Re: Coufal Station, Linn County?
COUFAL, BROWN, SCHUCHERT, CASE
Posted By: Kazzy McNamara (email) In Response To: Coufal Station, Linn County? (Earl Park)
Date: 4/4/2015 at 20:01:03
Josef Coufal, arrived in 1850 from the Province of Bohemia, Austro-Hungarian Empire and settled on the rich river-bottom-land exactly half-way between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. He was 23 years of age an already a pioneer entrepreneur - a promoter of land development and settlement. He donated land fro stock yards ad built an elevator and later a stately brick house. The settlement of Coufals (pronounced Tsoh-fahls) was really the family name, Coufals. There were no waterfalls in the vicinity.
Business was good. A grocery store, postoffice and a large pavilion were on the grounds. It was 1905 and the Crandic Railway was under construction along the east edge of the settlement. The interurban supplied passenger as well as freight service between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. A well travelled highway 2 miles to the east spanned the Iowa River at the Curtis Bridge crossing. Many travelers along that highway had no idea of the settlement to the west.
By 1905, Josef Coufal was 77 years of age and died soon after his birthday. He never saw the completion of the rail line. Times were changing and Josef's flourishing settlement began to decline. People would shop in Cedar Rapids or Iowa City or elsewhere as transportation improved. The grocery store was no longer needed. The post office was relocated in Swisher, the elevator and stockyards were torn down. Later the brick house met the same fate.
The construction of the Coralville Dam resulted in consideration flooding of the Iowa River bottoms-land. Control of the lans and operation of the reservoir was taken over by the U.S. Army Engineers.
The pavilion continued to be a popular place for dances, week-end events, picnics and reunions. Later the building was enclosed and is now used as a warehouse.
Today travelers on Highway US 218 from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City drive down a long hill with Coralville Reservoir plainly visible to the south. Scars of dead trees loom over the still water. Near the bottom of the hill is a blacktop road, County Highway "F20" so turn right, follow the road to the first right turn into the driveway of the "The Ranch
Linn Queries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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