IOWA GHOST TOWNS

Palo Alto County, Iowa


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Palo Alto County was so named because of the First Battlefield victory in the Mexican War.
(see Page County for more on that battle.)
Established in 1851

Listed below are names and descriptions of Palo Alto 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.

Black Walnut. A post office from 1868 to 1871 and from 1879 to 1881 in the southern part of Walnut Township, near the West Fork of the Des Moines River.

Blaircowie. The name first given, and for a short time only, to the present village of Osgood.

Cary. A place in the western part of Highland Township, as shown on maps of 1878.

Ellenton. A former railroad station near the northwest corner of Freedom Township, four miles north of Emmetsburg.

Fairville. A former hamlet and post office (1888-1906) in section 2, Fairfield Township.

Fern Valley. A post office (1862-1882) in Fern Valley Township near where now stands the town of Rodman.

Forsyth. A former railroad station and post office (1890-1905) in the northeast part of Independence Township on the Emmet County line.

Great Oak. A Post office (1866-1876) in the southwest corner of section 35, Emmetsburg Township, on the west side of the west Fork of Des Moines River.

Ives. The name first given by the R.C.R. & N. Railroad to the station at West Bend, but name changed before the building of the town bagan.

Lake View. A post office (1872-83) in the western part of secion 21, Silver Lake Township.

Lost Island. A post office (1871-79) near the southnwest corner of section 30, Lost Island Township.

Old Town. The name popularly given to the hamlet which began in 1858 on the east bank of the West Fork of Des Moines River, one and one-half miles west of the present city of Emmetsburg. It grew into a prosperous business village, but in 1874 yielded to the newly laid out railroad town of Emmetsburg.

Paoli. Laid out in 1859 for a town in the northern part of secion 6, Nevada Township, about two miles south of the present city of Emmetsburg. It was the nominal county seat from 1859 until 1875, although it never contained more buildings than an almost worthless court house and a small school house, and the county business was transacted in rented rooms, principally at Old Town. Post office, February 5, 1859 to December 27, 1859.

Poplar Grove. A post office (1872-73) in the western part of West Bend Township.

Rush Lake. A post office from 1869 to 1871 in the southern part of Booth Township.

Sage. The orginal name given the railroad station at Emmetsburg by the Milwaukee road in 1874, but retained but briefly.

Sherlock. A post office (1877-1882) in the northeastern part of Silver Lake Township.

Soda Bar. A post office (1865-76) in section 33, Nevada Township, on the West Fork of the Des Moines river.

Staketown. The local name by which the prospective town of Emmetsburg was known from 1858 to shortly after the coming of the Milwaukee railway in 1874.

West Bend. A post office in the central part of West Bend Township some three miles southwest of the present town of West Bend and on the far side of the West fork of Des Moines river, as shown on maps from 1863-1881.

If you can add any information for the towns above please drop us an email.
Thanks, Mel/Webmaster www.iowaghosttowns.com



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