A large crowd gathered outside the new Hawarden Post Office building for its official dedication on Saturday, February 22, 1941, celebrating the facility as a “milestone in the city’s progress.” The event started with a flag raising ceremony presented by the American Legion followed by the high school band’s performance of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Other musical numbers were played, and the Hawarden Post Office employees were each introduced, along with the city mayor, Chamber of Commerce president, and the guest speaker, John Sparks, a post office inspector from Sioux City.
Sparks spoke on the topic, “The History of the World’s Postal Service,” tracing the early development of postal services in other nations and then the United States. He outlined the post office history in Hawarden, where a location was first established December 13, 1882, and the ceremony closed with a prayer from the reverend at the local Baptist Church. The Hawarden Independent noted one “casualty” at the end of the day: “A small boy attempted to chin himself to the towel bar in the bathroom of the post office, pulled loose the bar and fell. The lad was not hurt.”
Waterville Lutheran Church held its final worship service September 12, 2010, after 133 years of active service in the Allamakee County town. The decision to construct the present and final church building was made in 1904, with the fundraising effort commencing immediately after. The cornerstone for the church was laid on November 1906, and the building was dedicated eleven months later.
Residents of the Hancock County community of Woden have had access to a Public Library for over 50 years. The first Woden Public Library was sponsored by the local Federated Women’s Club and was based in the basement of the First State Bank. The library operated there for 13 years before it moved to a new building in 1973. The Woden Public Library is open daily except Fridays and Sundays.
When the original water tower was constructed in June 1913, the Boone County town of Luther was believed to be the smallest town in the state with a water system. The original wood water tower served the community for 40 years, at which time the current metal tower was constructed. In 1968, a grass fire spread to the wooden jacket at the bottom of the water tower tank, sending flames and smoke high into the air causing $2,500 in damage. Though the water tower stands today, it’s been unused since 1992 when new water lines were installed as part of the Xenia Rural Water District in nearby Woodward.
In November 1974, voters in Hamilton County overwhelmingly supported plans for a new, $1.25 million courthouse building to be constructed on the outskirts of Webster City. At the time, the existing courthouse building was 98 years old and when an architectural firm surveyed the structure in 1969, they concluded “any direct addition to or attempted remodeling of the present courthouse would not be in the best interests of Hamilton County.” The firm cited fire hazards, outdated mechanical and electric systems, a roof in need of complete replacement, and lack of handicapped accessibility as key reasons for construction of a new courthouse.
The two-story modern Hamilton County Courthouse opened in 1976 near the intersection of State Highway 17 and the U.S. Highway 20 bypass in Webster City. The split-level building was designed by a Des Moines-based architectural firm and constructed of brick and concrete on a foundation of black Georgia stone. The old courthouse was demolished the same year.
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