In their study of Johnson County history the members of the Iowa City Genealogical Society found places listed that were not necessarily villages or post offices. Some were just place names used by the early settlers to designate areas or neighborhoods.  The settlers understood the names, so the committee tried to include those names of "places" with this list of abandoned villages and post offices.  They also included current names of "places", towns, and cities in Johnson County.

AMISH --Located in the western part of Section 28, Washington Township.  This post office was formerly in Iowa County.  It operated from 26 Sep 1857 to 15 Sep 1903.  This village was also called Joetown.

BAYERTOWN -- Located in Section 24, Sharon Township.

BELL AIR OR BELLE AIRE -- Located in the northwest part of Section 35, Sharon Township.  This was a post office from 29 June 1857 to 22 Jan 1877.  It was reestablished 13 July 1877 and was discontinued 29 Oct 1877.

BIG BEND --This was a settlement in Penn and Madison Townships, so named because of its location near the big bend in the Iowa River.  It was also known as Big Bottom and North Bend.

BIG BOTTOM -- See Big Bend above.

BON ACCORD -- The name of a post office in the village of South Liberty in Section 17, Liberty Township from 4 Jan 1858 to 15 Aug 1900. 

CARTHAGE -- Located in the eastern part of Scott Township, 6 miles east of Iowa City, a post office from 18 Aug 1853 until 4 Sep 1865.

CHASE -- In the southwest corner of Section 33, Madison Township, a post office from 17 Mar 1868 until 15 Sep 1902.

CLARKSVILLE -- An early name of the town at the site of the dam on the Iowa River, now called Coralville.  The name Clarksville was in honor of Ezekial Clark, one of the men interested for a long time in water power.  This town threatened to grow beyond the size of Iowa City at one time.

COPIHEENOC --The Indian name for the stream Col. S. C. Trowbridge named Clear Creek.  The name was perpetuated in the  post office called Copi.

COPI -- A post office located in Section 24, Oxford Township.  It was established 26 Feb 1847, discontinued 4 Dec 1847, reestablilished 17 May 1867, discontinued again 9 Mar 1868, reestablished 28 Apr 1868 and finally discontinued 9 Sep 1870.  This  post office was later moved to Tiffin.  The first  post master was James Douglass.

CORALVILLE -- Located in West Lucas Township at the western edge of Iowa City.  Its post office was first established 18 June 1869, later discontinued, then reestablished and is still in existence.  "A new town was born last week, up at the woolen mills and was christened Coralville. "  State Press, 19 Dec 1866.  The name was suggested from the rock of coral formation found when digging for the foundations for the water power development.  Therefore, the paper mill was christened "The Coral" and then the town took the same name.

COU FALLS -- Located in Section 21 Jefferson Township.  Its post office was established 19 Sep 1906 and discontinued 15 Dec 1917.  This village was platted in April 1905.  Robert J. and Laura C. Safely are listed as the owners.

COSGROVE -- Located in Section 23, Hardin Township.  A post office existed there from 23 Sep 1891 until 31 July 1902.

CURTIS -- Located in the southern part of Section 22, Madison Township on the south side of the Iowa River at the bridge crossing.  It had a post office from 26 Nov 1897 until 27 Feb 1909.

DANFORTH -- Located in Section 3, Monroe Township.  Post office existed from 19 June 1858 until 30 Sep 1901.

DODD -- Listed as a post office in Johnson County in the US Official Register from 31 Mar 1881 until 10 Jan 1882 but was not found on maps for that period.

ELMIRA -- Located in the northwest corner of the SW1/4 of Section 22, Graham Township.  It was a stop on the C RI & P Railroad.

FRANK PIERCE -- This post office was  located in the SE1/4 corner of Section 11, Washington Township and in the village of Williamstown which is also called Frytown.  It was established 18 Aug 1853 and discontinued 15 June 1903.

FRENDALE -- Located in the western part of Section 22, Hardin Township.  This post office was established 16 Apr 1895 and was discontinued 31 July 1902.

FRYTOWN -- Another name for Williamstown, located in Section 11, Washington Township.  It was called Frytown because the elder Mr. Fry and his large family of sons settled near there.

GOOSETOWN -- A section of Iowa City located on the north side between Church and Bloomington Streets, so called because of the numerous flocks of geese kept there by the early Bohemians.

GRAHAM -- This post office existed from 12 May 1871 until 10 Aug1871.  It was first named Oasis and later changed back to Oasis.  This was a railroad station on the C RI & P Railroad branch between Iowa City and Elmira.

GREEN CASTLE -- This village, platted as a  town in Sep 1856, was located in the northwest corner of Section 6, Madison Township and the southwest corner of Section 33331, Jefferson Township.  The owners were William and Mary E. Horner and Andrew and Rebecca Day.  The post office once here was discontinued.

GREGG -- Located in the eastern part of Section 14, Monroe Township.  It was a post office from 5 Feb 1879 until 30 Nov 1899.

HIGBEE'S GROVE -- This beautiful stand of timber, according to the pioneers, was in Sections 31 and 32 in Scott Township on what was known as the lower Muscatine road.

HILLS -- This town, formerly known as Hill's Siding, and located in Sections 15 and 22, Liberty Township was  platted 12 May 1900 by the owner G. W. Koontz.  A post office, still in operation, was opened here  8 Sep 1899.

HILL'S SIDING -- A post office was established and operated from 17 June 1891 until 8 Sep 1899 when the name was changed to Hills.

HUESTON -- Located in the northern  part of Jefferson Township as shown on the maps of 1856 and 1857.

INDIAN VILLAGE -- Located in the western part of Fremont Township on the east side of the Iowa River.

IOWA CITY -- "Thus the town that was subsequently located in Johnson County on the banks of the Iowa River was named before it was born".  -- in Shambaugh's "The Old Stone Capitol Remembers".  The first permanent capitol of the Territory of Iowa and the first capitol of the State of Iowa, the second seat of Johnson County, the home of the State University of Iowa, and of the State Historical Society of Iowa, a renowned medical center, that is Iowa City.  Its post office was established 14 Nov 1839.

 IVES -- The  post office was at the railroad station of Elmira from 14 Apr 1892 until 30 June 1903.  It is located in Section 22 Graham Township.

JOETOWN -- Another name of the village of Amish in Section 28, Washington Township.

LEONA -- Listed in the US Register as a post office in Johnson County from 21 May 1857 until 14 May 1858, but could be found on maps of the t ime.

LONE TREE -- This town, located in Sections 9 and 10, Fremont Township, was laid out in the fall of 1872 by John W. Jayne.  The deeds to lots sold specified that no intoxicating liquors be sold on the premises.  The post office, formerly known as "77" was established 27 Apr 1859. discontinued 24 Feb 1860, and reestablished 28 Oct 1872.  The town took its name from a lone tree, a pioneer landmark that stood in the southwestern part of Section 10.  This lone tree, a large white Elm and the only tree on the prairie, was on a high point in the landscape so that it could be seen for many miles.

MAHERN -- This post office, located in the northern part of Monroe Township, was established 24 Oct 1857 and was discontinued 26 July 1865.

MIDRIVER -- An interurban stop on the CR & IC line in Section 27, Madison Township.

MONROE -- This place was surveyed and platted 18 July 1839 but never became a town.  It was located between Section 25 and 26, Monroe Township on the site of Chief Poweshiek's village on William Dupont's claim on the east side of the Iowa River.

MORFORDSVILLE -- This village in the southwestern part of Section 24, Pleasant Valley Township was platted in Feb 1855 by John Morford.  Its post office was established  3 Apr 1856, was discontinued 16 Feb 1857, was reestablished 9 Mar 1876, and was finally discontinued 3 Mar 1894.

MORSE -- This town, located in Section 9, Graham Township, was founded by A. W., A. M., E. K., and Mary A. Morse, and Orrin and Sarah Andrews in March 1871.  Its  post office was in operation from 11 May 1871 until 31 Oct 1948.

NAPOLEON -- This town, laid out in 1837 by John Gilbert, was located in Section 22, Lucas Township, about two miles south of the center of Iowa City, on the east bank of the Iowa River.  It was named as the county seat six months after Johnson County was organized.  Its  post office was in operation from 2 Mar 1839 until 14 Nov 1839 when it was moved to Iowa City.  John Gilbert received the commission as Napoleon's first post  master but died the next day after receiving it.  A log cabin and one frame house were the only buildings ever erected on the  town site.

NEMORA -- The name of a post office from 7 Apr 1865 until 11 Jan 1869 in the present town of Oxford.  This post office was first named Oxford, then changed to Nemora for a short time and then changed back to Oxford.

NEW CASTLE -- In the northwestern part of Madison Township on the south side of the Iowa River, as shown on maps of 1881 to 1887.

NEWPORT -- This post office in Newport Township was operated intermittently from 19 Sep 1853 to 19 July 1865; 23 Feb 1870 to 8 8 Apr 1871; 6 Sep 1871 to 10 July 1878; 8 Aug 1878 to 15 Apr 1880.

NEWPORT CENTER -- Located in the east part of Newport Township.  It had a post office from 19 Sep 1853 to 21 Apr 1865 and from 26 Jan 1866 until 24 Jan 1870.

NOLAN SETTLEMENT -- An Irish settlement in Cedar Township, primarily around St. Bridget's Catholic Church.

NORTH BEND -- See Big Bend above.

NORTH LIBERTY -- This post office, located in Section 30, Penn Township, was established 25 Apr 1908 and continues in service.  The first postmaster was Harry E. Kirscher who was also superintendent o f the Iowa State Tuberculosis Sanitarium at Oakdale. 

OAKDALE --  At one time this sanitarium had a bed capacity for more than 400 TB patients.  This institution is now under the direction of the University of Iowa.  See Bob Hibbs Postcard # 12  for more information.

OASIS -- This post office, located in Section 26, Graham Township, was established 1 July 1864 and was discontinued 12 May 1871 when the name was changed to Graham. The name was changed back to Oasis and the post office was in business from 10 Aug 1871 until 15 May 1920.

OSCEOLA -- This rival county seat (on paler) was laid out by Pleasant Harris in 1837-38.  Napoleon became the actual county seat and Osceola not established.

OXFORD -- This town was laid out and platted in Section 21, Oxford Township in Sep 1868 by P. C. and Augusta C. S. Wilcox.  This post office was established 13 Sep 1855 and continued until 7 Apr 1865 when the name was changed to Nemora.  It was changed back to Oxford 19 1869 and remains in service.  Oxford Township is named after the township in Chenago County, NY where Mrs. W. H. Cotter had spent her childhood and youth.

PALESTINE -- This post office located in Section 18. Fremont Township was in existence from 18 July 1855 until 26 Dec 1873.

POWESHIEK -- An Indian village in Section 35, East Lucas Township.

RIVER JUNCTION --  This place, located in Section 12, Fremont  Township, was established as a town in about 1873 by John and Louisa Porter.  A post office here was first called "77" in about 1850.  The River Junction office operated from 26 Dec 1873 until 22 Aug 1933.  The present town lies nearly on the site of Sepanemo.

SANDTOWN --  Near Hills  (information is needed about this town)

SEPANEMO -- This town site was laid out in Section 12, Fremont Township in the summer of 1837, the first ever laid out in Johnson County.  It was surveyed and staked out on the east side of the Iowa River, opposite the mouth of the English River by Jonas M. Higley, an employee of John Gilbert. The present village of River Junction is very nearly on the same spot as this first town site.

SEVENTY EIGHT -- This post office in Section 27, Liberty Township, on the west bank of the Iowa River existed from 28 June 1852 until 12 Dec 1879.

SEVENTY SEVEN -- The name of the post office at River Junction from 15 May 1848 until 27 Apr 1859 when "77" was moved to Lone Tree.

SHARON CENTER -- Located in Sections 9 and 16, Sharon Township, this post office was in operation from 28 Jan 1878 until 15 Aug 1900.

SHO FLY -- This was a post office in the northeastern part of Section 32, Fremont Township from 11 May 1871 until 14 Feb 1901.

SHUEYVILLE -- Located in Section 3, Jefferson Township, its post office was in operation from 14 Mar 1856 until 21 Apr 1934.

SNOOKS GROVE -- A place located in northern Union Township, west of the county poor farm, probably in Sections 9 and 10.

SOLON -- John West laid out the first town of Solon in Section 24 and 25 in 1842.  The town was vacated in1847 but was resurrected in 1850 when H. H. Kerr and P. B. Andrews laid out the lots for the second time.  The Solon post office was established 11 July 1842 and remains in service.

SOUTH LIBERTY -- This village was platted in the western part of Section 17,  Liberty Township in 1857 by Vincent Grove.  Bon Accord was its post office.

SPRAUGE GROVE -- A settlement in Section 29, Clear Creek Township.  Jonathan Sprauge from Ohio staked his claim and built a log cabin in this grove in 1839.

SQUASH BEND -- An early name for North Liberty in Penn Township.

STUMPTOWN -- Also STUMPY.  Other names for River Junction, Fremont Township.

SWISHER -- This village was platted in Section 7 and 8, Jefferson Township on the part of the farm owned by Benjamin Swisher in 1841 soon after the Cr & IC  Interurban was established.  This post office was opened 14 Dec 1904 and is still in use.

TANKTOWN -- This was an early name for the railroad station in the present town of Oxford inSection 21, Oxford Township.  A few shanties were erected and occupied by section hands around the water tank  of the Rock Island Railroad before the town of Oxford was laid out.  Most people called it "Tank" or "Tanktown" for several years after the town of Oxford had been established.

TIFFIN -- This town, originally called Copi, was platted in Dec 1867 in Section 28, Clear Creek Township and named for the town in Ohio where Rolla Johnson came from.  While the CR & IP Railroad was completed in 1860 it was a little benefit to the township until Tiffin was laid out as a town, even though passengers were let on and  off the trains at Copi, the township post office.  The Tiffin post office was established 9 Mar 1868, was discontinued 12 Jan 1877, was reestablished 15 Feb 1877 and is still in service.

TRADING POST -- This place was located on the Iowa River in the northeast quarter of Section 10, Pleasant Valley Township, where a small stream emptied into the river from the east.  John Gilbert, the agent for many years, was the first white man to live in Johnson County.

UNITY -- This post office in the northeast corner of Section 16, Union Township was opened 13 Oct 1871 and closed 3 Apr 1882.  It again operated from7 June 1893 until 15 Aug 1900.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- An incorporated town on the west side of Iowa River, completely surrounded by the City of Iowa City.

WAPASHIEK --  An Indian village in Section 22, East Lucas Township.

WESTERN -- A town in Linn County to which an addition was made by J. E. and Mary M. Powersox in 1860 in Section 3, Jefferson Township, Johnson County.

WILLIAMSTOWN -- A town named for C. N. and Sarah Williams platted in 1854 in Section 11, Washington Township.  It is also known as Frytown and the post office was in  Frank Pierce.

WINDHAM -- This village in the central part of Section 34, Hardin Township originally on the claim of Asbury D. and Nancy Packard was platted in Oct 1854 and filed 1 Nov 1854.  The post office was opened 8 Aug 1854 and closed 31 July 1902.

YOUNG -- An interurban stop on the CR & IC line in Section 2 Madison Township.

END

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