The United Methodist Church in the Mahaska County town of Barnes City can trace its history to July 1894, when it was organized following an evangelical tent service. Construction on a permanent building began later that year, with a dedication service held in 1895 with the President of Iowa Wesleyan College as the ceremony speaker. Significant renovations were made in 1912, with the expanded church dedicated in October that year.
The church remains in service today, sharing a pastor with United Methodist Churches in the nearby communities of North English, Millersburg, and Deep River.
Settled along the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, he town plat for the Mahaska County town of Rose Hill dates to September 6, 1875. At its peak, Rose Hill was home to two hotels, a lumberyard, grain elevator, tile factory, creamery, and a school. Many businesses folded during the Great Depression, while the grocery store closed its doors in 1966.
In 1993, the Rose Hill Ruritan-Community building went up in flames; it was quickly rebuilt and remains a popular place for area clubs and gatherings.
This modest metal sign hangs outside the post office in the unincorporated community of Cedar along State Highway 23 in Mahaska County, Iowa. Though its entrance and lobby are separate, the Cedar Post Office is one of a handful of locations across the state to share space with a private residence. Postal service was first established in Cedar on June 17, 1874.
Built in 1886 at a cost of $132,500, the Romanesque-style Mahaska County Courthouse sits on the east side of the square in downtown Oskaloosa, Iowa. Only one major change has been made to the courthouse since its construction, when the clock tower was lowered in 1934. The 125-year-old building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
The community of Beacon feels like a suburb to Oskaloosa, the county seat of Mahaska County in southeast Iowa. Along with nearby University Park, it’s one of two incorporated cities located just outside of the Oskaloosa city limits. Beacon’s a mostly residential town, save a construction business, Methodist Church, and the pictured Post Office. Postal service was established in Beacon in 1866; the location was known as Givin and Oskaloosa Junction before the Beacon name was established in April 1867.
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