IOWA GHOST TOWNS
Jasper County, Iowa
WEB SPACE PROVIDED BY:
www.rootsweb.com
Back to:
Jasper County got it's name from William Jasper.
Who was a Sergeant in the Revolutionary War.
Established in 1846
Listed below are names and descriptions of Jasper County towns
and villages, many have long ago disappeared,
Some became a part of other towns, that are still in existance
today.
The list below was taken from the Annuls of Iowa Vols. XVII & XVIII.
Used with permission from the State Historical Society of Iowa
Would you like to help with this project? Do you know of more information about
any of these towns?
We would appreciate it if you would send it to us. Descriptions pictures etc.
For verification purposes, please list where you obtained the information.
You can click on the Towns with an asterisk* for more information.
ADAMSONVILLE. In the western part of Buena Vista Township. Post office, 1877-78.
BAXTER. The post office of Baxter was in existence from as early as 1873 and was
located about one mile southwest of the present town of Baxter. On the establishment
of the latter in 1883 the post office was removed to the new town.
BUSH. Listed' in the U. S. Official Register of 1859 as a post office in Jasper
County, and thought to have been in the vicinity of the present . railroad station
of Metz.
CARR. The post office from 1851 to 1855 at what later became Vandalia, which see
below.
CLYDE. A village in the central part of section 11, Clear Creek Township. Platted
in 1857. Post office, 1859-1903.
DAIRY GROVE. In the east section 24 of Elk Creek Township. Post office, 1867.
DAWSON. In section 15, Independence Township, as shown on maps of 1868 and 1869:
It was succeeded by Independence Center, which see below.
DIXIE. The former name of Turner, which see below.
DRAPER. A former mining camp in the east section 34 of Fairview Township, about four
miles east of Monroe. Post office, 1881-87.
ELK CREEK. In the north central part of Elk Creek Township. Post office, 1853.
ELLOTT. The name of the present town of Prairie City for the first year or two of
its existence. It was platted as Elliott in 1856.
FARMERSVILLE. Platted in 1876 on ground east of and adjacent to the location of the
present hamlet and railway station of Metz. It had a post office for a brief time,
but was changed to Metz in 1878..
GODDARD. A station on the former Newton & Northwestern Railroad in the northeast
corner of section 29, Sherman Township.
GREENCASTLE. A town in the northern part of section 14, Poweshiek Township, platted
in 1855, and prosperous in its day. Post office, 1857 1900. A few houses still there.
HORN. In section 23, Malaka Township. Post office, 1869-89.
INDEPENDENCE CENTER. A post office in 1871 near the center of Independence Township,
the successor of Dawson (see above) and the predecessor of Baxter, which see above.
JASPER CITY. The name first given to what is now the town of Kellogg. It was platted
in 1865 and the name changed to Kellogg in 1873.
KIMBALL. The name of the post office at Jasper City (which see above) from 1866 to
1869, when the name was changed to Kellogg.
MONROE CITY. Located about midway between the towns of Monroe and Prairie City, partly
in Des Moines and partly in Fairview Townships, and is now penetrated by the Des Moines
Valley branch of the C., R. I. & P. Ry. It was platted in 1847, the intention being
to make it the capital of the state.
MORRISTOWN. Listed in the 1855 U. S. Official Register as a post office in
Jasper County, and thought to have been in the vicinity of the later station of Oswalt,
which see below, but not found on the maps of that period.
NEWTON CITY. The original name of the present city of Newton. It was platted in 1846
and the name changed to Newton in 1847.
NORTH SKUNK RIVER. A post office in section 4, Richland Township (1855-59), near
the stream of the same name.
OSWALT. A station on the former Colfax & Northern Railroad, in section 33, Poweshiek
Township. Post office, 1889-93.
PALMYRA. In the northern part of Independence Township, as found on maps of 1856
to 1862.
PARKERSBURG. In the north central part of Mound Prairie Township and near the south
side of South Skunk River. Post office, 1851-59.
PLEASANT VIEW. In section 35, Kellogg Township. Post office, 1859-
PRAIRIEBELLE. In section 32, Washington Township. Post office, 1900-1903.
QUINCY. A name given to what later became the town of Vandalia, which see below.
RUSHVILLE. A village platted in 1857 in the northeast corner of section 9, Kellogg
Township.
SEEVERS. A coal mining town about three miles southeast of Colfax. post office,
1903-14.
SUGAR CREEK. In the southeastern part of Richland Township. Post office, 1862-71.
TOOL'S POINT. The name first given to the present town of Monroe. It was platted
in 1850 as Tool's Point, and the post office received the same name, but the change
was made to Monroe a year or two later.
TURNER. A former station on the C., R. 1. & P. Railway in Rock Creek Township.
VANDALIA. A village in the southwest portion of section 20, Des Moines Township.
It was laid out in 1853 and was prosperous in the 1860's. Post office, 1857-1903.
VOWELLS. The name. by which Farmersville (which see above) was first shown on the
maps.
WARREN GROVE. Listed in the U. S. Official Register as a post office in Jasper
County from 1869 to 1871, but not found on the maps of that period.
WILLIAMSVILLE. Listed in the 1869 U. S. Official Register as a post office in
Jasper County, and thought to have been in the neighborhood of Woodville, which see
below.
WOODVlLLE.. A station on the Des Moines Valley Railroad in the western part of Washington
Township, as shown on maps from 1868 to 1878.
WITTEMBURG. In the eastern part of section 3, Newton Township, about four miles north
of the city of . Newton. It was platted in 1856, and the Wittemburg Manual Lahor
College was established there. A Congregational church still remains.
If you can add any information for the towns above please drop us an email.
Thanks, Mel/Webmaster www.iowaghosttowns.com
Rushville, Iowa
Located in Kellogg Twp., in Jasper County, was originally a
stage coach stop.
The town was platted on March 24, 1857 by Jesse and Jane
Young. It was located in the NW Quarter of the NE Quarter in Section 9, T80,
R18.
The one and only store that existed was owned by the Whitcombs and the post
office was in the store.
The Rushville Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in April 25, 1855 and
the church building was built in 1887. Prior to that, the church services
were held in the school building. Most of the social life in Rushville was
centered around the church and school.
The original residents of Rushville were the Owens, Morris, Adams, Whitcomb,
Wilson, Alloway, and Callison families.
The Morris's came from Ohio and the Wilson's came from Indiana. Wilson
family lore has it that the name of Rushville came from Rushville, IN., the
area from where the Robert White Wilson family was from in 1854.
The railroad by-passed Rushville and the decline of the community began.
The Rushville school was consolidated into Kellogg in 1957 and the building
was later torn down.
All that remains today is a memorial plot containing a large bolder with a
plaque, an old water hand pump and a flag pole. The Rushville cemetery also
remains and is well kept on land that was originally donated by the Callison
family.
There is a Bi-annual Reunion (odd numbered years) held each summer in Mariposa
Park in that area for ancestors of the families from that area. The Rushville
Women hosts that event.
Submitted by D. Wilson
Here are some pictures submitted by D. Wilson.
GO BACK To the list
Click on a picture to get a larger view.
Then use your browsers back button to return.
The memorial (picture on the right) and a cemetery is all that is left
of Rushville
Interested in helping maintain this county?
Click on the "SEND EMAIL" link below.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION...Read this first.
All content sent in must be "copyright free"
and be family friendly.
Sorry! but anything that isn't can not be posted.
Everything is subject to the approval of the Web Master.
CLICK
TO SEND EMAIL
NOTE: Please use the subject of "Iowa ghost towns"
Because of all the spam and viruses coming in
I do not open unsolicited email
So Please, use the subject line of "Iowa ghost towns".
RELATED WEBSITES
1. Rootsweb
2. American History and Geneology Project
OTHER WEBSITES OF INTEREST
FREE recipes
Go Back To:
All pages on this site belong to THE IOWA GHOST TOWNS PROJECT
All content is believed to be copyright free,
If you see any that is not
Please bring it my attention - Webmaster
.