The Cherokee County community of Washta was first home to a post office location in May 1868 and was formally incorporated twenty-two years later when railroad service was established. The Washta Post Office facilities are located within the former Farmer’s State Bank building, which was rebuilt in 1918 following a devastating fire that destroyed many of the businesses along the community’s main street.
Washta’s welcome sign celebrates it is the “Coldest Spot in Iowa,” to recognize the -47 degree temperature that was recorded in the town on January 12, 1912. Washta is home to 282 residents.
The Trinity Lutheran Church in the Iowa County town of Millersburg was constructed in March 1937, with the help of volunteer labor and one paid carpenter. A new floor and kitchen cabinets were installed in the basement in 1958; at the same time, a multipurpose room was created on the main level. Since 1963, Trinity has shared a pastor with Calvary Lutheran Church in nearby Deep River. The most recent change to the church was the addition of stained glass windows in 1993.
The first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Havelock Public Library was held in October 1933. Officers were elected, a librarian was appointed, and over the following weeks, library hours were established and a Traveling Library was utilized to help provide the initial selection of books. Funds were provided from the Works Project Administration to support the librarian salary, allowing the Havelock Public Library to be open five days weekly through the rest of the decade.
Beginning in 1935, the library found permanent space in an old city hall building. As the collection grew and more space was needed, the city council agreed to construct a new library building on Main Street. The facility was completed in November 1976, and the local American Legion organization facilitated the move of books and shelving. A formal dedication and open house were held in June 1977.
The red brick Howard County Courthouse in Cresco dates to 1880, constructed at a cost of under $7,000. By 1938, portions of the building had been condemned, but a proposal to construct a new courthouse facility was soundly defeated. Another proposal to build a new courthouse was voted down in 1955, but in 1964, voters approved a $60,000 bond issue to extend the courthouse with additions to the north and south of the existing building. The Howard County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
The sign outside the Pocahontas County town of Palmer highlights the phenomenal success of the high school boys basketball team in the 1980s. A string of three consecutive championships began in 1986, with the 1988 team setting an Iowa all-time team scoring record, averaging 103.9 points per game during the season and tournament. The Palmer High School Panthers strung together a remarkable 103 wins before losing in the semifinals of the state tournament in 1989.
Like numerous small school districts in Iowa, Palmer merged with nearby Pomeroy in 1990. The combined Pomeroy-Palmer district brought home state championships in boys basketball in 1994, 2001, and 2002. The communities have since seen further consolidation; this year is their first as part of the Pocahontas Area school district based in the nearby county seat.
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