A large crowd was on hand for the September 1923 dedication of the Pocahontas County Courthouse. The ceremony featured a handful of speakers along with music performances from the Pocahontas, Rolfe, Laurens and Havelock bands. A number of festivities followed the formal dedication, including a horseshoe tournament, boxing match, and opera house dance.
The first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Havelock Public Library was held in October 1933. Officers were elected, a librarian was appointed, and over the following weeks, library hours were established and a Traveling Library was utilized to help provide the initial selection of books. Funds were provided from the Works Project Administration to support the librarian salary, allowing the Havelock Public Library to be open five days weekly through the rest of the decade.
Beginning in 1935, the library found permanent space in an old city hall building. As the collection grew and more space was needed, the city council agreed to construct a new library building on Main Street. The facility was completed in November 1976, and the local American Legion organization facilitated the move of books and shelving. A formal dedication and open house were held in June 1977.
The sign outside the Pocahontas County town of Palmer highlights the phenomenal success of the high school boys basketball team in the 1980s. A string of three consecutive championships began in 1986, with the 1988 team setting an Iowa all-time team scoring record, averaging 103.9 points per game during the season and tournament. The Palmer High School Panthers strung together a remarkable 103 wins before losing in the semifinals of the state tournament in 1989.
Like numerous small school districts in Iowa, Palmer merged with nearby Pomeroy in 1990. The combined Pomeroy-Palmer district brought home state championships in boys basketball in 1994, 2001, and 2002. The communities have since seen further consolidation; this year is their first as part of the Pocahontas Area school district based in the nearby county seat.
In July 2007, eleven delegates from the city of Laurens, France, arrived at the Des Moines International Airport marking the start of an eight-day visit to to the state centered around their new sister city, the Pocahontas County town of Laurens. The delegation participated in Laurens’ 125th Anniversary weekend and festivities during RAGBRAI’s ride through the community. The sister city alliance was made official during their visit, some six years after the Mayor of Laurens, France, first communicated with his Iowa counterpart, inquiring about the community after seeing it featured in “The Straight Story” film.
Construction began on the Rialto Theatre in downtown Pocahontas, Iowa, in early 1939, with the first movie shown September 3 of that year. The theatre operated continuously for nearly 50 years before closing in 1989. After three years sitting vacant, in May 1992, a meeting to discuss the reopening of the theatre attracted over 100 interested residents. The decision was made to to renovate and reopen the historic theatre as a multi-purpose venue for both movies and live entertainment.
After three years of renovations and repairs, the theatre reopened with great fanfare with a premiere screening of the Walt Disney movie Pocahontas on June 22, 1995. The movie brought staff and stars from Pocahontas to town for the screening and attracted media outlets from across the state. The theatre continues to operate today, with volunteers playing an integral role in the day-to-day operation. Movies are shown nightly, with a Sunday matinee; tickets are just $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for students and children.