The first fire department in the Taylor County town of Gravity consisted of a small tank and hand pump mounted to a two-wheeled cart, pulled to fires either by hand or by horse. The original fire signal was sounded via a hand-rung bell mounted in a tower on the center of Main Street. The cart gave way to a truck in the late 1920s, while the bell was replaced by an electronic bell mounted by the fire station. The current fire station was constructed in 1969; the city hall was originally housed within the building where the smaller garage stall is now located.
Over 1,000 residents in the Marion County town of Pella toured the post office on its opening day, April 26, 1937. The Pella Chronicle wrote the $55,000 post office “fills a long-felt need and it will now be possible to give even better service than before.” The article highlights the spacious lobby, efficient workspace, and damp-proof basement in addition to noting the postmaster’s “luxurious private office which was overflowing with flowers sent by well-wishers.”
Key features on the second level include the “Swing” room where employees may rest during their off-hours and the “peeping gallery,” a space used by postal inspectors for observing employees on the main floor without being seen themselves. Postal service was first established in Pella in 1845 as Lake Prairie.
Catholic services were first held in 1875 in the Union County town of Afton, with the first church constructed four years later. Fire destroyed the building in 1921, and the present facility was completed in 1923. Another fire struck in 1951, though it was limited to the building’s interior, which was quickly repaired and redecorated. The church is served by the priest at Holy Spirit Parish in nearby Creston.
The first public library was organized in the Pocahontas County community of Fonda in 1901 by the Fonda Woman’s Club. The club sponsored the library for 40 years until it was taken over by the city and formal by-laws were adopted on July 28, 1941. The library shares a building with the City Hall and is open five days weekly.
Constructed in 1915, the Mills County Jail continues to hold prisoners while serving as the main offices for the Mills County Sheriff’s Department. The first county jail was built in 1853 of logs and heavy planks, secured by heavy spikes driven in at regular distances. In 1869, a second jail was constructed, which served the county until the third and present jail was built. A committee is currently looking at construction of a new Mills County Law Enforcement Center, though previous attempts to issue a bond for new jail construction have failed.
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