The Bremer County town of Fredericksburg was founded in 1856, named for its first settler, Frederick Patton. The town, which is home to 931 residents, was formally incorporated in 1894. As the self-proclaimed dairy capital of the state, Fredericksburg holds its annual Dairy Days event each June.
Postal service arrived at the Allamakee County town of New Albin in August 1872. Early postal history is detailed in The First 100 Years of New Albin book, noting mail was hauled to the community by train, with three daily deliveries. The post office occupied a number of buildings and storefronts before moving to its current location in 1967.
The Mission Committee of the Iowa District of American Lutheran Churches decided to establish a congregation in the Floyd County community of Marble Rock in December 1944 under the leadership of Rev. I.J. Deines from nearby Greene. The first services were held in the Christian Church building in February 1945, with 80 people present for the afternoon service. Within two years, members began raising money to purchase the building; the $1,300 sale was made official on October 12, 1947.
The church was formally dedicated on November 30, 1947; a basement was added in 1955.
Postal service was first established in the Appanoose County town of Udell in November 1883. A post office operated for seven years before temporarily closing with mail re-routed to nearby Unionville. Service resumed in March 1893, more than a decade before the town was officially incorporated. Named for a local doctor Nathan Udell, the community’s population peaked in 1920 with 214 residents.
After nearly 120 years of continuous service, the post office closed its doors on September 23, 2011. Udell’s current population numbers 41.
The Mitchell County town of St. Ansgar was established in 1854 by the Reverend Claus Clauson. The town name was chosen in honor of a French monk, who was a ninth-century missionary to bring Christianity to Scandinavian countries. The town’s slogan, the Garden Spot of Iowa, represents the community trees and gardens surrounded by country farmland. The town was officially incorporated in 1876.