The four-screen theatre in the Shelby County seat of Harlan in 1882 as Long’s Opera House. By 1930, the theatre was showing primarily movies and rebranded as the Harlan Theatre, which it is still known as today. In the 1990s, adjacent retail buildings were purchased to add two additional screens. In 2002, the original theatre was cut in half, and after time as a clothing store and liquor store, it was remodeled to house a fourth screen. The theatre has been owned by the Backer family for over 50 years.
The history of the Onawa Public Library can be traced to 1894 when the Monona County Jail held 25 books available to the public . Locations changed several times over the next decade before 1906, when a $10,000 grant was received from Andrew Carnegie to construct a new library. The grant was augmented by $20,000 from local Judge Addison Oliver, who contributed funds for both the building and a permanent endowment for future maintenance.
The cornerstone for the present library was laid October 17, 1908, and the building was officially completed fall the following year. The library, which is markedly different architecturally than other Carnegie libraries in the state, was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in October 1979.
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.
The City Hall and Fire Department share a metal building in the southern Iowa town of Russell. Established in October 1867 and named after its founder H.S. Russell, the Lucas County community is home to 559 residents. The Russell Community School District made headlines in March 2008 when the State Board of Education voted unanimously to force the district to close. The decision came after the district was found to be $300,000 in debt and not in compliance with several administrative regulations. Twelve seniors graduated in the final class from Russell High School; most students enrolled in nearby Chariton the following school year.
This modest Post Office building debuted in June 1965 along Main Street in the Benton County community of Keystone. The building featured 688 square feet of interior floor space, and was rented by the U.S. Postal Service for $840 annually from a couple in West Union who constructed and owned the building. The previous Keystone Post Office had 621 square feet of space. Postal service was first established in Keystone on April 18, 1882, one year after the community was settled.
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