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.
Wright was named after the Wright family which had to come to settle the area prominently in the 1860's and 70's. It became a town with a post office on January 29, 1883. Like many other communities in Mahaska County, its purpose involved 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…
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…
Lakonta was created by Congressman John F. Lacey in 1900 for the purpose of coal mining extraction. The railroad came right through this community and served the coal mining industry there very well. Lakonta is now called Traux. It is speculated…
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,…
This is a city plat of Eddyville as it appeared in 1871. Eddyville was founded in 1840 by Jabish P. Eddy of Ohio. Establishing a trading post along the banks of Des Moines River, Eddy plotted out his vision for the town before the Sac and Fox…
Evans, formerly known as Elida due to the Elida Coal Company operation at a close distance, was founded in 1872 in honor of D.J. Evans, a prominent citizen of the town. Like many communities in Mahaska County, Evans was a coal mining town that…
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…
