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	<title>Iowa Backroads</title>
	
	<link>http://iowabackroads.com</link>
	<description>Featuring a new Iowa photo each weekday; dedicated to discovering and documenting the best of small-town Iowa.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 14:30:49 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Post Office 52767 (Pleasant Valley, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/r8oFSBm-QnQ/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-52767-pleasant-valley-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 14:30:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scott County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=6022</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Postal service was established in the unincorporated Scott County town of Pleasant Valley on February 25, 1837, nearly a decade before Iowa was officially a state. The first postmaster operated the office from his a log cabin which also served as a home and general store. The office is now located within the former Trinity [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6025" title="Post Office 52767 (Pleasant Valley, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/post_office_52767_pleasant_valley_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 52767 (Pleasant Valley, Iowa)" width="471" height="660" /></p>
<p>Postal service was established in the unincorporated Scott County town of Pleasant Valley on February 25, 1837, nearly a decade before Iowa was officially a state. The first postmaster operated the office from his a log cabin which also served as a home and general store. The office is now located within the former Trinity Lutheran Church, which was constructed in 1906. The church disbanded in 1960, and the post office moved in four years later. It&#8217;s the only post office in the state housed in a former church.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 50244 (Slater, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/tRQzrq9xY9Y/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-50244-slater-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 May 2013 14:30:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Story County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=6007</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first post office was established in the Story County town of Slater in 1887, with Lew Askland appointed postmaster. He operated the first office from within his general store; within a year, the post office was relocated and John Scott was appointed postmaster. The current building was constructed specifically for post office use in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6009" title="Post Office 50244 (Slater, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/post_office_50244_slater_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 50244 (Slater, Iowa)" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>The first post office was established in the Story County town of Slater in 1887, with Lew Askland appointed postmaster. He operated the first office from within his general store; within a year, the post office was relocated and John Scott was appointed postmaster. The current building was constructed specifically for post office use in 1962 on the corner of Main and Story Streets in downtown Slater.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 50642 (Holland, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/PucfvMu7G2U/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-50642-holland-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:30:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grundy County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first post office was established in the Grundy County town of Holland on August 14, 1877, with John A. Riggs named the first postmaster. In 1947, the post office moved into a 700-square-foot frame building reinforced by concrete blocks. The location marked the first time the Holland Post Office was housed within a building [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5980" title="Post Office 56042 (Holland, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/post_office_56042_holland_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 56042 (Holland, Iowa)" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>The first post office was established in the Grundy County town of Holland on August 14, 1877, with John A. Riggs named the first postmaster. In 1947, the post office moved into a 700-square-foot frame building reinforced by concrete blocks. The location marked the first time the Holland Post Office was housed within a building especially built for the handling of mail.</p>
<p>The post office outgrew the building and made a final move in December 1974, when it relocated to its current facility, a refurbished hatchery.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 50559 (Lone Rock, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/KveRsyzSfC4/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-50559-lone-rock-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:30:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kossuth County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5974</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Postal service was established in the Kossuth County town of Lone Rock on March 26, 1896, with the first office located inside George Munch&#8217;s general store. Evelyn Earing holds the distinction of being the town&#8217;s longest tenured postmaster, operating the office from 1923 until 1965. Shortly after her retirement, the post office was moved to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-5976 aligncenter" title="Post Office 50559 (Lone Rock, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/post_office_50559_lone_rock_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 50559 (Lone Rock, Iowa)" width="471" height="660" /></p>
<p>Postal service was established in the Kossuth County town of Lone Rock on March 26, 1896, with the first office located inside George Munch&#8217;s general store. Evelyn Earing holds the distinction of being the town&#8217;s longest tenured postmaster, operating the office from 1923 until 1965. Shortly after her retirement, the post office was moved to its current location on the east side of Maine Street.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 51651 (Shambaugh, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/zDpPSCZGb-o/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-51651-shambaugh-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:30:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Page County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5965</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The earliest settlers to the Page County village now known as Shambaugh faced a 120-mile round trip tor each the nearest post office in Savannah, Missouri. The trip took two to three days each way, due to the absence of paved roads and bridges. Settlers took turns going in for the mail and brought provisions [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5972" title="Post Office 51651 (Shambaugh, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/post_office_51651_shambaugh_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 51651 (Shambaugh, Iowa)" width="660" height="472" /></p>
<p>The earliest settlers to the Page County village now known as Shambaugh faced a 120-mile round trip tor each the nearest post office in Savannah, Missouri. The trip took two to three days each way, due to the absence of paved roads and bridges. Settlers took turns going in for the mail and brought provisions in large quantity. The trip was made shorter when an office was established 35 miles away in Marysville, Missouri, and again in April 1870, when a location was established five miles south of town by the name of Nodaway Mills Post Office.</p>
<p>The Nodaway Mills location was moved to the north and renamed as the Shambaugh Post Office on January 23, 1880. The post office has been located in its current building since 1957.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 52225 (Elberon, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/Xzqa_k1M9u4/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-52225-elberon-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:30:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tama County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5959</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Postal service was established in the Tama County town of Elberon in January 1882, with Nathaniel L. Brown appointed the city&#8217;s first postmaster. He operated the office from his general store, with mail original delivered from Belle Plaine twice weekly. On April 10, 1882, mail began being delivered via the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5960" title="Post Office 52225 (Elberon, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/post_office_52225_elberon_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 52225 (Elberon, Iowa)" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>Postal service was established in the Tama County town of Elberon in January 1882, with Nathaniel L. Brown appointed the city&#8217;s first postmaster. He operated the office from his general store, with mail original delivered from Belle Plaine twice weekly. On April 10, 1882, mail began being delivered via the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Rail stop in Elberon. The post office served its longest tenure in an old bank building, from 1937 to 1981. The current post office facility opened January 17, 1985.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 50591 (Thor, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/e6UlaHN565s/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-50591-thor-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:30:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humboldt County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5910</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Postal service was established in the Humboldt County of Thor on January 10, 1882. Early mail arrived at the community three times a day by train. Details from the Humboldt County 1976 history book: Torsten S. Rogdo was one of the early postmasters in the year of 1907; the post office was on the west [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5911" title="Post Office 50591 (Thor, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/post_office_50591_thor_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 50591 (Thor, Iowa)" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>Postal service was established in the Humboldt County of Thor on January 10, 1882. Early mail arrived at the community three times a day by train. Details from the Humboldt County 1976 history book:</p>
<blockquote><p>Torsten S. Rogdo was one of the early postmasters in the year of 1907; the post office was on the west side of Thor&#8217;s main street. During his time of service, three trains left mail. At 8:00 a.m., the morning Flyer arrived from the east, the stop which resulted in the most mail; then it returned at noon with mail from the west. At 2:00 p.m., a second train arrived from Chicago with more eastern mail. Outgoing mail was sent out in the Evening Flyer at 9:00 p.m.</p></blockquote>
<p>In addition to the outgoing mail, the Evening Flyer often carried passengers from the county&#8217;s largest community; residents enjoyed meeting the evening train to see who arrived from Humboldt.</p>
<p>In 1940, A.T. Guddall was appointed postmaster, while the office was located within the former Old Farmers Savings Bank building. He built the building currently housing the post office in 1956. Guddall served as postmaster until 1973.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 51040 (Onawa, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/ZaA-E1BFIA0/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-51040-onawa-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:30:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monona County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5860</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first post office in the Monona County seat of Onawa was established in 1855 and consisted of a few boxes in the corner of the Fairchild General Store. After locations in a number of local storefronts, bids were opened for a standalone post office building in May 1936. The contract was awarded to the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5864" title="Post Office 51040 (Onawa, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/post_office_51040_onawa_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 51040 (Onawa, Iowa)" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>The first post office in the Monona County seat of Onawa was established in 1855 and consisted of a few boxes in the corner of the Fairchild General Store. After locations in a number of local storefronts, bids were opened for a standalone post office building in May 1936. The contract was awarded to the H.W. Underhill Construction Company of Wichita, Kansas, on August 20, 1936. Work was completed at a cost of $49,720 in April 1937.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration" target="_blank">WPA</a>-era building&#8217;s lobby features an oil-on-canvas mural named <em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/7331187088/" target="_blank">Soil Erosion and Control</a></em>. The mural, painted by Lee Allen, was carried out under the program of the &#8220;Section of Fine Arts, Federal Works Agency, Public Building Administrations,&#8221; which was established to decorate Federal buildings with murals and sculpture. Approximately 1% of the building cost was dedicated for this decoration.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 51034 (Mapleton, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/OoKNvql6LYc/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-51034-mapleton-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:30:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monona County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=5855</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Postal service was established in the Monona County town of Mapleton in June 1858 with H.D. Warren named the first postmaster. The first rural route was established in 1903, while city delivery began on September 1, 1916. The present, 3,000-square-feet  brick facility opened in October 1960.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5857" title="Post Office 51034 (Mapleton, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/post_office_51034_mapleton_iowa.jpg" alt="Post Office 51034 (Mapleton, Iowa)" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>Postal service was established in the Monona County town of Mapleton in June 1858 with H.D. Warren named the first postmaster. The first rural route was established in 1903, while city delivery began on September 1, 1916. The present, 3,000-square-feet  brick facility opened in October 1960.</p>
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		<title>Post Office 52352 (Walker, Iowa)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaBackroads/~3/csg_jafmqi4/</link>
		<comments>http://iowabackroads.com/post-office-52352-walker-iowa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:30:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian McMillin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Post Offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Linn County]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://iowabackroads.com/?p=4051</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Postal service was established in the Linn County town of Walker on August 12, 1873, first operating out of Postmaster James K. Hotchkins&#8217; home. Before the current facility was constructed in 1975, the post office was located in a number of buildings including a former church in 1972. &#160;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4053" title="Post Office 52352 (Walker, Iowa)" src="http://iowabackroads.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/post_office_52352_walker1.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="440" /></p>
<p>Postal service was established in the Linn County town of Walker on August 12, 1873, first operating out of Postmaster James K. Hotchkins&#8217; home. Before the current facility was constructed in 1975, the post office was located in a number of buildings including a former church in 1972.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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