The first post office in the Buchanan County town of Winthrop in 1861 with Abbott E. Dulton as the first postmaster. Postal service was originally established in the town in 1853 under the name of Pine. In addition to mailing services, early post offices stocked a number of goods, with 1881 newspaper ads highlighting a number of available items:
“A fine line of Bibles and Albums for sale at the post office.”
“Christmas cards for sale at the post office.”
The largest assortment of fine candies in town, at the post office.”
After being housed in a number of homes and storefronts, the modern post office facility was constructed on the northeast corner of Madison and 3rd Streets in 1999.
The First United Presbyterian Church of Hazleton was officially established in April 1880, though members had been meeting in area homes and schoolhouses since 1862. The first church building in Hazleton was dedicated in February 1882, though it was completely destroyed by fire less than 25 years later. Members moved quickly to rebuild the church, and the present building was constructed at a cost of $4,300 and dedicated on March 18, 1906.
Fire service in the Buchanan County town of Hazleton can be traced to December 6, 1906, when fifteen residents form a volunteer fire department. A week later, they raised $75 with a basket social, with additional fundraising events held on a monthly basis. The first fire fighting equipment purchased was a horse-drawn hand pumper and hose cart. In 1298, the hand pumper was sold to a local farmer and a Model A Ford truck was purchased; that truck was sold to the town of Aurora to purchase a new truck in 1946. By 1958, an effort began to construct a new fire station; the station opened in 1963 and continues to serve the community today.
The Friar-Watson Post No. 642 of the American Legion was organized in the Buchanan County community of Hazleton in March 1931. The following month, Congress formerly chartered the post, which had 26 founding members. After meeting in various club rooms, a nearby County schoolhouse was purchased and moved to Hazleton for use as an American Legion hall.
The school served the Legion until 1955, when its growing membership required more space. The present cement block structure was dedicated on January 29, 1956. The building is used regularly for meetings by both the Legion and Legion Auxiliary, along with a number of groups within the community.
When federal officials temporarily closed the Rowley, Iowa, post office in May 2008 due to toxic mold, a retired farmer took matters into his own hands. Rowley resident Jim Grover purchased the 40-year-old post office building in June and immediately began making the repairs necessary to reopen the building. Improvements included a new coat of paint inside the post office following the mold removal, and a $9,000 investment in a new roof to prevent future leakage and molding.
The Post Office reopened December 26, 2008, following an official inspection of the building conducted by the U.S. Postal Service. In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Rowley Mayor Rita Knutson described the post office reopening as an “awesome… Christmas present.” Rowley is a community of 290 residents located in south-central Buchanan County in Northeast Iowa.
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