The Martensdale Lions Club was organized December 26, 1972, with 22 charter members. Over its 40-year history, the organization has supported or sponsored a number of community services and events, ranging from eye glasses for school children to the Martensdale-St. Marys annual reunion picnic. The former grocery store building was purchased and remodeled for use as the Lions Club Hall; it’s currently used for meetings and various community activities.
Postal service was first established in the Poweshiek County town of Guernsey in 1885, with local businessman Leonard B. Lowrey serving as the first postmaster. A rural route from Guernsey was established in 1901, with the first rural carrier serving about 110 families by horse and buggy. On June 30, 1957, hours and services were reduced as the Guernsey Post Office was converted to a branch location managed by the post office in nearby Montezuma. It moved to its final location, a private residence-turned-town hall, in 1974. The post office was officially shuttered on June 17, 2011; the 25 resident box holders installed mailboxes in front of their home and now receive rural delivery.
The Christian Reformed Church in Tracy was first organized in the nearby town of Harvey on May 29, 1902. The congregation moved to Tracy in 1914, with first services held in the old schoolhouse. The former school served members until 1945 when it was torn down and the current church was built on the same site. Much lumber from the school building was reused for construction of the new church.
On April 20, 1920, the American Legion Post No. 471 was organized in the Grundy County town of Dike with 16 charter members. The present legion building was purchased and renovated in 1929, with funds coming from the County Memorial Fund, a contribution from the town fire department, and a bond issue. In 1974, the building was remodeled and expanded; ten years later, the facility was turned over to the city and it is now known as the Dike Memorial Center.
The first record of a library in the Cerro Gordo County town of Swaledale comes from a newspaper article dated November 7, 1923. Mrs. William Leonard, president of the local Parent-Teacher Association, led the effort to establish a library, which officially opened the following Saturday, November 10. It was housed within a local general store with an initial collection of 75 books.
The current incarnation of the library dates to March 1973, when a meeting was held to formally organize a community-supported public library. The library opened officially opened on June 29, 1973. It was moved to its present location in 1975, with an addition completed in June 1980. Open five days each week, the Swaledale Public Library is run by librarian Nancy Watt.