The Malek Theatre in downtown Independence, Iowa, was considered state-of-the-art when it opened to patrons in October 1946. The exterior of the 863-seat theatre was constructed with stone, vitreolite and glass block in the Art Deco style. In an effort to create a more efficient operation and increase theatre traffic, the theatre was duplexed in the mid-1980s. The split was ultimately unsuccessful, and the theatre has now been vacant for nearly two decades.
Though there has been talk of restoring the theatre to its former glory, no concrete plans are in place. The recent opening of a modern two-screen cinema near the edge of town likely decreased demand for a renovated theatre.
Residents in the Buchanan county community of Stanley were up in arms in May 1995, when they learned their local post office would likely close its doors after over 100 years of operation. The post office, which was losing $23,000 each year, looked to be added to a long list of businesses and organizations that closed shop in Stanley. Its railroad business shut down in the 1940s; closures of local banks, hotels and grocery stores followed.
By 1955, the high school was consolidated, and in 1979, members of the local Methodist Church were forced to travel to nearby Oelwein for services. The post office ultimately stayed open three more years, closing for good in July 1998. Stanley’s 128 residents now retrieve their mail from the metal “cluster boxes” erected next door.
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