About 150 residents from the Adams County town of Prescott and the surrounding area showed up for the dedication of the new Post Office on May 21, 1960. The ceremonies, which were held indoors in a nearby building due to inclement weather, began with two numbers from the Prescott High School Band, followed by a welcome from the Prescott Postmaster. The main speaker of the evening was Allen Kane, a field director for the U.S. Postal Service based out of Sioux City. The ceremony was concluded with a flag-raising conducted by the local American Legion post. An open house followed at the new post office with free coffee and donuts provided by the Prescott Commercial Club.
The post office in Prescott is one of over 250 in the state being reviewed for potential closure; view the full Iowa post office closing list.
Constructed in 1856, the Unionville United Methodist Church is thought to be the oldest active church building in Appanoose County in southeastern Iowa. The site to construct the church caused early controversy, as two pieces of ground were donated, on opposite sides of town. The oak and walnut timbers were discretely moved multiple times between the locations before the east side location was settled upon. The church shares a pastor with the United Methodist Church in nearby Cincinnati.
The current Chariton Public Library building was dedicated with a grand celebration on October 28, 1904, a year after Andrew Carnegie pledged $10,000 for the library’s construction and just six years after a public library was first established in the Lucas county community. Designed by Chicago-based architects Patton & Miller, the library featured an interior layout unlike others being constructed at the time, with an arrangement so the librarian could oversee both main reading rooms from a single desk. The unique floor plan became known as the Chariton plan and was used throughout the country in the following years. A new addition was added in the 1990s; it doubled the library’s space, while retaining the architectural style of the historic building.
In June 1882, the town council in the Tama County town of Gladbrook began discussing digging a well and constructing a water tower for use for municipal water supply and fire protection. After a six-plus month hiatus, the issue was brought to an election, with voters overwhelmingly approving. In 1916, the town bought a Ford car and equipped it with chemical to fight fires. Construction began on the current fire station in the fall of 1962, with work completed by June 1963. The station was built entirely by donated labor at a cost of $12,000.
Named for the original proprietor Daniel Martin, the Keokuk County community of Martinsburg was platted in 1855. With a population of 112, the resident count has been in a continual decline since its peak at 332 in 1900. The pictured City Hall was erected in 1968 in the park where the first school had been located. In addition to city meetings, the hall serves as a polling place for town residents.
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