In 1891, Wapello County voters approved $100,000 in bonds to construct a new courthouse in Ottumwa, the fourth since the county was established. The cornerstone of the rough-cut standstone building was laid in September 1892 and the new building was dedicated on May 1894. The courthouse originally featured a large clock tower, but it was removed in 1950 due to structural safety concerns. The Wapello County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Check out the City of Ottumwa website for more details on the courthouse history and architectural characteristics.
On May 15, 1901, Clinton Mayor George D. McDaid wrote to the Andrew Carnegie Foundation requesting funds for a new library building to be constructed in the eastern Iowa community. The result was a $45,000 grant provided the city provided land for the library and the annual budget was not less than 10% of the grant amount. Ground was broken for the new building on June 24, 1903, and the library opened to the public on November 9 the following year. More than 5,400 books were checked out in the library’s first month of operation.
In 2005, the group Preservation Iowa added the Clinton Public Library to its list of the state’s most endangered buildings as the city was considering building a new library facility at that time. A proposal in 2010 to allocate up to $10 million in bonds to construct a new library at a former elementary school site was soundly defeated. In December, the Library Board president told the Clinton Herald plans to renovate or move the library had been tabled for the immediate future.
With just 149 residents as of the 2000 census, Larrabee is the smallest community in Cherokee County in northwest Iowa. The community was incorporated in 1887 and named for the state’s thirteenth governor, William Larrabee. The Community Center is located along Main Street in Larrabee and serves as the meeting place for local organizations including Boy Scouts, the Larrabee Leisure Club, and the local Summer Reading Program, sponsored by the Cherokee Public Library. Adjacent to the community center building is the Larrabee City Park.
Keep your expectations realistic when you enter the drive thru lane at the Tastee Inn & Out, a long-standing institution located just east of Business Highway 75 near downtown Sioux City. The food will be greasy and atmosphere non-existant, but it hits the spot when you’re looking for a local fast-food choice with some menu options you won’t find anywhere else in the area. It all starts with their onion chips, thick-cut onion pieces that are battered and deep fried, served with a side of ranch-like dressing. The chips are available in a number and sizes and make for a great appetizer or a meal in and of themselves.
Beyond the famous onion chips, the Tastee sandwich is another popular menu item. Wrapped in wax paper and served on a soft, small bun, these sandwiches are comprised of seasoned loose-meat hamburger, chopped onions, and a couple pickles. A slice of processed cheese can be added for a quarter. A number of meal options pair sandwiches, fries, or onion chips with one or more sodas — you can usually find a deal to meet your needs and save a dollar or two.
Tastee Inn & Out is open year-round, seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
The 21,000-square-feet Carroll Post Office opened its doors with little fanfare on Monday, July 13, 1970. Built at an estimated cost of $239,000, the air-conditioned facility offered four times the space as the previous building including rooms for record storage, mechanical equipment, mail bags and postal equipment. Customers benefited from the location move with a larger lobby, more post office boxes, and standalone mailboxes in the parking lot to allow letters to be deposited without leaving the car. The previous post office served the Carroll community for 46 years.
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