History Donnan, Iowa

1 history

1.1 years
1.2 incorporation
1.3 decline

history
early years

plat map of donnan 1916.

the post office @ donnan established on july 10, 1874; town platted in 1878 donnan junction, located @ junction of chicago, milwaukee, st. paul , pacific , chicago, rock island , pacific railroads. donnan named in honor of william g. donnan (1834–1908), served area in house of representatives 1871-75.

the town plat showed donnan divided 5 blocks, blocks 2 , 3 divided 18 parcels each. blocks 1, 4, , 5 smaller because of railroad lines running diagonally through community. donnan had 3 streets running north-south; westernmost easternmost streets named maple, logan, , sumner. east-west streets named woodard street , washburn avenue. 1916, 6 houses had been built, , these on logan street. several farmhouses fronted rock island railroad tracks (see map).

incorporation

a donnan aerial photo taken in 1930s, showing donnan s new main street, new donnan road (running diagonally southwest northeast). woodard street , logan street can seen in photo.

the settlement officially incorporated (as donnan) in 1922 school built. area of 1-square-mile (2.6 km) of land included within city limits area meet state s 25-person minimum population requirements. 1930s, several improvements had been made in town, including diagonal road built alongside rock island railroad. road, named new donnan road, became town s main thoroughfare.

aside post office , railroad depot, community had meeting hall, pool hall, stock yards, restaurant, implement company, hardware store, grain elevator, livery stable, blacksmith shop, , three-story hotel. despite attracting number of businesses , site s prime location @ junction of 2 railways, town never attracted many residents. population of donnan peaked @ around fifty people in 1940s.

the city of donnan state s smallest recognized community in 1954; post office served 12 families (50 residents) , school. officials @ u.s. postal service year decided close donnan post office, due protests residents, in february 1955 closure cancelled. donnan did, however, lose school in 1957; hotel @ donnan had been moved sumner in 1947 , building converted apartments.

lynn j. webb served donnan s postmaster until death in 1955; webb ran filling station , general store run out of same building. gertrude menuey served postmaster 1955 1970s. eileen lee postmaster during 1980s.

a. l. begalske served mayor of donnan until death in 1955. matthew porter appointed mayor after begalske s death, , served next 35 years. ruth holmes town clerk, margaret gage treasurer.

decline

gradually, small population of donnan eroded, leaving town fewer 25 residents in 1970, , 18 in 1972. businesses except post office had closed 1970s. county road w-25, paved highway nearby randalia county seat @ west union bypassed donnan s main street, new donnan road, in 1970s.

by 1977, donnan consisted of abandoned grain elevator, unused railroad depot, 3 farms, 4 occupied houses, , few empty buildings . rock island railroad tracks @ donnan pulled in 1977. 1978, town s population had dropped 13. year donnan residents celebrated city s 100th anniversary.

donnan s few remaining residents fought long, hard, , unsuccessfully keep post office open. 1982, however, postal officials prevailed. when post office closed, on july 23, 1982, commemorative covers prepared iowa postal history society gave town s population ten. residents resisted closing of last business in donnan because [donnan] citizens love , hate see die , mayor porter said in 1988.

in 1990, last 7 residents made national headlines when reluctantly voted disincorporate, ending town s status officially recognized city. @ disincorporation hearing matt porter, had served town s mayor 35 years, stated 3 of in our 70s , sooner or later s got come. there s no 1 else carry on . donnan ceased exist in march 1991; final vote 6 1 in favor of disincorporation.

a monument on new donnan road pays tribute empty community, lies 2 miles (3 km) north of empty sister community of randalia (population 68). in october 2007, donnan before it, randalia lost post office, time after losing school , general store. matthew porter died in fire in home in donnan in 2009.