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…
Olivet was created by the Civil Enginner Free Tufts on June 13, 1877, but the plat of the community wasn't created until July 10th of that year. Coal mining was the chief source of employment for people in this community and all seemed like this…
This is the plat of Oskaloosa as it appeared in 1890. By this point, the town wards were more clearly identified and the town was much more modernized.
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…
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…
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.
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…
Rochester was established as a community in 1850 and served as a major trading center between Eddyville to the southeast and Bellefountaine to the northwest. When transportation needs outside of water changed, the town dried up as families moved…
Rose Hill was once located on two separate places in two different periods of time. The first Rose Hill was known as Rosehill (one word), and was established in 1849. In 1860, the town went out of existence. In Augut of 1875, a new town plat was…
