Monthly Archives: November 2010

Businesses

Hometown Foods (Gladbrook, Iowa)

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Hometown Foods (Gladbrook, Iowa)

The small Hometown Foods grocery store chain was established in 1996, when Iowa City resident Lyndon Johnson purchased an independent grocery store in the Grundy County town of Conrad, Iowa. Prior to the new store ownership venture, Johnson had spent his entire career in the grocery business, working in a variety of roles in stores across the state from Muscatine to Dubuque to Ottumwa.

Next, Johnson purchased the grocery store in Gladbrook in adjacent Tama County in 2000. Since opening the Gladborook store, the successful chain has added for more stores and now has a presence in Waterloo, Hubbard, State Center, and Baxter. In 2010, he was recognized by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association as Retailer of the Year. The Gladbrook and other stores are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Post Offices

Post Office 50136 (Keswick, Iowa)

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Post Office 50136 (Keswick, Iowa)

Postal service was established in Keswick in Keokuk County, Iowa, on November 12, 1879. Mail volume at the local post office increased on July 1, 1902, when rural free delivery was established in Keswick and six other Iowa communities. Keswick’s one carrier route spanned 23 miles, serving 810 area residents. The establishment of the rural route resulted in discontinuation of the post office location in nearby Ambrose in adjacent Iowa County.

The Keswick Post Office moved to its current location in 1965, when a downtown building was restored by two residents and leased to the US Postal Service.

Movie Theatres

Riviera Theatre (Emmetsburg, Iowa)

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Riviera Theatre (Emmetsburg, Iowa)

Over the past decade, the Iowa-based Fridley Theatres chain has been working to reduce its small-town footprint to focus on its multiplex operations in the state’s larger communities. The single-screen Riviera Theatre in downtown Emmetsburg is one of the latest cinemas to transfer ownership, as local businessmen purchased the theatre in late April 2010. The theatre was closed for a couple of weeks to allow improvements to the 1930s-era building, including new sound and projection systems.

In addition to first-run movies, which are shown seven days weekly, the theatre can be rented out to groups and organizations for parties, meetings, and more. During the college football season, free parties have been held for community members to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes for free on the big theatre screen.

Courthouses

Mitchell County Courthouse (Osage, Iowa)

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Mitchell County Courthouse (Osage, Iowa)

The Mitchell County Courthouse in Osage was constructed in 1858, making it one of the oldest operating courthouses in the state of Iowa. The longevity of the courthouse is especially impressive given the controversy at the time of opening.

Per the Mitchell County website, the original county seat was located in nearby Mitchell, due to its central location within the county. The people of Osage objected, an election was held, and Osage was victorious. The victory was not without controversy, however, as rumors suggested votes for Osage were “bought and paid for with merchandise.”

To help their case for the courthouse, Osage constructed a courthouse and jail in 1858, with the agreement to give them to the county when construction was completed. In addition, Osage conspired with Charles City, a community vying to become the county seat of the adjacent Floyd County. To make both cities more centrally located within their respective county, a three-mile strip of Floyd County was given to Mitchell County.

In the ensuing years, Mitchell’s population has dwindled, with 155 residents as of the 2000 census. Mitchell lost its post office in 2004.