City water service was introduced to residents of the unincorporated Marion County town of Tracy on August 30, 1967. A well was drilled and pump house constructed at the Marion/Mahaska county line east of the community, with water piped to pictured water tower.
Postal service was originally established in the Marshall County town of Rhodes in 1860, at which time it was known as Edenville. The name of Rhodes was officially implemented on August 3, 1883, and in the ensuing years, the post office was located in a general store, hardware store, and Masonic Lodge building. The post office moved to its current facility in 1949; in recent years, the storefront was redesigned and handicapped-accessible ramp was added.
The Elberon United Methodist Church can trace its history to 1883, when a few families held services in homes in the Tama County community. As the number of families grew, more space was needed, and in 1884, the church held services in a school house on the west edge of town. The current building was dedicated six years later; a basement was added in 1920, and significant interior improvements were made in the late 1950s. The church, which recently celebrated its 125th anniversary, shares a pastor with churches in Van Horne and Norway.
The Joice Federated Society Club held a special meeting in the spring of 1961 to discuss the establishment of a public library. The meeting featured two area residents spoke of their success in establishing a library in nearby Grafton, and by the end, a decision was made to move forward with the project. By July, the goal was a reality, with an open house held to celebrate the town’s first public library, located in a room within the Joice Fire Station.
By 1965, money had been raised to begin construction of a new library building. The 1,200-square-foot brick building was completed in October for an estimated cost of $14,000. Interior details were finished and books were moved in time for a grand opening at the new library on December 18, 1965.
In 1960, members of Grafton’s Federated Woman’s club sought assistance from the North Central Area Extension Service and Iowa State Traveling Library to setup a plan to establish a small community library. The town council agreed to appoint a library board, set aside funds for the library, and establish a public library in a small room at the pumping station.
The library quickly outgrew its space, so the board began raising funds for construction of a new library. Fundraising culminated with a one-day “Harvest Festival” in October 1964, which yielded $2,000 for the new building. In 1965, Northwood contractors were hired to construct the 1,200-square-foot library which included a kitchen work-room, two restrooms and a fully-furnished basement. Construction was completed quickly, with an open house held August 25, 1965.