Postal service was established in Knierim on December 26, 1899, shortly after the town was established. The town was established from lots sold by farmer William Knierim when the Illinois Central Railroad was built in the area. Within two years, town boasted a number of businesses, including a bank, two drugstores, two lumberyards, a hotel, an opera house and a grade school.
Official population peaked at 220 residents in 1910, with growth set back significantly in 1920 when a fire destroyed the entire main street business district. Population now stands at 60; the post office is open four hours each weekday.
The first Methodist church was constructed in the Taylor County town of Sharpsburg in 1886. It served members for 14 years before the church building fell victim to a tornado in September 1900. The church was rebuilt within the same year, remodeled in 1918, and still used today. The church shares a pastor with Methodist churches in the nearby towns of Lenox and Clearfield.
The Iowa State Savings Bank was organized in the unincorporated Marion County town of Tracy in 1903 with a capital of $12,000. The bank originally operated from a former harness shop before a dedicated brick building was constructed in 1912. The bank’s stay in the new building was relatively short-lived, closing its doors in 1927, suffering the fate of thousands of banks across the nation which shuttered during the Great Depression. The century-old building is now home to the Tracy Post Office.
Postal service was established in Adair on January 2, 1874, with John E. Moran appointed first postmaster. After occupying a number of local storefronts, the post office moved to its present location in 1946. A new counter and lock boxes were installed in 1959, with significant remodeling completed in 1967.
Daniel Connell was the first postmaster at the Gladbrook Post Office, which debuted in the Tama County town in June 1880. Rural free delivery was first established in 1902, with early carriers traveling by horse and buggy. The post office moved to its present location in December 1, 1961, with a dedication and open house held the following year. The open house featured orange drink and coffee furnished by local businesses and the Borden Dairy. The post office has 348 boxes.
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![Former Bank Building (and Current Post Office) [Tracy, Iowa]](http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/former_bank_building_tracy_iowa.jpg "Former Bank Building (and Current Post Office) [Tracy, Iowa]")
