridge across the Des Moines River.
History - Chillicothe was laid out in 1849. It was incorporated in 1881.
The word "Chillicothe" is derived from the ancient Shawnee Indian words meaning "Principal Place." It was the name for
one of their clans. The main chief of the Shawnee could only come from the Chillicothe clan. When a village was called Chillicothe, it meant that it was home to the principal chief. It was the capital city of the Shawnees until the death of that chief. Then, the capitol would move to the home village of the next main chief. That village would then become Chillicothe.
Chillicothe is the burial place of the oldest man to serve in the Civil War, Curtis King.
Chillicothe Cemetery
Barnyard Family Restuarant
Fatal Accident in 2016
Public School in Chillicothe 1905
History - Clayton was founded in 1849
The median income for a household in the city was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $40,833.
The per capita income for the city was $21,214. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.
Clayton Inn Story
Clayton Cemetery
Grain Bins
Old Photos
(Click on images for larger views)
The Mill
Notable People:
Mike Welday, baseball player. Lyndon Earl "Mike" Welday (December 13, 1878 in Conway, Iowa, United States – May 28, 1942 in Leavenworth, Kansas, USA) was a left-handed Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1907 and 1909. More about Mike Welday https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Welday
Cotter Town Hall
Cotter Elementary School
Cotter Railroad Crossing
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran
In the early years this cemetery was
known as the Grant Township
Cemetery.
St. John's Evangelical Cemetery
Discover more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aredale,_Iowa
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SMALL TOWN PICTURE VIEW #1
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