Ghost Towns-Dubuque County

BALLYCLOUGH, SYLVISS SWITCH, BUNCOMBE, TIVOLI, BENNETTVILLE, EVERGREEN, GLASSEVIN, WAUPESEPINICON, WASHINGTON MILLS, TARA, SHEFFIELD, ST JOSEPH PRAIRIE, PRESTON, PIN OAK, O’NEILL, OLYMPUS, OGDEN, NEW WINE, MORENA, MCCANTS, LORE, KING, JULIAN, JEFFERSON, HOGANSVILLE, HAZEL, EMMA, DUKE, DONELAN, CHARMINGSVILLE, DERRINANE, ASPINWALL, ARQUITT, ALLISON, ALMA

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 1/24/2019 at 13:11:30

GHOST TOWNS
To whom does the past belong-scenes once enjoyed-sounds one heard? Many of us look back at the scenes of the past. In recent years the ghost towns of the "Old West” have gained in popularity with millions. With travelers who seek out forgotten mining, logging, and lumbering towns were rip-roaring events took place.

But Iowa had no gold-flecked Comstock Lode or Virginia City. Iowa’s past has been a peaceful transition from the primitive to the modern with only a ghost of a sign, a former settlement around a grist mill, a country store, by passed railroad, or a worked out lead or zinc mine.

Stagecoaches leaving Dubuque carried mail to these settlements. If there happen to be an inn at a particular stop, the proprietor was the logical postmaster, if not; the mail might be dropped off at the store or some other business place, or someone’s home. There was no delivery to homes as today. One came to the post office when expecting mail. Forty-two post offices were located in Dubuque County many years ago. Below is a list of such places:

Allison-Original name of Luxemburg
Alma-Section 4, Taylor Township, 2 miles northwest of Epworth, 3 miles northeast of Farley.
Arquitt-Section 6, Taylor Township. Post office for north Farley station on the CGW railroad.
Asbury-4 miles west of Dubuque
Aspinwall-3 miles northwest of Sherrill, Section 11, Jefferson Township.
Balltown- 6 miles northwest of Sherrill.
Ballyclough-7 miles southwest of Dubuque, Section 15 & 22, Tablemound.
Bankston-6 miles southeast of Holy Cross, 10 miles northeast of Dyersville, Section 9, Iowa Township.
Bennettville-7 miles northwest of Zwingle, Section 9, Washington Township.
Buncombe-4 miles north of Zwingle, Section 14, Washington Township Center, location undetermined.
Centralia-Originally known as Centre Town. Section 33 & 34, Center Township, Section 3, 4, Vernon Township.
Center Grove-About 2 miles west of Dubuque, Section 27, Dubuque Township
Charmingsville-Section 30, 31, Center Township.
Cottage Hill-4 miles southeast of Holy Cross, Section 25, Concord Twp.
Derrinane-4 miles south of Peosta, Section 27 & 28, Vernon Township
Donelan-2 miles north of Bernard, Section 21, Prairie Creek Township.

Dubuque Date Unrecorded

Dubuque Mines-Established 1833
Duke-4 miles northeast of Zwingle, Section 24, Washington Township.
Emma-3 miles west of Zwingle, Section 33, Washington Township.
Evergreen-6 miles north of Farley, Section 17, Iowa Township.
Fillmore-5 miles northeast of Cascade at site of Hempstead, Section 25, Cascade Township.
Glassevin-2 miles northeast of Luxemburg, Section 14, Liberty Township.
Glen-location undetermined.
Graf-On CGW railroad, 5 miles northeast of Epworth, Section 29, Center Township.
Hazel-4 miles north of Cascade, Section 7, Whitewater Township.
Hogansville-Originally Whitewater, renamed Hogansville, then Epworth
Jefferson-4 miles northwest of Durango, Sections 29 or 33, Jefferson Twp.
Julian-6 miles southwest of Dubuque, Section 31, Dubuque Twp.
Key West-3 miles south of Dubuque, Section 12, Table Mound Twp.
King-10 miles southeast of Dubuque, Section 27, Mosalem Twp.
LaPage-Location undetermined.
Lattners-5 or 6 miles northeast of Epworth, Section 29, Center Twp.
Lore-7 or 8 miles west of Dubuque, Section 14, Center Twp.
McCants-10 miles southwest of Dubuque, 4 miles east of Peosta,
Melleray-site same as Bernard, Section 27, Prairie Creek Twp.
Millard-site undetermined
Morena-site undetermined
Mosalem-Perhaps 4 or 5 miles southeast of Dubuque in Mosalem Twp.
New Wine-Early name for New Vienna, post office.
Oakland-6 miles east of New Vienna, Section 12, New Wine Twp.
Ogden-2 miles north of Bernard, Section 21, Prairie Creek Twp.
Olympus-Location undetermined.
O’Neill-6 miles northeast of Holy Cross, Section 18, Jefferson Twp.
Peru-5 miles north of Dubuque, Section 35, Peru Twp.
Pin Oak-Section 20, Concord Twp., Later moved to Georgetown (Holy Cross).
Placid-10 miles northeast of Cascade, Section 35, Taylor Twp.
Prairie Creek-1/2 mile east of Bernard, Section 24, Prairie Creek Twp.
Preston-6 miles northwest of Cascade, Section 2, Cascade Twp.
Rickardsville-5 or 6 miles northwest of Durango, Section 30, Jefferson Twp.
Riverside-4 miles north of Dubuque, Section 36, Peru Twp.
Sageville-6 miles northwest of Dubuque, Section 33, Peru Twp.
St. Joseph Prairie-location undetermined
Sheffield-4 or 5 miles south of Worthington, on Delaware County line, Section 18, Cascade Twp.
Sherrill’s Mount-later Sherrill
Specht’s Ferry-14 or 15 miles north of Dubuque on river, Section 4, Peru Twp.
Sylva- Section 33, Washington Twp. Now known as Sylvia’s Switch.
Tara-Northeast of Whitewater Twp. No definite location.
Tivoli-Early name for Evergreen Post Office, Section 17, Iowa Twp.
Turkey River-On county line between Clayton and Dubuque Counties.
Washington Mills-5 miles west of Zwingle, Section 36, Washington Twp.
Waupesepinicon-location undetermined
Waupeton-10 miles northwest of Sherrill on Clayton County line, section 30, Jefferson Twp.
Weld’s Landing-Northeast corner of Peru Twp., on river. Nothing more definite.

Through My Grandfather’s Eyes; A HISTORY AND
MEMORIES OF UNION PARK 1891-2011