This modest city hall serves the 243 residents in the Louisa County town of Fredonia, which is located east of the Iowa River just a mile away from the larger community of Columbus Junction. Fredonia was plotted in 1836 and quickly became a bustling trading and shipping center. The first hotel was constructed in 1847, while a grist and saw mill was erected in 1855. The town continued to grow into the 1880s, when the population began to decrease. The post office was shuttered in 1920, with mail routed through nearby Columbus Junction.
The Methodist Church in the Washington County town of West Chester can trace its history to 1845, when a frame cabin chapel was setup for local families to worship. By 1873, the church was officially incorporated and plans were made for a larger building for worship; it was dedicated the following year. Within three decades, the congregation had again outgrown its building, and construction on the current church began in 1914. The church was dedicated October 3, 1915.
A new Lutheran Church was organized in 1856 in the hamlet of Munterville, located 10 miles west of Ottumwa in rural Wapello County. Twenty-two Swedish families were charter members of the church, which met in homes until the first church was constructed in 1865. Services were initially held only in Swedish, but the arrival of English-speaking residents led the church to limit and ultimately end Swedish language services.
The present church building was dedicated in 1901; it was renovated and significantly expanded in 1956.
On December 11, 1893, a meeting was held to establish a church in the Keokuk County town of Hayesville. Quick action was taken, with a new building dedicated the following year, with donated labor, materials, and funds. Originally opened with Methodist affiliation, the church became a non-denominational community church in 1918. A remodeling project was completed in 1947, and a basement was added eight years later.
After 104 years of operation, final services were held on October 4, 1998. Though the church was recently repainted, the interior is unsafe due to damage from a leaky roof and raccoon infestation.
In 1874, a Methodist church was established in a country school building one-half mile south of the present Ringgold County town of Redding.By the turn of the century, a new building was constructed within the Redding city limits, with a significant remodeling project completed in 1905. In 1912, the church was raised and a basement was added, while a kitchen was added to the lower level in 1954.
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