Indianapolis, located on the northwestern portion of Monroe Township, was the most significant community ever to rise in the township, being founded in 1845. At its high point in the 1880's, Indianapolis was a booming community, with saw mills,…
The Village of Milbourn came into existence on November 4, 1854. At first the village fell into Adams Township, but William and Rebecca Kirk consented to have the village fall into their land, therefore placing Milbourne in Monroe Township. …
Pleasant Grove Township is located in the northeastern most point of Mahaska County. The only community that still exists in Pleasant Grove Township is Barnes City. However, Agricola and Oneska were other small villages that once existed in the…
Agricola was a farm community that came about from the Latin word meaning "farmer" on January 27, 1855. Most of its residents, like most in Mahaska County, came from Ohio. When New Barnes, now called Barnes City, was founded, Agricola residents…
Barnes City was founded under the name of New Barnes until the town of Barnes City was chartered in 1898. Barnes City came about as a result of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad needing a central link between Montezuma and Thornberg. …
Prairie Township is located in the northern part of Mahaska County. Its chief community falls to that of New Sharon. Other communities that once existed in this township included Taintor and Flint, but they no longer remain.
Taintor was a village established in 1882 as a central trading point for farmers, pioneers, and their families. This is a map of Taintor from the original plat in 1882.
New Sharon was settled by unexpected pioneers of the day, back in the 1840's and 1850's. John Hiller, a biracial person, was the first inhabitant of Prairie Township, and established an illegal trading post in the region in 1844, one year after the…
Richland Township is located in ther northwestern most part of Mahaska County, bordering Jasper County to its north and Marion County to its west. Peoria is the last remaining community in the township, but the villages of Bernina or Lower Grove and…
Granville was platted by Theodore Spain on June 18, 1851. By January of 1883, the post office of this town closed, because like so many other small communities in Mahaska County, the railroad missed them. This is a town map in 1913. Notice how the…