"The History of Decatur County, Iowa: 1839 - 1970"

by Himena V. Hoffman
Published by Decatur County Historical Society, Leon IA, 1970
 
Decatur County Railroad Lines, Part I, Pages 80 - 82
Transcription by Carmelita
 
The town of Lamoni was also a town connected with the coming of the railroads, but its importance was due to the fact that the representatives of the Order of Enoch, established in 1870 by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, "finding much fair land in Fayette" (township) and in adjoining townships purchased many acres and the migration of the Saints followed promptly.

In 1876, Z. H. Gurley established a store but the town was not surveyed until 1879. By 1885 it was spoken of as "a bright village of 400 inhabitants" and it continued to grow. The number of its businessmen increased and by the close of the century it was exceeded in size only by Leon. Even in 1885 there were four or five general stores. Hopkins Brothers sold implements and furniture, there were two blacksmiths, Walker and Hansen had a drug store, there were also two hotels, two milliner shops, a cheese factory, a mill, and a paper called The Lamoni Gazette.

The most important business in Lamoni was that of the church publishing house. The building which housed both the church offices and the printing establishment was one of the finest of its kind in Iowa. It was valued at $20,000 and well equipped. It's chief publications were the Herald, the church paper to which members everywhere subscribed, Zion's Hope, a Sunday School paper and a paper for Scandinavian members, Sandhedrins Banner and numerous books which included the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's translation of the Bible, The Doctrine and the Covenant, and a History of Joseph Smith.

Besides the businessmen in the towns there were also quite a number of general country stores located throughout the county and other forms of business such as mills operated outside of towns.

At this point, and before telling of other men who besides John Clark and the Stearn brothers were the leading businessmen in the county attention will be turned to the railroads on which the prosperity of the men in both the towns and country so depended.

Between 1871 and 1885 three railroad lines plus the branch line from Bethany Juncion, were built in Decatur County.

Before that time many in the county had never seen a train, even many who had never ridden on one, though a bus or stage did take passengers to Osceola to take a train.

In 1870 the Burlington and Missouri Rail Road Company was organized to build a railroad that would cross Decatur County and this company was soon taken over by the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company.

In 1871 the Chariton Branch was started, but while it was built and owned by the C. B. & Q. the towns through which it passed must furnish money. In 1970 the struggle to secure manufacturing plants and other types of industry is desperate one. One hundred years ago it was vital to the business men and farmers to induce the railroads to build the tracks in the desired directions. When the railroad reached Garden Grove the future of Leon depended on whether it continued on to the county seat. Garden Grove township had given $25,000 to bring it there, now Center township gave the right-of-way and $50,000 to bring the railroad to Leon. John W. Harvey, Judge Miles, and Samuel Caster were the right-of-way committee, and were given the authority by the railroad company to locate the place for the depot. By August, 1871, the track layers were at the edge of town. Small boys trudged miles to watch the work and ladies drove out in their carriages to view the track from a distance. Years later old men would tell of how they walked far out of town to be the first to see a train come into Leon, only to be so terrified at the sound of the engine that they ran towards home and missed seeing what they had walked so far to watch.

Though the tracks reached Leon in 1872 the Chariton Branch went no further south for five years. To recall that there was a panic in 1873 explains this. In 1877 the line was extended south to Bethany and a branch line was built in New Buda Township from what was called Bethany Junction through Mt. Ayr to Grant City, Missouri. to secure this New Buda township voted a tax that gave the railroads $27,000. Davis City voted a tax and there were private donations.
 
 
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