Browse Items (10 total)

Beacon, once known as the town of Enterprise, did not fully switch its name over until 1874. Beacon's success revolved around its coal mining connection and proximity to the railroad lines. Before Oskaloosa, the county seat of Mahaska County,…

Beacon, once known as the town of Enterprise, did not fully switch its name over until 1874. Beacon's success revolved around its coal mining connection and proximity to the railroad lines. Before Oskaloosa established a railroad line through its…

Religion has always played a very important role in Mahaska County, Iowa. One of the credits to the county has been its people's tolerance for others to worship freely without fear. Pictured here is the Congregational Church in Beacon, Iowa, around…

This was a photograph taken of a Gaar Scott Threshing Machine owned by Frank Harris in Beacon, IA, in 1901. The threshing machine was a mechanism designed to help farmers separate wheat grain from their stalks. The original threshing machine was…

This is a picture of downtown Beacon, Iowa, which is in Mahaska County, around the year 1910. Kilbourne Street was and still is considered the Main Street in Beacon. Note the streetcar in the picture with the cable line running just above it and…

This is a picture of downtown Beacon, Iowa, which is in Mahaska County, around the year 1910. Kilbourne Street was and is like the Main Street in other communities. Note the streetcar line in the photograph, which was a popular means of…

This is a picture of downtown Beacon, Iowa, circa 1910. Note the railroad track running straight through the middle of the busy downtown block pictured here. Beacon used to service more people via railroad than its neighbor, Oskaloosa.

Religion has always played a very important role in Mahaska County, Iowa. One of the credits to the county has been its people's tolerance for others to worship freely without fear. Pictured here is the First Baptist Church in Beacon, Iowa, in…

This photograph depicts the miners from the town of Beacon on October 28, 1907. Miners worked long hours and were not given many days off.

This is a still photograph taken of Manoah Hedge, who is credited with writing the first contemporary history of Mahaska County Iowa. His book entitled, Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa includes detailed, biographical accounts of citizens who…