Catholic services were first held in 1875 in the Union County town of Afton, with the first church constructed four years later. Fire destroyed the building in 1921, and the present facility was completed in 1923. Another fire struck in 1951, though it was limited to the building’s interior, which was quickly repaired and redecorated. The church is served by the priest at Holy Spirit Parish in nearby Creston.

The first public library was organized in the Pocahontas County community of Fonda in 1901 by the Fonda Woman’s Club. The club sponsored the library for 40 years until it was taken over by the city and formal by-laws were adopted on July 28, 1941. The library shares a building with the City Hall and is open five days weekly.

Constructed in 1915, the Mills County Jail continues to hold prisoners while serving as the main offices for the Mills County Sheriff’s Department. The first county jail was built in 1853 of logs and heavy planks, secured by heavy spikes driven in at regular distances. In 1869, a second jail was constructed, which served the county until the third and present jail was built. A committee is currently looking at construction of a new Mills County Law Enforcement Center, though previous attempts to issue a bond for new jail construction have failed.

The Delaware County town of Dundee saw its first fire station constructed in 1930. The small brick building featured a single-stall garage, a small amount of space for equipment, and a jail cell. In the late 1980s, Dundee firemen began a campaign to solicit funds for a new fire station and community center building. Construction began in June 1987, with firemen doing most of the construction work to minimize costs. The building continues to serve the town today.

The first post office in the Iowa County town in Millersburg opened in 1852 with Hugh B. Lynch appointed as the first postmaster. In the 1880s, the post office began sharing space with an ice cream parlor and drug store. Those businesses ultimately were phased out, but postal operations continued in the building for over a century. A new post office was constructed in June 1993, with a dedication held two months later. The modern facility was handicapped-accessible and featured new key-based boxes.

The United Methodist Church in the unincorporated Warren County town of Liberty Center was organized in 1856, with first meetings held in a log schoolhouse south of town. As membership grew, space was leased in a general store in 1860 before a permanent building was constructed in 1870 at the cost of $2,300. The dedication ceremony featured Dr. Alexander Burns, president of nearby Simpson College.

The church was enlarged in 1906 and again in 1968 when a basement was added. Additional improvements were made in 1962, including refinished floors, a new gas furnace, and new carpet, with a rededication ceremony held on March 9, 1969. The church shares a pastor with United Methodist Churches in the nearby communities of Milo and Green Plain.

The Federated Woman’s Club in the Fremont County town of Tabor adopted a project in January 1954 to open a public library for the community. After receiving permission to house the library on the first floor of the Town Hall building, the group collected money and books from local residents, churches, and organizations. A carpenter donated services to raise shelves, and the library opened in July 1956.

In 1975, the city council established regular support for the library, while additional funds were provided by Fremont and Mills County. By the 1980s, the library had outgrown its space and began looking at new locations. An anonymous donation made it possible to move to a home, which had most recently been used as The Brick Inn restaurant. A contractor was engaged, and the building was remodeled for use as the Tabor Public Library. The new location officially opened in June 1987.

This concrete block building was constructed near the base of the water tower after the city water system was completed for Lovilia residents in 1957. While the building now exclusively is used for the water system, a portion of the building was originally used to store fire equipment. It also housed the city hall for several decades.

American Legion Post No. 83 was founded in the Keokuk County town of Hedrick on June 30, 1919 with 15 charter members. A Woman’s Auxiliary Unit was established two years later. The current Legion building was constructed in 1957, almost entirely using volunteer labor. The Legion and Auxiliary are involved in many community events, but are perhaps best-known for their homemade ice cream, served from the Legion building during Hedrick’s annual Barbecue Days event.

Postal service came to Sabula, Iowa’s only island town, in July 1837 under the moniker Carl Port. The post office station was quickly renamed to Charleston before a final change to Sabula in February 1846. The town’s first postmaster was William H. Brown, with mail delivery three times each week from the route between Dubuque and Davenport. The post office occupied a half-dozen different locations before moving to its present site in 1996.