In 1973, the Crescent and Federated Clubs in the Cass County town of Lewis joined forces to organize a library in a room within the town’s community building. As the library grew, it moved to one of the stalls at the fire station, and then to its present Main Street building. The Lewis Public Library now contains over 5,000 items with a circulation averaging more than 3,000 items yearly.
On August 29, 2011, ground was broken for construction of a new Public Library and Heritage Center. Fueled by a former resident’s $50,000 donation and a $187,000 grant from USDA Rural Development, the new facility is expected to be completed in Spring 2012. In addition to library materials, the building will contain records and artifacts from Lewis’ 150-plus-year history.
The library’s Facebook page includes photos of the new building’s progress.
A celebration was held May 5, 1966, to dedicate the new Post Office building in the Cass County community of Anita. The ceremony started with a 15 minute performance by the Anita Community High School band, followed by an invocation, address from the mayor, and a dedication address from Iowa Congressman John Hansen. Following the dedication, an open house was held with coffee and cookies served. Postal service was established in Anita in December 1868.
On April 10, 2001, heavy hail caused the collapse of the roof at the post office in the Cass County town of Cumberland. The day following the collapse, postal operations were moved to the Cumberland Community Building for a month and then to the Lumber Yard building where they remained until January 10, 2003. On that day, the Cumberland Post Office reopened in a brand new building at the site of its the original location where the roof collapse occurred. A dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting were held on February 20, 2003.
Griswold, Iowa, is located along State Highway 92 in the southeastern corner of Cass County. The community is home to a pleasant downtown district, which includes the Cass County Museum, an historical museum housed in two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum, which is home to over 3,000 artifacts, is open afternoons Wednesday through Sunday.
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