A celebration was held May 5, 1966, to dedicate the new Post Office building in the Cass County community of Anita. The ceremony started with a 15 minute performance by the Anita Community High School band, followed by an invocation, address from the mayor, and a dedication address from Iowa Congressman John Hansen. Following the dedication, an open house was held with coffee and cookies served. Postal service was established in Anita in December 1868.
The first Catholic worship services in the Ringgold County town of Maloy were held in 1864 in the home of Luke Shay, an immigrant from Ireland. As attendance grew, they moved to Shay’s barn and then to the first Catholic Church in the area constructed in 1874. A larger church was constructed within the Maloy city limits in 1903; the church was the center of social activity for the community, holding bi-weekly dances, dinners, and even weekly movies.
On June 17, 1931, a fire swept through Maloy destroying the church along with five businesses, a house, and a barn. The new church was constructed of yellow brick with a steeply-pitched roof in an English Rural Architectural style. After nearly 80 years of operation, the final mass was held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on May 3rd, 2009. The church was closed and sold.
The first public library in the Louisa County seat of Wapello opened to the public in November 1925, with a donated collection of books. Food sales, talent shows, and other events raised money for the library to purchase new books, and in 1929, the library moved to a new facility with more space; that year, the library also officially received blessings from the city council and became tax supported.
In 1960, Louis and Lillian Keck offered to build the present library in memory of his parents, John and Anna Keck. Construction was completed the following year, with a dedication ceremony held May 13, 1961. A new reading room was added in 1989. The library is open six days weekly.
A volunteer fire department was organized in the Story County community of Slater in September 1914. Resident Pete Hall was named the organization’s first fire chief, and early fire trucks were stored in the garage of the new city hall building, which was constructed three years prior. The current fire station was constructed for use as both a city hall and fire station in 1960. Both departments quickly outgrew their space, so the brick building is now used exclusively by the fire department.
A map of the Linn County town of Walker was first produced in 1874, but the community was not officially incorporated until 1891. Following incorporation, the town moved to establish a water works system, construct a town hall and jail, and construct cement sidewalks in the early 1900s. Electricity was brought to the town in 1917, while residents saw street paving begin in 1931. The city hall currently meets in this modest brick building on Rowley and Park Streets in downtown Walker.