Lamoni has an approximate population of seventeen hundred.

Transportation facilities are much better than those of the average town. The branch line of the Burlington Railroad connects with the main transcontinental line about forty miles away. Through Lamoni run two assenger trains each way except Sundays and at Togo Junction, three miles distant, other trains are available.

The Jefferson Highway from New Orleans to Winnipeg, "from palm to pine,"goes through Lamoni. By the close of this year the Iowa section of paving will be completed, joining Kansas City and Des Moines. Lamoni is justly proud of this for her citizens were prime movers in the establishment of the highway and energetic promoters of the paving. Bus service is now being conducted with inter-state service since last spring. The highway paving has been connected with that already laid in Lamoni.

The town has the service of the Iowa Southern Utilities Company, which purchased the local electric plant five years ago. Its business is courteous and efficient. A branch office is maintained in Lamoni. The town maintains a well distributed system of street lighting. Especially is this true of the business district where modern lights were installed a few years ago.

A large expenditure was made in improvements when the Middle States Utilities Company purchased the local telephone plant a few years ago. This has brought a good quality of service.

Lamoni uses both lake and deep well for the town's water supply. There is modern sewage disposal.

In education the town offers unusual advantages from the preschool clinic through the elementary grades, high school, and junior college. Adults have privileges in cultural clubs, church classes, and community associations. The accrediting of these systems ranks high.

The town is a musical center. The well-balanced concert band, directed by J.H. Anthony, is community-supported. The school orchestras lend to the Lamoni-Graceland orchestras, under Mr. Anthony's leadership. The Brick Church enjoys what is probably the largest regular choir in the state for nine months of the year, the Lamoni-Graceland Oratorio Society, directed by Mabel Carlile of the college faculty. Last spring the annual rendition of the Messiah with a choir of l50 voices and an orchestra of 30 pieces drew music lovers from many neighboring towns. The A Cappella Chorus of the college carries music to other places on its annual spring concert tours. The public school system promotes music.

A public library was started in l922. Its beginnings were small, but its growth has been steady and tax support now insures its continuance. It is housed near the business center and is used by both town and rural patrons. The library committee is appointed by the town council. The college library is also available to the town's people.

The Coliseum is an entertainment house for community interests, operated in trust by a group of citizens. It is one of the outstanding features of the town, with a well constructed building with basement for large dinners, main assembly room with balcony and with stage for drama. It is kept in good repair and its offerings are well standardized. Moving pictures are shown three times per week.

Parks are laid out for different purposes, and located in various parts of the town.

Civic interest and religious atmosphere are fostered.

The community has been developing an interest in dairying during recentyears. Men have come to feel that this area was particularly well suited to that industry. A number of choice dairy herds have been built up. That at the Saints' Home Farm is of the Holstein-Fresian breed and includes some heavy producing cows. The herd at the college farm is Jersey. The photo below shows the modern dairy barn built in l927 on the Saints' Home Farm with a capacity of 34 cows, herd sire and calf pen, and now with room for l00 tons of loose hay. The interior equipment is of steel. It indicates the trend about Lamoni toward better dairy methods and equipments. The agricultural course at the high school under F.S. Parks has been doing some efficient work in this line.

IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT.

Lamoni is a good business town, drawing from a large radius of territory. General stores with large displays of merchandise in up-to-date methods, well equipped garages, lumber yards, shipping association, elevators, cooperative creamery, and produce houses keep up a wide variety of trade.

Many business houses are old in the history of the town. The following is a list of these houses in order of their seniority of establishment under present management. In many instances members of the firm have been in other lines of business, prior to connection with present houses. Often there have been changes in personnel, but a continuation has gone on.

G.W. Johnson, jeweler, l882.
Fleet's Store, general department store, l889.
W.A. Grenawalt, men't clothier, l894.
E.D. Briggs, insurance and real estate, l896.
D.C. White & Son, general merchandise, l899.
Rauch Grain and Seed Co., l899.
Geo. Foreman, coal and feed, l899.
Silvers' Restaurant, l899.
G.H. Derry, garage, l902.
(Mr. Derry was in the harness business before this.)
H.W. Teale & Son, implements, l902.
(in harness business previously.)
Humphrey Produce Co., l902.
Allen's Restaurant, l903.
Grenawalt's Hardware, l903.
Mrs. J.D. Stead, millinery and notions, l905.
Geo. Blair, real estate, l905. (In mercantile business.)
E.A. Denio, groceries, l909.
Orv. Dickey, barber, l909.
Farmers' Elevator, l9l2 (Store was begun, l923.)
Ed. Downey, barber, l9l2.
Blair Printing Co., l9l3.
J.F. Jones, druggist, l9l5.
Lewis Second Hand Store, (Began Variety Store, l9l6.)
H. Miner, barber, l9l6.
T. Hinderks, hardware, l9l6.
Daniel Anderson, insurance, l9l6.
W.D. Gaulter, plumbing, l9l9.
C.W. Humphrey, real estate.
Donelson Motor Co., l9l9.
Midgorden Bros., implements, l920.
Silver & Roberts, tire shop, l920.
Jonathan Hotel, Mrs. Chasey, l920.
Sinclair Oil Station, l920.
John Nixon, shoe repair and panitorium, l92l.
General Supply Store, general merchandise, l92l.
Arthur Noftsger, insurance, l92l.
Barr's Modern Mill (now Barr & Moon), l922.
Midwest Lumber Company, l922.
Farmers Shipping Assn., l923.
Hartman Produce House, l923.
Midgorden's Radio Shop, l924.
Gibson's Cafe, l924.
Miner & Frees Lumber Co., l924.
Iowa Southern Utilities Co., electric company, l925.
O.W. Propst, shoe repairer, l925.
Middle States Utilities Co., telephone, l926.
Clarence Downey, poultry and produce, l926.
J.W. Arkle, jeweler, l926.
Ballantyne's Eat Shop, l927.
Dave Hansen, photographer, l927.
Lamoni Hatchery, l927.
Mid-Continent Petroleum Co., l927.
Harry Scott, druggist, l927.
Smith Meat Market, l928.
Pete Cooper, harness, l928.
J.E. Butts, blacksmith, l928.
Lamoni Creamery, l928.
Smith's Chevrolet Garage, l928.
Miller's Cafe, l929.
Lamoni Mill & Coal Co., l929.
Derry's Bake Shop, l929.
France's Oil Station, l929.
Snyder's Blacksmith Shop.
Hammer Oil Station, l929.

Lamoni's professional groups include those who have served the community from thirty-five years to those who have recently moved into the town.

Doctors:

Bertha A. Greer, l897.
H.M. Hills, l9ll.
T.W. King, l9l8.
C.E. Sixbury, l926.
C.R. Taff, l926.

Dentists:

D.K. Maneely, l923.
Frank Shipman, l923.

Veterinary:

J.J. Moore, l895.

Law:

Rella Shewmaker, l929.

Education:

Opal Roark, superintendent of schools, l927.
G.N. Briggs, president of college, l9l5.

Ministry:

W.E. Prall, pastor of L.D.S. Church, l925.
H.L. Slick, pastor of M.E. Church.

From Lamoni during the fiscal year July l, l928, to June 30, l929, were shipped the following carloads, according to the statistics of J.F. Jefferies, agent for the Burlington Line: Corn, 25 cars; wheat 5; hogs, 265; cattle, 97 and miscellaneous, 47. The miscellaneous materials included logs, scrap iron, machinery, sheep, horses, etc. This establishes Lamoni as an agricultural shipping center.

The first business houses were erected by Thomas Teale and Samuel H. Gurley at the west corners of what is now Main and Linden Streets. The first lumber yard was started by David Dancer, Albert P. Dancer and A.S. Cochran. In the fall of l880 Henry Stebbins purchased the store of A.P. Dancer. The first photographer was A.M. Chase. G.W. Johnson's Jewelry Store was one of the early comers to Lamoni. The chronicler of those pioneer days would find mention of such names as these: Charles Blair, traveling salesman; George Blair and T.J. Bell in the mercantile business; William Graham as a hotel keeper; Joseph Rabidou in the blacksmith business; Frank Weld in the drug store; J. W. Denoon, John H. Hansen, Dr. Stafford, Theo. Brenzier, A.W. Sherman, doctors; Charles Ellerton, first depot agent; W.A. Hopkins, furniture business, and a long list of men and business firms of varied types.

Lamoni has been an agricultural community. In that busy year of l879 over ten thousand bushels of corn were sold and shipped. The business annals of Lamoni should include the farmers who settled here such as David Dancer, Elijah Banta and J.R. Smith and the many pioneers who have given stability to the community.

The first person born in the town of Lamoni was Bertie Lamoni White, the son of Volentine and Mary A. White. The first girl born here was a daughter of Dr. Denoon. The third child born in Lamoni was Wilbur Cochran.

VERSES FROM A POEM, "THE OLD WHITE SCHOOLHOUSE."

Written in l90l by Mrs. Vida Smith Yates

You remember; your sunny roomed school house
On prairie, by forest, or hill,
It rises like old pictures before you,
Your heart gives a queer little thrill,
For the scenes crowding fast hold enchantment
And the skies bending o'er them are blue,
But the fancies and dreams of those school rooms
Are dearest and sweetest to you.

Coming years may deal hardly or gently,
We may wander the great world o'er.
But often in our fancy or night dreams
We will meet at the old school house door.
Not the little red school in the forest,
Nor the brown one by the swiftest of rills,
Just the plainest and dearest old school house,
On Iowa's soft rolling hills.

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert