Established as a religious community under the leadership of W.R. and Eloise Gilmore, University Park was officially established with a post office dating back to May 15, 1909. The Gilmore's wanted to start a religious school and found 121 acres due…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
