Union Mills is one of the oldest communities in all of Mahaska County, first being settled in 1844 and establishing a post office by 1850. By the 1850's, Union Mills had a saw mill, the first carding machine in Mahaska County, a brick factory,…
Pictured here are members of the Epworth League and other random citizens catching a ride across the Des Moines River in Eddyville, Iowa, in June, 1917. The steamboat is leaving from the docks of the Empire Sand and Material Company. Travel by…
This is a picture of a train passing the Rock Island School in Mahaska County in the early 1900's. When the opportunity arrived, many school teachers would taken passenger trains to and from work in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Pictured here is a war memorial that was dedicated to the men and woman who bravely served the United States military during the American Civil War (1861-1865), Spanish-American War (1898), and World War I (1917-1918). The Woman's Relief Corps. was…
The town square in many small towns across America served as a link for town members to connect with one another. In this photograph, for example, the square allowed for casual socialization among friends, spouses, and business owners. From the…
Tioga was established as a meeting place for coal trains coming from the Muchakinock mines, so the town of Tioga was established and platted on August 24, 1886. The most memorable occurence in Tioga was the train wreck that took place on September…
Thomas Gray enlisted in the Union Army on August 24, 1861. He was from the booming river town of Eddyville, Iowa, located in Mahaska County. After being mustered up the next month, Gray was engaged in some of the earliest battles of the Civil War. …
The bandstand pictured here replaced the old wooden bandstand that was built back in 1882. This bandstand was erected in 1912 and still stands and is made use of to this day.
This is a photograph taken of the Oskaloosa Herald building around 1930. Situated on the corner of South Market Street and A Avenue in downtown Oskaloosa, the paper was first established in 1850 under the title known as the Iowa Herald. In November…
This is a photograph taken of the Oskaloosa Herald building and staff of the publication in 1888. Situated on the corner of South Market Street and A Avenue in downtown Oskaloosa, the paper was first established in 1850 under the title known as the…