Allamakee. South of the mouth of Paint Creek, section 10, Fairview Township. Platted as a town in 1858, but soon abandoned. Post office, 1859-1877.

Alton. In section 1, French Creek Township, near where French Creek flows into the Upper Iowa River. Village platted in 1858, only a few lots sold, and no town built.

Buckland. In southern part of section 16, Linton Township. Town laid out in 1858. Plat vacated in 1881. Post office, 1878-92.

Bunker Hill. In southern part of section 24, Linton Township. In 1860, that section was set over into Fairview Township. Post office, 1853-55, when the name was changed to Ion.

Capoli. Two miles southeast of Lansing on the Mississippi. Post office, 1853-67.

Carvers. Shown in northwestern part of Union City Township on maps of 1855-57.

Center Valley. In southern part of Waterloo Township. Post office, 1857.

Chantry. In the northeastern part of section 12, Lafayette Township. Platted in 1857. Was an embryo town site on the Mississippi.

Clear Creek. In section 34, Union City Township. Post office, 1857-79.

Cleveland. On east side of section 1, Post Township. Platted in 1856. Post office, 1857-63.

Columbus. At a landing on the Mississippi at the mouth of Village Creek, two miles below Lansing. Often called Capoli, which see above. Columbus was the first county seat of Allamakee County, from 1851 to its removal to Waukon in 1853. Platted in 1852.

Connor. In southeastern part of section 7, Union Prairie Township. Post office, 1893-1903.

Dalby. In section 35, Center Township. Post office, 1869-83.

Egan. In section 2, Linton Township. Post office, 1900-1903.

Eldergrove. In section 8, Taylor Township. Post office, 1897-03.

Fandon. In the north-central part of Jefferson Township. Post office, 1863-65.

Forest Mills (formerly called Werhan's Mill). In section 5, Franklin Township. Post office, 1881-1900.

French Creek. In section 2, French Creek Township. Post office, 1855-1903.

Grantville. In the eastern part of Ludlow Township. Post office, 1860.

Hanover. In section 31, Hanover Township. Post office, 1875-83.

Hardin. In the extreme southwest corner of Franklin Township and partly in Clayton County, on the military road from McGregor to Fort Atkinson. A town of importance. Began to be settled in 1848 and was platted in 1854. Post office, 1851-65.

Howard Center. In section 18, Lafayette Township. Platted in 1854, adjoining Milton on the north.

Johnsonsport. At the point of an important landing on the Mississippi. A town was laid out on the river front of the north half of Section 15, Fairview Township, in 1856.

Lark. In Taylor Township. Post office, 1881-89.

Lafayette. In the northern part of section 2, Lafayette Township, on the Mississippi River about a mile above Chantry. It had a boat landing, sawmill and stores.

Ludlow. In section ?, Ludlow Township, Post office, 1869-75.

Lybrand. In section 15, Post Township. The village was platted in 1851, and was prosperous for a time. Post office, 1858-67.

Lyndale. In the northwestern part of section 23, Center Township. Post office, 1900-1903.

Makee. In section 18, Makee Township. Post office, 1858-67.

Manchester. Sometimes called Manchester Mills. In section 6, Franklin Township. The town was close to the Post Township line and to its sister town of Cleveland. The two towns made a milling center on the Yellow River. Platted in 1859.

Mariner's Hope. In the northern part of Iowa Township. Post office, 1861-63.

Milton. In section 18, Lafayette Township. Laid out in 1854. This was a milling center on Village Creek, with Howard Center adjoining on the north and the village of Village Creek adjoining on the east.

Myron. In section 3, Post Township. Village platted in 1873. Post office, 1869-93.

New Galena. In section 1, Hanover Township, on the Upper Iowa River. Platted in 1857, but never recorded. At that time thought to have rich lead ore deposits. Post office, 1859-63.

Mezeka. In section 34, Fairview Township. On the Mississippi just south of the mouth of the Yellow River. Laid out in 1856. Post office, 1859-63.

North Capoli. On the Mississippi about a mile northwest of Columbus and just south of Lansing, and now within the corporate limits of that town. Platted in 1858.

Paint Creek Valley. Post office, 1853. Name changed to Waterville.

Paint Rock. In the southern part of Taylor Township. Post office, 1853-57.

Reed's Ridge. In section 26, Hanover Township. Post office, 1873-75.

Smithfield. In the northeastern part of section 24, Franklin Township, on the Yellow River. Platted in 1854 and both sawmills and gristmills flourished there for some years.

Stella. In section 26, Ludlow Township. Post office, 1897.

Tom Corwin. The name of the post office at Johnsonsport in 1851.

Union Prairie. In the northwestern part of section 26, Union Prairie Township. Post office, 1851-69.

Village Creek. In section 18, Lafayette Township (see Milton). Post office, 1859-1903. One store still remains.

Volney. In section 13, Franklin Township, on Yellow River about a mile below Smithfield. Was devoted to milling business. Laid out in 1856. Post office, 1853-1903.

Voss. Listed in the U.S. Postal Guide from 1889 to 1908 as a post office in Allamakee County, but the same is not found on maps of that period.

Watson. In southwestern part of Linton Township. Post office, 1875-81.

Webster. Listed in the U.S. Offical Register of 1851 as a post office in Allamakee County, but not found on maps of that period.

Wexford. In the southeast corner of the east section 6, Taylor Township. Post office, 1851-61.

Widow Post. In section 29, Post Township. Shown on maps of 1855-56.

Wilson's Ford. In the southwestern part of Taylor Township. Post office, 1857-63

 

~source: "Annals of Iowa", A Historical Quarterly, October 1930, Third Series, Vol. XVII, No. 6; published by the Historical Memorial & Art Department of Iowa; Abandoned Towns of Iowa - Allamakee County; pg. 438-440
~transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall from copy donated by Roseanna Zehner

The Town of Columbus

The town of Columbus is situated on the Mississippi, in Allamakee, Iowa, about 100 miles above Dubuque, between Lansing and Paint Rock and for health and elevation of position, fertility of country about it, a harbor and advantages and water power for machinery, is perhaps not surpassed by any point between Dubuque and St. Paul.

Conversing with a gentlemen the other day, who had taken the trouble to visit and examine the place, he informs me, that he has met with no point during his brief sojourn on the country, which strikes him as more favorable for a large town, than this. He said the landing for boats is excellent. The elevator, upon which the town is building, is sufficient, the inhabitants against damage or disease by high water, mill privileges are the best kind and easily improved, the country in every direction is of the most productive character and those who have settled in the town are intelligent, energetic, economical and practical class of men, who are destined to make their mark wherever they go.

Application for Town Lots to be made to R. OTTMAN, Esq., of Columbus, who is duty authorized Agent and Attorney for the Proprietors of Columbus.
A plat of the town can be seen on the Banking House of Cook, Sargent, Barney & Co., Dubuque, Iowa.
Columbus May 5th, 1853

~source: Miners Express, Wednesday, May 11, 1853, Iowa, Page 2
~contributed by Cheryl Locher Moonen, 08/16/2019

SOME ALLAMAKEE MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
by Jack Darland, Jr.

It seems that Allamakee County's rich and varied history was abundantly thick with local settlement towns over one hundred years ago. Such places as Cleveland, Smithfield, Lybrand, Ludlow, Hardin, Quandahl, Elon, and Lynndale are all gone now, just a lingering memory. A cemetery may mark the area, a well-traveled road may bear a name, or in a few locations, a building may remain but for the most part, many Allamakee County residents have never heard of these long lost settlements.

Take for example, several towns that really weren't towns. Nezekaw was platted and the land purchased by enterprising businessmen about 1860, but it is only a place on the map. No one ever lived in Nezekaw. Tiny Maud or Rossville Station, grew up around the railroad. The railroad spur that served Waterville and Waukon missed Rossville and it is likely that shipments bound to and from Rossville were left at a store at Maud being operated by H.H. Larson. Besides the store, there was also a feed mill, a small stockyard, and the post office operated out of the store by Mr. Larson. The enterprising Larson even persuaded the railroad people to put up a depot. The depot still lives as a shed on a local farm, but not Maud.

Ion, another milltown, was platted out and its founders obviously had big plans, but for whatever reasons, Ion is only a spot on the map today. Ion is believed to have the distinction of housing the first school in Allamakee County. Allamakee County was the site of the first Indian School west of the Mississippi River. Nothing remains of the Old Indian Mission School today, although it was located not far from the Effigy Mounds National Monument near Marquette, Iowa.

The settlement of Village Creek has a rather unique distinction and story. The Village Creek area is 12 miles northeast of Waukon, sprang up around the numerous mills on the creek during the year 1853. A group of Swedes moved into Center Township. Homes were built and a lively trade with the Indians was taking place. These devout Swedes built a log church and decided they wanted to be baptized. A minister from Rock Island had to be called to perform the ceremony service. Ten people were being baptized in the creek when two other settlers happened along and decided to be baptized as well. Not so unusual a story until one considers the fact that this was – and is today – a Swedish Baptist Church, which as churches go, is a rather rare denomination . This Swedish Baptist Church, now the Center Baptist Church, was the first of its kind built west of the Mississippi River and only the third in the world. To top it all off, the National Conference for Baptists was organized there around the turn of the century.

The first murder thought to occur in Allamakee County happened around 1840. A Mr. Jones established a trading post in southern Allamakee County near the Winnebago Indian reservation for the express purpose of selling liquor to the Indians. Business was presumably booming when a Mr. Thorn arrived, saw the swift and healthy profit being made by Jones and promptly put up a similar business. These places were known as Sodom and Gomorrah. An old Indian visited Jones' place and traded all his worldly goods in on the “firewater”. On the way home, being nearly naked, he died of exposure. His son found his father's naked and frozen body the next day. Vowing revenge, the young man went to Thorn's place and shot the first white man he saw, killing him. The young Indian was captured by a detachment of troops called from Fort Atkinson in Winneshiek County but escaped before he could be tried. He was never seen or heard from again -- just as the settlements of Allamakee County – no longer seen or heard from ever again.

~source - Waukon, Iowa WAUKON REPUBLICAN-STANDARD, ca September 22, 1987
~transcribed by Connie Ellis