The first library in the Kossuth County of Bancroft began in 1961 in one room of the Bancroft Public School. The community came together to jumpstart the new organization by donating, cataloging and shelving books. The initial library staff was entirely made up of unpaid volunteers. The present library facility was constructed in 1969 from a combination of private and public funds.
After sixty years of operation, the public library in the Kossuth County town of Lakota moved to its current location on May 9, 1981. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house were held at the new location, after the Lakota City Council and Library Board agreed to switch locations. The library inherited the former town hall, which was constructed as a project of the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. Many volunteers contributed time and labor toward the $15,000 interior remodeling project, which included new painting, shelving, and the repurposing of no-longer-needed city jail space.
In 2000, an open house celebrated recent State of Iowa accreditation, along with new carpet, painting, and restroom improvements.
Construction began on the new Algona Post Office on May 28, 1964 with an expected completion date of October 31, 1964. The construction project was postponed three times due to heavy rains in the spring and summer, heavy snow in the winter, and heavy thawing and flooding the following spring. Once work was completed, the process of moving equipment and mail from the old post office to the new one began 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 2, 1965. The Post Office opened to the public the following day and was formally dedicated September 11, 1965.
Nearly ten years ago, black mold was first discovered at the Lu Verne Post Office and a clean-up was conducted. The clean-up was unsuccessful, and a test two years later in showed mold problems continued to exist. The building was vacated and the Post Office was relocated to Lu Verne City Hall two blocks north in September 2003. Once considered a temporary relocation, this unique sharing arrangement remains in place today.
Postal service in the Kossuth County community of Fenton dates to 1880, though the location moved west in 1899 to align with new railroad construction. The Fenton Post Office was located in a number of buildings in the business district prior to moving to its current location in 1970. The post office moved to the new space following the closing of the Fenton Drug Company, one of the community’s oldest businesses. The renovated building featured new post office boxes, letter drops, and office equipment.