Get me lost in Iowa

[Turbo]

Lyman, Grant, Morton Mills, and Tenville. All on hwy 71. The Hayloft bar in Grant is one of my favorites. The sign in Tenville reads population 15 I think.

fish and chicken night at the Hayloft is always worth the money

 

[Turbo]

Strolling through some of the 2010 census data (yes I'm that cool) here are a few fun facts about small towns in Iowa.

Littleport appears to be the latest city that no longer exists, with a population of 26 in 2000 the city is no longer incorporated. In 1930 it was a striving town of 203 people.

Shrinking Iowa towns, here are some of the towns that have seen the most dramatic fall from their prime in the early 1900s...

Blanchard - Only 38 people, once was 520 (1900)
Athelstan - Only 19, once was 255 (1900)
Beaconsfield & Le Roy are both only 15 people, used to be 201 & 185 respectively.

Mystic had 2,796 people in 1920; now only has 425 as of 2010 and still declining.
What Cheer is currently only 646; a far cry from its' 3,246 in 1890.

By the numbers, the difference in the 2010 population compared to the cities peak population: Ottumwa with nearly 9,000 lower than its' peak in 1960. Clinton, Waterloo, Burlington, Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, Keokuk, Dubuque and Fort Madison round out that top 10. Obviously they are larger towns to the percentage isn't as dramatic, by percentage the top 10 shrinking towns:

Blanchard, Athelstan, Beaconsfield, Le Roy, Carbon, Conway, Elkport, Spring Hill, Jolley & Numa.

Carbon has a decent bar with good food and gravel roads going out of town. Perfect location.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&r...code_result&ct=image&resnum=3&ved=0CCkQ8gEwAg

If you go south of Cumberland to get to Carbon, you drive through Reno, which used to be a few buildings, but now only one is standing. The church is a quarter mile away

 

[DesertClone1]

That's him.

great guy, what's he up to nowadays, i know he isn't teaching anymore, family farm?

 

[dualthreat]

Oh, Otranto definitely deserves the mention, don't get me wrong.

I drove through Meltonville once on a road trip to Myrtle.

It could win this thread! I think there were 2 houses and a meth lab guarded by an angry German Shepherd.

Road trips to Myrtle...

I see what u did there

 

[ruflosn]

Fraser, Iowa

The Enterprise, IA thread got me thinking about this, and it is discussed to some extent in there. Any of us that grew up in rural Iowa had one of those "towns" nearby that are nothing more than a couple houses and maybe a store, a church, or a gas station. Most of them are probably unicorporated now, if they ever were. What's your's?

I had a couple of them. The first was Elon. It's now 4 houses and what's left of the building that used to be the Old Elon Store. It's about 7-8 miles east of Waukon, and is a suburb of Waterville. Waterville still has their elementary school, but the bank, the creamery, and the post office have all long since closed down. If you pass through either of these places, odds are you're on a road trip.

 

[cychhosis]

Best chicken in NW IA- Gas Lantern, Pierson IA

Mt. Hamil Tap in Mr. Hamil would claim Southeast Iowa. Their slogan: "To get a better piece of chicken, you have to be a rooster.":smile:

 

[ty4cy90]

Learned it from a local. 75% of my college buddies were OHS alums.

Nice, I have yet to be picked up for speeding taking that route either. Knock on wood.

 

[isubucky72]

Plain View, has a bar called slabys- just west of maysville
Big rock, between wheat land and Dixon
Oswego, only a cemetery now, south of oelwein
German valley, up by titonka
Alpha, up by west gate and hawkeye
Grew up in oelwein and road my bike to randalia

Plain View and Big Rock are solid additions. Big Rock is in my neck of the woods. There is a fresh water spring there that they added a spigot to and many use to get water for it's health benefits. The grocery store closed a couple years ago.

New Liberty and Dixon are worth mention as well.

 

[MRN4ISU]

Is that still there? Gas Lantern, I think it was (is?) called?

Ate there many times w/ family -- but most recent was probably 20-plus years.

Yes sir! I love around the Moville area, and we eat there a few times a month. The Orange Roughy is damn good too..
The Gas Lantern is a local landmark lol

 

[MRN4ISU]

I'm living in Ames this summer... any good small town food joints within 50-60 miles? seeing other small towns is always worth the drive
:spinny:

 

[isubucky72]

Not an incorporated town, but little burb on the Cedar River...

Sutliff

Has a bar with good food and a historic bridge crossing the Cedar River. Remember as a kid crossing with a car and being scared to death. Then it turned into a pedestrian bridge and in 2008 the river took the first span. There are plans to replace it, but I doubt it will happen.

 

[FarminCy]

I'm living in Ames this summer... any good small town food joints within 50-60 miles? seeing other small towns is always worth the drive
:spinny:

Flat Heads in St. Anthony

Starbucks in Nevada (not the coffee chain)

Country House in Colo

Place on 69 in Gilbert (can't remember name)

BFab BBQ in Huxley

 

[Danger]

Buck Grove, Kesley, Austinville.

If you are mentioning Buck Grove with Kesley and Austinvile, you are talking about the Grundy Co. one with 2 houses. There is another Buck Grove in Crawford Co, pop about 50. Yeah there are 2 Buck Groves.....only in Iowa.

 

[TedFlintKansas]

I'm living in Ames this summer... any good small town food joints within 50-60 miles? seeing other small towns is always worth the drive:spinny:

Flat Heads in St. AnthonyStarbucks in Nevada (not the coffee chain)Country House in ColoPlace on 69 in Gilbert (can't remember name)BFab BBQ in Huxley

How can you not mention the Open Flame in this list

 

[clone2011]

I think the Open Flame was the "place on 69 in Gilbert"

 

[Acylum]

If you are mentioning Buck Grove with Kesley and Austinvile, you are talking about the Grundy Co. one with 2 houses. There is another Buck Grove in Crawford Co, pop about 50. Yeah there are 2 Buck Groves.....only in Iowa.

I was going to post about the two Buck Groves but you beat me to it. The Grundy county one was wiped out by a tornado, my grandpa actually watched the tornado from his farm. I know there were deaths involved but I don't know how many. Not sure of the year either.

Edit: Forgot I wanted to mention Faulkner, Robertson, and Poseyville. I think Robertson is completely gone now- literally plowed under.

 

[Transient]

I'll say Iowa Center if it wasnt already mentioned some 19 odd pages back, plus.... for those of us from the waaaaayyyyyy baaaaaack. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_5G_rKKTE]Stranded In Iowa - Manfred Mann's Earth Band - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ruflosn]

Go to Pickle's in Kamrar for pizza. It's about 30 miles north of Ames.

I'm living in Ames this summer... any good small town food joints within 50-60 miles? seeing other small towns is always worth the drive
:spinny:

 

[TRZA]

Flat Heads in St. Anthony

Starbucks in Nevada (not the coffee chain)

Country House in Colo

Place on 69 in Gilbert (can't remember name)

BFab BBQ in Huxley

I've been to all these places and the only one I wouldn't recommend is Starbucks in Nevada.

 

[Al_4_State]

Road trips to Myrtle...

I see what u did there

I was hoping someone would catch that.