A group of Bohemian immigrants in the growing town of Protivin finalized plans for an independent savings bank in May 1910. Articles of incorporation were adopted and necessary formalities were taken to launch the new bank business. The bank, which had initial capital of $15,000, began operating within a local hardware store October that year, while construction started on a permanent location.
The Bohemian Savings Bank dedicated its new building with a grand opening December 1, 1910. The building was constructed of concrete block to simulate a stone appearance while the interior was finished with oak and a metal-embossed ceiling. The bank survived the depression, and continued to operate independently until 1986, when it was purchased by the Decorah State Bank.
The bank office was converted to a branch office and remained in use until operations were relocated to a modern, larger building in May 1989.
In the spring of 1934 a committee was appointed to study the possibility of establishing a public library in the northeastern Iowa community of Fayette. A constitution and by-laws were officially established in October 1934, and two years later, control of the library shifted to the city council and tax dollars were made available for the organization. After a 1943 fire destroyed the first community-sponsored library, two local couples offered generous donations for a new building, which formally opened in 1952.
The library has seen a series of expansions since 1952 including a 1700-square-foot addition that was completed in 1999. The addition included meeting rooms, handicapped-accessible restrooms, and additional storage for the library. The library is open seven days a week.
The Council Bluffs Public Library operated in this Carnegie-funded building from 1905 to 1998, when operations moved to a modern 65,000-square-foot library building. Constructed at a cost of $70,000, the Council Bluffs building is the largest of the 17 Iowa Carnegie libraries designed by architects Patton and Miller. When the historic facility left empty, the Friends of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum group raised $3.5 million to renovate and repurpose the building for use as the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.
The Union Pacific Railroad Museum features a mix of artifacts dating to the mid-1800s along with interactive exhibits which highlight Union Pacific’s role in the railroad industry and growth of America’s economy. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays year round, a unique public-private arrangement allows the Friends organization to manage museum volunteers, the City of Council Bluffs to lease the building to Union Pacific, and Union Pacific to pay for the museum’s operating expenses.
Built at a cost of $320,000, the present-day Mills County Courthouse was officially dedicated on August 29, 1959. The modern building replaced an aging brick courthouse that served the county for the previous 100 years. The prior courthouse served as the home of the county’s first newspaper and as a temporary barracks for Civil War troops in 1961. Located in southwestern Iowa, Mills County has a population of 14,547.
When the Sibley Post Office was first occupied in late 1960, a plaque was installed bearing the name of President Eisenhower, a Republican. The plaque was replaced with one inscribed with Democratic President John F. Kennedy when the building was formally dedicated in June 1961. Unhappy with the change, Republican Iowa Congressman Charles Hoeven petitioned Postmaster General J. Edward Day to reinstate the original marker inside the new Post Office building.
Though the Postmaster General argued the Democratic designation was “in the interest of historical accuracy,” Representative Hoeven’s subsequent appeal was successful. On August 10, 1961, Postmaster General Day wrote the congressman that he would arrange for the restoration of the original plaque.
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