The history of the United Methodist Church in the Webster County town of Harcourt can be traced to the 1890s, when a group of members of the Swedish Methodist Church in Dayton tired of the trip between the two cities. C.A. Seaborg, the pastor of the Dayton Church, urged the group to investigate the possibility of finding a building in Harcourt. The group raised $730 to purchase a four-year-old church building in the community in June 1900; it had 25 charter members.
In 1950, funds had been accumulated to allow major enlargements and improvements to the building. The cornerstone of the current facility was laid December 10, 1950, with construction completed the following year. New stained glass windows were installed in the 1960s, while extensive interior renovations were made the following decade. The church has shared a pastor with the United Methodist Church in nearby Dayton since 1969.
Postal service was established in Knierim on December 26, 1899, shortly after the town was established. The town was established from lots sold by farmer William Knierim when the Illinois Central Railroad was built in the area. Within two years, town boasted a number of businesses, including a bank, two drugstores, two lumberyards, a hotel, an opera house and a grade school.
Official population peaked at 220 residents in 1910, with growth set back significantly in 1920 when a fire destroyed the entire main street business district. Population now stands at 60; the post office is open four hours each weekday.
The first Methodist church was constructed in the Taylor County town of Sharpsburg in 1886. It served members for 14 years before the church building fell victim to a tornado in September 1900. The church was rebuilt within the same year, remodeled in 1918, and still used today. The church shares a pastor with Methodist churches in the nearby towns of Lenox and Clearfield.
The Clayton County town of Luana was established in December 1867 by William Scott. He named the town for his wife Luana. Now home to 267 residents, the town was officially incorporated in 1911. Luana students are part of the MFL MarMac district, along with nearby communities of Monona, Farmersburg, Marquette and McGregor.
The Iowa State Savings Bank was organized in the unincorporated Marion County town of Tracy in 1903 with a capital of $12,000. The bank originally operated from a former harness shop before a dedicated brick building was constructed in 1912. The bank’s stay in the new building was relatively short-lived, closing its doors in 1927, suffering the fate of thousands of banks across the nation which shuttered during the Great Depression. The century-old building is now home to the Tracy Post Office.
Featuring a new Iowa photo each weekday; dedicated to discovering and documenting the best of small-town Iowa.
![Former Bank Building (and Current Post Office) [Tracy, Iowa]](http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/former_bank_building_tracy_iowa.jpg "Former Bank Building (and Current Post Office) [Tracy, Iowa]")