The Dubuque County town of Sherrill was incorporated on June 29, 1933, more than 75 years after postal service was first established and nearly 100 years after the first community church opened. The decision to incorporate was a result of the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, with small towns like Sherrill fearful they could not have a tavern unless they were incorporated. Sherrill is home to 177 residents.
The Palo Alto County town of Mallard was settled in the fall of 1882, when the Fort Dodge and Des Moines Railroad Company completed a line to the town. Railroad president Charles E. Whitehead chose the name because of the quantity of mallard ducks in the area. Home to 274 residents, the town was officially incorporated on June 25, 1895.
The Crawford County town of Charter Oak was established in 1869 by W.H. Crombie, who purchased the property to divide into lots. The town’s name came from the state tree of Connecticut, which is considered a symbol of freedom in America’s path to independence. The town was officially incorporated on February 6, 1891.
This modest wooden sign welcomes visitors to the Fremont County town of Thurman, home to 229 residents according to the most recent census. Thurman was founded as Plum Hollow in 1856 by Abraham Fletcher, but later renamed in honor of politician Allen Granberry Thurman. It was officially incorporated in February 1879.
As many as 90 percent of buildings in Thurman were damaged or destroyed by an EF-2 tornado on April 15, 2012. Read more in the Omaha World-Herald.
The Taylor County community of Sharpsburg was founded in 1884, when the Humeston & Shenandoah Railroad laid track through the area. Track was completed the following year, and the city grew with the addition of a stockyard, depot and post office by January 1886. Population peaked at 188 in 1920, and has slowly dwindled since. Train service was discontinued in 1945. The school consolidated with Lenox in 1959, with final classes held in 1968. The part-time post office is in danger of closing. Sharpsburg is currently home to 89 residents.