Monthly Archives: July 2016

Jul 12

Vincent school building to be torn down

Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2016, at 10:06 AM by Jeff

I featured the Vincent school building in my alphabetical series (which is still going on; just search the Sequences category). It didn’t look in good shape. It turns out the building is indeed abandoned and the town has been awarded … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools | Comments Off on Vincent school building to be torn down
Jul 11

US 63 to be closed north of Traer

Posted on Monday, July 11, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

The Iowa DOT has announced that US 63 is going to close north of Traer on July 25 to replace the deck on the bridge over 12 Mile Creek. Traffic will be detoured on IA 8, IA 21, and D52. … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Tama County | Comments Off on US 63 to be closed north of Traer
Jul 08

L is for Lovilia

Posted on Friday, July 8, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

November 12, 2008: Lovilia school building (1920) and closeup, below. Brian McMillin of Iowa Backroads wrote some history of the Lovilia school on his blog. Two State Board of Education documents tell a fuller story about the end of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Schools, Sequences | Comments Off on L is for Lovilia
Jul 07

Benton 30-218 interchange moves forward

Posted on Thursday, July 7, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

On June 30 the Iowa DOT held another meeting about converting the US 30/218 intersection in southern Benton County into an interchange. It won’t be finished until 2019. The interchange has ramps in the northwest and southeast quadrants to avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Tama County | Comments Off on Benton 30-218 interchange moves forward
Jul 06

West Des Moines adds quadrants, sort of

Posted on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

Jason Hancock noticed that an exit on the IA 5 bypass in West Des Moines is now Southeast 35th Street instead of just 35th Street. (For a short time after the bypass opened, it had a Polk County designation instead. … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps | Comments Off on West Des Moines adds quadrants, sort of
Jul 05

Classic, good Mapquest going away

Posted on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

I predicted this was going to happen. A website that I’ve been using since the 20th century is being shut down, and while the name continues, it’s not really the same. (It also may mean that no Internet mapping site is … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Maps | Comments Off on Classic, good Mapquest going away
Jul 04

Liberty and law

Posted on Monday, July 4, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 2, 2008: Replica Statue of Liberty (1950) outside Buchanan County Courthouse (1939) in Independence, Iowa (1847).

Posted in Iowa Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Liberty and law
Jul 01

Moving IA 17 off Lincoln Highway

Posted on Friday, July 1, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 5, 2013: The original Lincoln Highway runs on IA 17 between E41 and 205th Street in Boone County. The elevator is part of West Central Cooperative. There is a mile-long east-west segment of IA 17 that runs along old … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Highway Miscellaneous | Comments Off on Moving IA 17 off Lincoln Highway