A Christian Church of Christ congregation was first organized in the Van Buren County town of Stockport in 1892. Early worship services were held in the local hoop factory. By 1894, the church had grown to 32 members, and Tarpley Early Taylor led the effort to build the permanent (and present) facility. Tarpley’s immediate family honored his efforts in spearheading construction with the front stained glass windows.
With a population of just 1,006, the Van Buren County seat of Keosauqua may be one of the smallest towns in the nation to feature a Federal Building and two-story Post Office. Here’s a clip from the article that was written in the Moravia Union just prior to the building’s dedication in July 1961:
Postmasters and other community leaders by the hundreds will journey to Keosauqua in southeastern Iowa on Saturday, July 29, for the public dedication of the new 80 x 63 foot federal building and post office.
Many towns of a thousand have or soon will have new post offices. But none the size of Keosauqua has a two-story structure costing $298,400. Van Buren county offices of federal agencies will occupy the top floor.
Features of the new government facility include entrances on two streets, a ramp for the convenience of the infirm, 40 tons of air conditioning, automatic oil furnace with 6,000 gallon underground tank, 30 x 15 foot loading dock, refrigerated drinking fountains, hot and cold water in six toilet rooms, 30-foot picture window, venetian blinds on all windows, and a master clock that regulates hourly 16 units all over the building.
Following the dedication, an open house was held; refreshments were served.
The unincorporated community of Selma is located four miles south of Eldon in Van Buren County in southeastern Iowa. It was established in 1851, though the first home in the area now known as Selma was constructed in 1835, before settlers could legally be there. After a series of names, including Independent, Stumptown and Hickory, before Selma was officially designated as the town name in 1882. Their red, white and blue town sign highlights the town’s zip code, which remains even though the post office location was discontinued in 1995.
On May 30, 1840, the Van Buren County Commissioners awarded a $6,500 contract for construction of a new courthouse in Keosauqua, which had edged out the village of Bentonsport in the county seat election two years prior. The courthouse was finished in September 1843, making it the oldest courthouse in Iowa to be in continuous operation since its opening date. A major interior restoration project was completed in 1983 and exterior improvements were made in 1997.
Though the main courthouse building has changed little since its initial construction, additional buildings have been added to the courthouse complex, including an additional county office constructed in 1896 (expanded in 1979) and a separate Law Enforcement Center built in 1993.
The public library in Milton, Iowa, has an operating income around $2,200 in 2008 to rank as the smallest library in the state based on financial data. The library is located on North Main Street near the city park and former train depot. Visitors to Milton will want to check out the Milton Creamery.