Sixteen Lutheran families in the Cerro Gordo County seat of Mason City established a congregation in July 1, 1871. A permanent facility was constructed in 1824, with the Trinity name adopted in 1908. Over the next 35 years, membership grew exponentially and the church became too small for the congregation. As money was raised for a new facility, church services were held in the now-demolished Palace Theater.
The first services were held in the present facility on May 14, 1950. An adjacent three-story education building was constructed in 1960.
Published December 15, 2011 |
Features |
In late February 2011, Iowa Backroads published two weekend updates related to the closure and potential closure of up to 18 post offices across the state of Iowa. Since then, post office closings have been in the news on a local and national level, and the number potentially slated for closure in Iowa exceeds 270. View the latest Iowa post office closings list.
While a U.S. Postal Service memo suggests closings may be slowing for the holiday season, plans to close Iowa offices are still moving forward. A recap of related local news follows:
- Brunsville: One of three Plymouth County post offices which may be closing. Le Mars Sentinel
- Coulter: A decision to close the Frankin County post office was made. Details, including installation of cluster boxes and a closure date, have not been finalized. Hampton Chronicle
- Crystal Lake: A meeting about post office closure was held November 28. Forest City Summit
- Dedham: Postal officials are meeting with the community on December 14 regarding post office closure. The town’s put together a special web page for residents hoping to save their post office.
- Dolliver: Many of Dolliver’s 38 residents showed up for the meeting to discuss the potential closure of their post office on November 14. Estherville Daily News
- Goodell: Residents adjust after their post office closed in September. Mason City Globe Gazette
- Homestead: The post office, in operation since 1852 and housed in the same building since 1913, closed due to lease issues on Monday, November 28. Iowa City Press-Citizen
- Joice: A meeting was held December 1 regarding potential post office closure. KIMT
- Killduff: The unincorporated Jasper County town will lose its post office January 5. USPS
- McCausland: Residents are waiting for an update on the status of their post office, which is threatened for closure for the third time in six years. North Scott Press
- New Liberty: Residents fear post office closure is a foregone conclusion. North Scott Press
- Pisgah: The Missouri Valley Times News reports the post office in Pisgah may close by spring.
- Onslow: Congressman Bruce Braley met with residents in my favorite Jones County town, offering support for small-town post offices. Monticello Express
- Oyens: One of three Plymouth County post offices which may be closing. Le Mars Sentinel
- Westfield: One of three Plymouth County post offices which may be closing. Le Mars Sentinel
- Woden: Operations at this Hancock County post office will cease January 13. KIMT
Published December 3, 2011 |
Features, Post Offices |
On February 15, 1939, members of the Page County community of Essex met in the city hall with the goal of establishing a city library. A library board was created, and in their next meeting determined to make a house-to-house canvass of the town seeking donations and books. Their efforts were quickly rewarded, and a library opened within the city hall building in April 1939. By 1956, the library moved from its city hall space to a portion of a local bank building. The most recent move was a decade ago, when the library moved to a new 5,000-square-foot facility in downtown Essex. The design features ample natural lighting, exposed wood trusses, and the ability to expand by up to 30% within the new building.
Further Reading: Read more about the Lied Foundation, which provided significant funding for the library project, in this article from the Lawrence (Kansas) World-Journal.
Published October 12, 2011 |
Features |
Iowa Backroads has featured a number of photos from towns being visited along the 2011 RAGBRAI route. They’re chronicled below:
Sunday, July 24
Monday, July 25
Published July 24, 2011 |
Features |
On January 19, 1905, residents in the Chickasaw County town of Nashua learned that Andrew Carnegie offered a $5,000 grant for construction of a new public library building. The offer was contingent that the city would furnish the site and a tax would be established to support the facility. Work was completed by the end of the year, with a formal dedication ceremony held in January 1906.
In 1986, a 3,000-square-foot lobby was added to the rear of the building, an upgrade entirely paid for by local donations and grants. The library is open Monday through Saturday.
Published July 20, 2011 |
Features |
