The Taylor County seat of Bedford is one of the first communities in the state to feature a Hy-Vee store. The first store was opened under the Supply Store moniker downtown. By 1952, the store was relocated to a new downtown location before moving to the current spot in 1986. The 9,000-square-foot Hy-Vee Food Store is located at the intersection of State Highways 2 and 148 on the northwest corner of town.
Located along Main Street in the Taylor County seat of Bedford, the Eatery is open Tuesday through Friday for lunch and Saturday evenings for dinner. Diners can try the daily special is written on a white board outside the restaurant, or choose from their small menu of sandwiches and entrees. Canned soda, tea, and lemonade are available drink options, and slices of homemade pie make for great dessert.
While you’re dining in the quaint restaurant, be sure to take note of the excellent interior restoration work. Woodwork and doors were removed, stripped, and replaced, while the detailed tin ceilings were exposed, cleaned, and painted. The renovation work, both inside and outside, garnered awards for owner Shirley Winemiller. Preservation Iowa and Main Street Iowa both recognized The Eatery, which opened for business August 8, 2009.
A post office location was established in the Taylor County community of Sharpsburg, Iowa, in 1886, two years after the town was founded as a stop on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Though the railroad tracks have long been removed, the town’s 89 residents still have their own Post Office, for now. Located in a modest brick building and open four hours each weekday, the office is one of over 70 in Iowa being reviewed for closure.
Sharpsburg is also home to a community center, two churches, and a combo general store/restaurant.
The historic Garland Hotel was constructed on Main Street in the Taylor County seat of Bedford in 1857. Originally called the Bedford House, the property saw many changes over its 140 years of operation, including the addition of electric lights in 1898, installation of central heating in 1906, and the addition of a south annex in 1910. An estimated 150,000 guests stayed at the downtown hotel.
The hotel fell quickly into disrepair following its closure in 1997, and the property was on the verge of demolition following the collapse of the south annex in 2004. Fortunately, community members banded together to save the structure, and with much volunteer help, a steady stream of improvements have been made to the historic structure. The red brick was restored, the east wall was reinforced, and the balcony was rebuilt. The interior has seen its own set of upgrades including floor reinforcements, new paint, restored ceilings, and refurbished woodwork.
While progress has been made, work remains to restore the entire second and third stories, as well as required plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical work. The restoration board is working to secure a grant to create a master plan in an effort to accelerate progress to make the hotel operational. For more information on the project, contact Lee Weir at (712) 438-0012.
Continue reading Garland Hotel/Bedford House (Bedford, Iowa)
More than 16,000 Iowa farms went under during the well-documented midwestern farming crisis of the 1980s. The farming crisis had wide-ranging effects on rural communities in the state, as local businesses and schools were closing at alarming rates. In 1986, the Boston Globe sent a features writer to the small Taylor County town of Gravity to take an in-depth look at the effects of the farming crisis on a ‘typical’ rural Iowa community.
The population of Gravity had halved between the 1940s and 1980s, and in the article, local residents lamented at the resulting losses: since the town’s heyday, the barber shop, opera house, and hardware stores were gone. The newspaper was no more, and the local bank branch operated only six hours a week. The biggest loss for the community may have been the local school, which closed in 1982.
The three-story brick building was built as a high school in 1929. Classes were reduced when Gravity became part of the Bedford Community School District in the early 1960s, and the school was closed entirely following the 1981-1982 school year. Unlike many former school buildings across the state, the Gravity school has been well-maintained since its closure. Despite the loss of the school, Gravity is home to a post office, community center, American Legion hall, and a new bar and grill restaurant.