The first courthouse in Benton County was made of logs and lacked both a roof and floor, making court sessions extremely difficult during rainy weather. A local log home served as a backup location before a second courthouse was completed in 1852. Within a year, the new facility was destroyed by fire, and a third courthouse was dedicated in December 1856. The current courthouse was constructed in 1906 at a cost of $105,000. The sandstone building is highlighted by its 112-foot high clock and bell tower. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The first post office was established in the Franklin County community of Coulter on April 30, 1902, with George F. Propst named postmaster. The post office operated inside the general store Propst co-owned for a year, until it was relocated to a spot within the new hardware store constructed the following year. In 1939, it moved to the old hotel building before moving to its current location ten years later. Around 3:00 a.m. on February 8, 1984, the postal box area was damaged and some mail was destroyed. Damage was repaired and the office reopened a short time later.
The Christian Church in the unincorporated Wapello County hamlet of Bladensburg was dedicated July 3, 1904, less than a year after the previous church building was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire. In 1951, the building was raised for construction of a basement, along with the installation of an updated furnace, kitchen utilities, and front doors. A pastor is shared with a Christian Church in Ottumwa.
The first library in the Tama County town of Garwin opened its doors on August 29, 1936, with teas and wafers served throughout the afternoon to celebrate the occasion. Sharing space with a local dentist office, the library’s collection grew to 1,600 books within seven months with as many as 65 books checked out each day. The library was run exclusively by volunteers for over two decades, until a part-time librarian was hired in 1958. The library moved to its present location in March 1960. It continues to serve the community, open five days each week.
On March 18, 1919, the following notice appeared in the Bloomfield newspapers:
A committee of discharged soldiers and sailors who served the war against Germany asks that all Davis County men who have served in the army, navy or marine corps since April 6, 1917 meet at the K.P. Hall in Bloomfield on Thursday night of this week to form an organization… to promote patriotic enterprise, [form] a closer social relation among [service men], and assist [them] in securing employment in civil life.
The first national meeting of the American Legion was held in St. Louis in May 1919, with a Bloomfield post formally established with 122 charter members on June 24. Construction on a permanent home for the Legion began on December 21, 1924. The new facility was officially dedicated October 4, 1925.
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