City Limits Sign (Delphos, Iowa)

City Limits Sign (Delphos, Iowa)

The tiny town of Delphos in Ringgold County, Iowa, was founded in 1880 as a rail station on the Leon, Mount Ayr and Southwestern line. Originally settled as Borneo, the town’s permanent name was derived from the greek word adelphos, meaning brother. Population peaked at 128 in the 1899 census, more than 20 years before the town was officially incorporated.

Railroad service operated in Delphos for 65 years, with the last train passing through in 1945. Following the loss of rail service, the consolidated school closed in 1961, and the post office served its final customer in November 1993. More recently, the former Christian Church was converted to a private residence, while the remaining Baptist Church building hasn’t held regular services for years.

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