A station known as Bucknam or "Bucktown" was established on the Great Western railway by C.E. Bucknam, shortly after the railroad was built in 1894. The location was in the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 6 and just south of the school house. A railway siding was installed and a grain elevator built. The primary purpose of the station was to provide a country elevator market for grain produced in the area. In later years it was discontinued.
Reproduced with the approval of the Mitchell County Historical Society; from THE STORY OF MITCHELL COUNTY 1851-1973.
BUCKTOWN
By Zola Mullenbach
Located in Burr Oak Township, northeast of Osage on the Southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 6, was the little station of Bucktown, or Bucknam.
C.E. "Charlie" Bucknam and his brother, John, raised Shorthorn cattle and Duroc hogs. Charlie lived just north of this location, and John lived one mile south of Little Cedar.
According to family legend, driving the cattle by foot was the only way to transport them to market. McGregor was the closest stockyards and a distance of ninety miles. An agreement was made with the Chicago Great Western Railroad to stop at this location. A small stockyard was built by the railroad track.
The largest shipment of cattle and hogs was sent to Chicago in 1912 or 13. More livestock was loaded at Little Cedar and McIntire, making a total of thirteen carloads.
Later a grain elevator was built nearby. It operated as a cooperative and was owned by the area farmers.
Just south of the town, on the Roy Funk farm, several acres of potatoes were grown each year. In 1923, a carload of potatoes was sacked and sent by rail. They were sent to Waterloo for distribution to grocery stores.
A grocery store was added to the town later. The first storekeeper was a man named Jacoby, who sold it to Harm Oultman. The last owner was Emmert and he closed the store in 1927 or 28. Henry Knectges moved the building to Osage and remodeled it for a house.
A one-room schoolhouse held classes for years and when it was no longer open was moved to the Lloyd Swann farm.
The first teacher was Winnefred Sullivan in 1910. School records were lost or destroyed when the rural schools were closed.
Between the schoolhouse and the store was a house. At one time it was occupied by a Mrs. Jacobs, then was moved to a nearby farm.
The first farm south of Bucktown was the boyhood home of the author Hamlin Garland. His books were written on life in the Midwest.
Little remains to remind us of the little town of Bucktown today. But it remains alive in the minds of many of the older citizens of Mitchell County.
(Mabel Funk and Dean Jacobs, former residents of the Bucktown area, shared some of their memories for this story.)
Published in the book MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORY, by Leona Montag in 1989.
LOCATION: Approximately 395th St and Noble Ave ("T" intersection). Bucktown was located in the northwest portion of that intersection.
Please respect landowners property, ask before you enter.
Transcribed by: Neal Du Shane
Contact information:
BUCKNAM MCHS 070602.doc