The unincorporated community of Selma is located four miles south of Eldon in Van Buren County in southeastern Iowa. It was established in 1851, though the first home in the area now known as Selma was constructed in 1835, before settlers could legally be there. After a series of names, including Independent, Stumptown and Hickory, before Selma was officially designated as the town name in 1882. Their red, white and blue town sign highlights the town’s zip code, which remains even though the post office location was discontinued in 1995.
In 1899, the local parish granted a parcel of land to the town to construct a new water tower in the Dubuque County community of New Vienna. Built with a rock foundation, the tower featured a 30,000 gallon tank and a 200 feet deep well. The pump was originally powered by a windmill, which was removed in favor of an electric turbine. In 1983, a new steel tower was constructed via federal grant money, and the stone tower was abandoned with the exception of the well. The water tower is part of a district added to the National Register of Historical Places in 2000.
The Muscatine Journalreports that the pictured Graffiti Barn was destroyed in an early morning fire; arson is suspected. Located two miles west of Grandview on Highway 92, the Graffiti Barn had become an area landmark. The barn was covered with many layers of graffiti, primarily painted by students from the Louisa-Muscatine and Columbus Junction school districts.
When the Turner Opera House in downtown Elkader was destroyed by fire in 1902, the community banded together and within four days raised $10,000 for the construction of a new opera house. A new facility was constructed less than a year after the fire, and the Elkader Opera House opened its doors with the performance of the George M. Cohen musical The Governor’s Son on November 26, 1903. After serving as a community room, dance hall, roller rink, library and more, the century-old building has undergone a significant renovation to restore the theater to its original state.
Interior features include a horseshoe balcony, unique ruby glass chandelier and a stage curtain advertising local businesses from Elkader’s history. The opera house continues to be used today; a schedule of events, including performances from well-known groups and local community players, can be found on the Elkader Opera House website.
On December 7, 2000, a natural gas leak at a plumbing company sparked an explosion that tore through the business district of the Hardin County town of Hubbard. While there were fortunately no serious injuries, every downtown business was damaged and windows were broken in nearby homes. The heaviest damage was caused to Peet’s Plumbing, where the explosion originated, but other buildings saw collapsed walls, broken glass, and damaged signs. The Hubbard Post Office was the least damaged of the buildings on Main Street and was back in operation just three weeks following the explosion, the first business on the block to resume normal operation.
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