Bellefountaine came one vote shy of being Iowa's state capital on the first ballot to move the state capital from Iowa City on December 4, 1854. Bellefountaine was once a part of Jackson Township, but was changed to Scott Township after the…
Scott Township falls on the western edge of Mahaska County, with the Des Moines river serving as the main portion of its southern border. The communities that once existed in this township included: Bellefountaine, Fishville, Olivet, and Rochester. …
Peoria was first referred to in old history books as "Warrensville", after an early settler named James L. Warren, but the first log cabin built in Peoria was by a man named Bukley. The town was platted by Theodric Spain, George Westlake, 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…
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…
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…
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.
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.
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. …
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…
