The Hancock County town of Britt has been connected with hobos since 1974, when several Britt residents joined with hobos Hood River Blackie, Steamtrain Maury, and Feather River John to establish the non-profit Hobo Foundation. After its launch, a National Hobo Convention event was created to take place annually in Britt, and in 1988, the foundation purchased the former Chief Theatre for use as a Hobo Museum. It opened the following year.
In 2004, concerns about deterioration of the 92-year-old theatre building surfaced and the a fundraising effort began to build a new museum in Britt. After five years, only a third of necessary funds had been raised, so the Hobo Foundation board voted to shift efforts toward the improvement and renovation of the Hobo Museum in its current location. Long-term plans are still being reviewed, with immediate goals to improve the building structurally and upgrade heating and air conditioning systems.
The museum is open June through August, or by appointment; visit the Hobo Museum website for details.
In 1935, a cupboard in the local American Legion Hall served as the first library in the Osceola County community of Ashton. The cupboard collection consisted of 50 books borrowed from the Iowa State Traveling Library in addition to a growing number of books donated by the community. By 1940, 408 books had been collected and the library was relocated to the shelves of the Legion Hall kitchen. By 1946, the books were relocated to the old town hall and in 1950, the Ashton City Council officially approved monetary support of the Public Library.
After three years of work to obtain funds for a bigger facility, the present library location opened its doors in May 1973. Other notable moments in the library’s history include acquisition of a public computer in 1992, installation of an outdoor drop box in 1995, and the addition of DVDs to the collection in 2002. Patrons to the Ashton Public Library now have access to over 12,000 books, 600 VHS videos, 250 DVD videos, 180 audio books, and approximately 50 magazines.
Situated just north of the Fayette County community of Clermont is the Montauk Mansion and Historic Site, which was home to Iowa’s 12th governor, William Larrabee, and dates to 1874. Constructed of brick and limestone, the mansion was home to the Larrabee family for more than 100 years before being given to the State Historical Society of Iowa. The home and surrounding property, which overlooks the Turkey River, is open for tours Memorial Day through Labor Day.
In the Sunday Des Moines Register, Kyle Munson filed a story on the loss of post offices in small towns across the state, including the Boone County town of Luther. The pictured photograph closed February 10, 2011, after a truck drove into the side of the building.
Photographs of seventeen of the other post offices set for review are in the below gallery:
The previously-featured Kelley Post Office closed its doors yesterday, February 25, 2011, due to a temporary suspension after the building’s lease was not renewed. The Ames Tribunereported there’ a possibility operations could be restored to Kelley, but during a public meeting, WHO TVnotes Sarah Lindauer of the US Postal Service said they did not foresee this happening due to budget cuts. Residents in the Story County community will now receive mail curbside or in “cluster boxes.”
