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Western & Eastern Treasures

Ghost Town USA Column Index for Iowa.

Like many other states in America’s Heartland, Iowa is exceptionally rich in ghost towns.  What caused so many towns to die?  In general, the number one ghost town creator is failure of the town’s economy.  That failure can be caused by many factors, but the three major triggers were: agriculture, mining and railroads.

AGRICULTURE – As transportation methods improved in the mid-1900s, it was easy to hop in the family car or truck and drive to a larger town where shopping choices were better.  This led to a gradual slowdown in business in the local communities.  When major discount department stores expanded nationwide beginning in the 1960s, the mom & pop stores couldn’t compete, and began to fold.  Also many farm families would sell out at retirement, and the farms would be taken over by major agricultural conglomerates, which because of mechanized farming, had no need for the little towns, which would then fade into oblivion.

MINING – Coal mining throughout Iowa contributed hundreds of small coal mining camps and larger company towns.  As mining declined in the post-WW II years, these mining camps either had to transform their economies or perish.  Most took the later route and disappeared.

RAILROADS – There were three categories of ghosts created by the railroads. 

·        Temporary construction camps that would move as tracks progressed across the countryside.  They often had large transient populations of workers and others who tried to provide diversions to liberate money from the workers. 

·        Railroad stations.  When trains switched from coal to diesel fuel the need for water stops and coal refilling stations declined.  Also, as agricultural communities began fading in the mid 20^th Century, the need for many railroad shipping centers in rural also faded.  The need for stations also declined as other transportation methods carried people.

·        Relocation of towns occurred when railroads would come through the area, but miss an established town by a mile or more.  Often the townsfolk would pack up the town and relocate it to the railroad, leaving the old site abandoned.

This has just been a sampling of the 1000+ ghost towns residing in Ghost Town USA’s Iowa files.  If you know of any ghost towns in the Hawkeye State that are not listed here, or know the current status of towns listed with little information, please contact us.  If it isn’t in our files, we would be happy to add it, AND feature it on this page with the appropriate credit to you.

A number of Central Central Iowa’s ghost towns were featured as our Ghost Town of the Month for April 2002

PLEASE NOTE: Where photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page.  Additional photos will be added over time.

ANDERSONVILLE

Marion Co.

Also known as the Anderson Mine, this class A-coal mining camp is located three miles north of Pershing.  The site is on 165^th Ave where the huge gas pipeline crosses the road. N

ARISPE

Union Co.

This class D-agricultural community had a 1990 population of 89, and is located on US 169, six miles south of Afton.

AYRSHIRE

Palo Alto Co.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

BAXTER

1st site

Jasper Co.

First called Independence Center, this old agricultural community was located near "Modern" Baxter (1990 pop 938), which is located on State Highway (SH) 223, five miles west of the junction with SH 14, at a point nine miles north of Newton. 

BUXTON

Monroe Co.

A 1920s era coal mining camp.  Once Iowa’s largest, with a peak population of 6000.  Location not determined.

CALEDONIA

Ringgold Co.

On County Route (CR) J55, three miles east of CR P46, at a point six miles south of Mt. Ayr.  A cemetery marks the site.  

See our CALEDONIA page for additional details.

Caledonia was our Ghost Town of the Month for September 2003.

CALHOUN

Harrison Co.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

CORLEY

Shelby Co.

See our CORLEY page for additional details.

This was our Ghost Town of the Month for February 2011.

This is one of the towns which had a photograph of it featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

DELPHOS

Ringgold Co.

This class D agricultural community had 48 folks in 1990, and is located on CR P32, three miles east of Benton, seven miles southwest of Mt. Ayr.  

E ½ Sec 30, W ½ Sec 29, T68N, R30W.

DUNREATH

Marion Co.

This coal-mining center was along the Wabash Railroad three miles northwest of Red Rock, on the north side of the Des Moines River, 13 miles west of Red Rock Dam.  Drowned by the Red Rock Reservoir in 1969.  Some of the mines included the Black Diamond, Findley and Success mines.

NW 1/4 Sec 27 (Redrock Township)

EVERIST

Marion Co.

A coal mining camp southeast of Attica in the southeastern corner of the county, five or six miles south of Pershing.   It was located near the junction of SH 5 and SH 156 west of Bussey.

FLAGLER

Marion Co.

Early 1900s era coal mining camp with a maximum population said to have reached 1000.  In 1990 it had 50.  Located five miles east of Knoxville, just off CR T15.  Mines include the Clarke and Fortner Mine.

FORT ATKINSON

Winneshiek Co.

A class A-pioneer military post on SH 24, 16 miles southwest of Decorah.

GALESBURG

Jasper Co.

A fading rural agricultural community on CR T14, 1 mile south of the junction of CR T14 and CR F62, at a point 4.3 miles east of Reasoner, in the southeast part of the county.

Greencastle

Jasper Co.

See our Greencastle page for additional details.

Greencastle was our Ghost Town of the Month for March 2005.

HILLSDALE

Mills Co.

In Center Township, along an abandoned section of the Burlington Northern Railroad, four miles due west of Malvern, on the east side of US 275 at the junction with CR H38.  At one time had 300 people.

ICONIUM

Appanoose Co.

On SH 142, between the north county line and Rathbun Lake.

IMOGENE

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

KNIFFEN

Wayne Co.

On the railroad, 3.5 miles west of Seymour. 

SE 1/4, SW 1/4 Sec 18, T68N, R20W

LICKSKILLET

Wayne Co.

On the bank of the South Chariton River where old Hwy 14 crossed the river, between Chariton and Centerville.

METZ

Jasper Co.

Shown on a 1901 plat map at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific RR (running northwest-southeast) with an unnamed main road in Mound Prairie Township.

MINEOLA

Mills Co.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

MONTPELIER

1st site

Muscatine Co.

This pioneering town site is located along the Mississippi River, three miles east of the present site of Montpelier.  It is just west of the mouth of Pine Creek, nine miles west of the junction of I-280 and SH 22, west of Davenport.  A few people still live in the area.

NISHNIBOTNA FERRY

Cass Co.

The Nishnibotna River ferry was a major stopping point/river crossing along the Mormon Trail, and was located west of present-day Lewis.

PACIFIC CITY

Mills Co.

An 1860s era railroad town that was located along the present Burlington Northern Railroad, about two miles north of present day Pacific Junction, and due west of Glenwood.

PACIFIC JUNCTION is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & Today^TM.

REDDING

Ringgold Co.

A class D – fading agricultural community with a 1990 population of 128 people.  It is located on US 169, 2.5 miles north of the state line, 12 miles southwest of Mt. Ayr. 

S ½ Sec 11, N ½ Sec 14, T67N, R31W.

REEDERS MILL

Harrison Co.

Also known as Hardscratch, this ghost town in Harrison County, Iowa was located southeast of Logan.  There is a sign commemorating the town, which was commonly known as Hardscratch.  Its official name was Reeders Mill. 

Information from an E-mail from Elizabeth Callaghan (9/14/2002)

SAND RIDGE

Mahaska Co.

A pioneer settlement just north of the county line, 2.5 miles north of Eddyville, which is at the junction of SH 137/23, ten miles south of Oskaloosa, and 15 miles northwest of Ottumwa.  It may have only been a couple families.  Actual location not determined.

SHANNON CITY

Union Co.

A fading town with a 1990 population of 93, and a gap-toothed main street with abandoned buildings.  It is located on the county line, just west of US 169, several miles south of Arispe.

TALMADGE

Union Co.

On US 34, 5.3 miles east of Afton, where the railroad crosses the highway, at a point 1.7 miles west of the junction of US 34 /US 169.  Nothing remains

THAYER

Union Co.

With only 87 folks here in 1990, this fading agricultural community is just north of US 34, 1.6 miles east of the junction of US 34/US 169, at a point 6.6 miles south of Lorimor.

VOLNEY

Allamakee Co.

A small class D - agricultural community with a 1990 population of 20.  It is located on CR X26 where it crosses the Yellow River, midway between McGregor and Waukon.

WESTFIELD

Poweshiek Co.

Several miles southwest of Grinnell, on the west county line and just north of I-80.

Historians estimate that there may be as many as 50,000 ghost towns scattered across the United States of America.

Gary B. Speck Publications is in process of publishing unique state, regional, and county guides called

The Ghost Town Guru's Guide to the Ghost Towns of “STATE”™

These original guides are designed for anybody interested in ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind them, they will be a welcome addition to any ghost towner's library.

Thank you, and we'll see you out on the Ghost Town Trail!

For more information on the ghost towns of IOWA, contact us at

Ghost Town USA.

E-mailers, PLEASE NOTE:

Due to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer open or respond to e-mails with unsolicited attachments, OR messages on the subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help Please”, “???”, or blank subject lines, etc.  If you do send E-mail asking for information, or sharing information, PLEASE indicate the appropriate location AND state name, or other topic on the “subject” line.

THANK YOU!  :o)

IMPORTANT

These listings and historical vignettes of ghost towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in IOWA above are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites.

If the reader of this guide is a metal detector user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic hunting, it is the READER'S responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners. Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or local laws restricting the same.

When you are exploring the ghost towns of IOWA, please abide by the

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics.