Banks

State Bank of Brooks (Corning, Iowa)

State Bank of Brooks (Corning, Iowa)

In 1900, George W. Blazer moved from the Adams County seat of Corning to the unincorporated community of Brooks and formed the the first local bank, “Bank of Brooks.” The bank was operated within a corner of O.T. Muzzy’s General Store before before a new wood frame building was constructed in 1902. The Brooks location was updated in 1920, with a new cement block exterior and reinforced vault.

Bank robberies were attempted twice in a three year period in the early 1960s, prompting bank owners to relocate to Corning, which offered better police protection. The current facility was purchased in 1966 and opened as the new home for the Bank of Brooks on February 4, 1963. The bank was one of the last three private banks in the state to be operated as a Banking Partnership. Following the collapse of the Exchange Bank in Bloomfield in September 1983, the bank applied for F.D.I.C. Insurance and a State Bank Charter. It was renamed the State Bank of Brooks on June 22, 1984.

Post Offices

Post Office 52248 (Keota, Iowa)

Postal service was established in the Washington County town of Keota in March 1872, with resident John Wilson appointed postmaster with an initial salary of $1.00 per month. Many firsts are detailed in the Keota Centennial History book, including the first money order being issued July 7, 1874, and the establishment of a rural route from the Keota office on May 18, 1902.

The current post office was built in 1960 and opened January 25 the following year. Home to 355 post office boxes, the air-conditioned building featured all the newest mail handling and sorting equipment.

Churches

United Methodist Church (Brooks, Iowa)

United Methodist Church (Brooks, Iowa)

The United Methodist Church in the unincorporated Adams County community of Corning can trace its history to the 1850s when first services were held in local homes. Services were then held in a Methodist seminary building before a permanent church was constructed in 1883. A fire destroyed the original church structure in the fall of 1922, but funds were quickly raised, and the present facility was constructed the following year.

In 2007, the church underwent extensive updating, including new interior painting and carpet, a new alter, refurbished cross, and framing of stained glass windows from the Corning Baptist Church. In 2008, the exterior received a new coat of paint. An 125-year anniversary celebration was held on June 29, 2008. With around 40 members, the small church averages 15 attendees weekly. It shares a pastor with nearby United Methodist churches in Carl and Carbon.

Public Libraries

Murphy Memorial Library (Monona, Iowa)

Murphy Memorial Library (Monona, Iowa)

The first public library in the Clayton County community of Monona was established in 1929 by the local women’s club. After five years of operation, the city council passed an ordinance to support the library, which was then moved to a room within the city hall. It moved to its present location in 1973, a brick building constructed with funds from the estate of resident Florence Murphy. To honor her generosity, the library was renamed the Murphy Memorial Library.

Courthouses

Kossuth County Courthouse (Algona, Iowa)

Kossuth County Courthouse (Algona, Iowa)

In 1872, construction began on the second Kossuth County Courthouse, which featured a 72-foot high tower constructed at a cost of $40,000. By the 1930s, though, the building was labeled a fire hazard by numerous grand jury inspections. The building was structurally sound, but constantly-oiled wood floors, piles of paper records in the basement, and general deterioration made the building vulnerable to fire.

Following the second World War, the board of supervisors called for an election to issue $500,000 worth of bonds to construct a new courthouse. A vote was taken September 9, 1947, and carried with a 2-to-1 margin. High material costs prevented immediate construction, giving the county time to carefully consider plans for the new building. An architect was hired in 1952 after the board determined further use of the 1872 building was out of question.

Plans were drawn, and a construction bids were accepted in early 1953. By spring, county offices were moved to a temporary quarters and the old courthouse was torn down. Construction on the new Kossuth County Courthouse began in August 1953, and the facility was ready to be occupied by March 1955. The building’s exterior consists of light brick with steel-enforced concrete and accenting stone.

The old courthouse and hand-carved “Court House 1872″ stone were preserved from the old building. They are mounted on the east part of the square.

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