Drive yourself through Buchanan County The Barn Quilts of Buchanan County is a newly established non-profit organization promoting tourism throughout the county. The ‘quilt’ is a painted 8×8 ft. wooden block that is attached to the barn (or outbuildings). The committee is now soliciting those living in Buchanan Co. who would like to have their…
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ONE-ROOM SCHOOL Had two entrances – one for the girls and one for the boys. Proper desks were purchased to replace the shelves and benches of an earlier era. The girls sat on one side of the room, and the boys on the other. The youngest children sat at the front of the classroom, close…
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Aka: Oakgrove CemeteryIndependence, Iowa Mr. Richard Campbell purchased 13 acres of ground in the southeast part of Independence to be used as a cemetery. With Edward Ross as a partner, the first section of Oakgrove Cemetery as it was then called, was laid out and a plot of the same was filed in the Buchanan…
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During the mid 1930’s, the banks began to release their money. As the depression subsided, the schools were able to pick up the taxes and were able to raise the teachers’ wages. The county superintendent suggested to Washington and Hazleton Townships that they replace the two schools in each township. Since a 45% Grant from…
Full Article >>Most of the small village churches have since been abandoned. BUFFALO TOWNSHIP Castleville Congregational NW corner SW ¼ Section 34 BYRON TOWNSHIP Bethel Church of GodYears: 1855-1939SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 31Also had cemetery Byron Center Presbyterian Pine Creek PresbyterianYears: 1875-SE ¼ SW ¼ Section 34 CONO TOWNSHIP German EvangelicalYears: 1869-SE ¼ Section 8 Cono Center…
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1ST Street – downtown Independence The Wapsipinicon River became the first road to Independence when Rufus B. Clarke, his Indian wife, and their sons, Seth and Mason, walked up its frozen surface from Quasqueton to Independence in March 1846. The Wapsipinicon became a dividing line between two villages, Independence and New Haven. New Haven’s growth…
Full Article >>Owned and operated by the Buchanan County Historical Society Partner Site of Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area Grist mills provide a rich architectural legacy. The Wapsipinicon Mill is a unique and outstanding example of how Iowans captured the power of rivers for commercial development. As pioneers moved and settled across Iowa, the need arose…
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