In 1857 the town of Dudley in East Cedar Township was platted and the plat recorded. The location was in the NE 1/4 of Section 17 East Cedar Township. The author of this plat was William Dudley, who built a saw mill on the banks of Rock Creek at the same time. At the south east edge of the town plat, a rural school was eventually located, and just north of it was a cemetery known as Dudley cemetery. A post office was established in the home of Eli Hutchinson in Section 17, although this was later moved to the present site of Meroa. The town plat of Dudley was never developed.
TOWN OF DUDLEY
By Monica M. Lonergan
When William Green Dudley brought his family from Wisconsin and settled on section 17, East Cedar Township, Mitchell
County, Iowa, he planned the town of Dudley. The plat of Dudley, submitted by his son James N. Dudley, shows plans for a town 5 blocks wide and 5 blocks long. This site was chosen because of the water flow in Rock Creek and the strong possibility that the "Mason City Road" would come through the town. Click HERE to see the full plat map of Dudley. (308 Kb)
The Dudley Mill was built on the banks of Rock Creek by William Green Dudley and was built as a saw mill in 1856 or 1857. When sawing lumber became unprofitable he converted it to a grist mill which ground wheat and corn. In a short time he added a bolting machine
to produce a good grade of flour. In 1870 a partner, Eli Hutchinson, joined Mr. Dudley and his son Milton and they hired Mr. Mason to teach the care and operation of the buhrs to run a grist mill. The mill burned shortly thereafter. In 1882 or 1883 it was rebuilt as a feed mill. (The photo to the right, of the mill site, is reduced in size from what the scanned image actually contains. Select 'view image' in your browser to see the full photo. Photo courtesy of Steve Ham, Osage, IA)
The new mill had a dam built from the east side of Rock Creek to the west side of the creek. A retaining wall approximately
12 feet high held the water necessary to run the mill. The mill wheel was cast iron. (The photo to the left, of the Dudley Mill, is also reduced in size from what the scanned image actually contains. Select 'view image' in your browser to see the full photo. Photo courtesy of Steve Ham, Osage, IA)
The mill closed operation about 1888. Weeds and trees have grown up around the remains of the mill, but the outline of the old millpond is still visible, particularly in the spring and fall of the year. The tailrace is also visible, but the dam is gone with only the ends being seen now.
Dudley also had a schoolhouse, a cemetery, and several houses. The cemetery is located on high land above the mill and now stands deserted. Markers have been vandalized and many have been completely destroyed. A few graves remain in the cemetery; however William Green Dudley and his wife, Lavisa Ann Ashmore Dudley, were removed to the cemetery in Nora Springs, Iowa.
The Dudley school was first held in the home James Dudley who also taught the classes, but the first teacher in the new schoolhouse was Mary Catherine Dudley who married Eli Hutchinson. The outline of the school's foundation can still be seen. The school was located just in front of the cemetery and next to the present-day road.
For a few years the post office was in Mrs. Dudley's home, but it was moved Meroa.
The traces of the mill, the deserted cemetery, and the foundation of the school are all that remain of Dudley. The route of the "Mason City Road" had been changed and Dudley had not grown as the Dudley family had hoped and planned.
Reproduced with the approval of the Mitchell County Historical Society; from THE STORY OF MITCHELL COUNTY 1851-1973, and MITCHELL COUNTY MEMORIES 1946-1996.
NOTE: In the spring of 2002, Vivian Du Shane visited the Ghost Town of Dudley. She reports there are still 3 or 4 headstones in the Cemetery, but are extremely hard to locate due to the trees and undergrowth. In a triangle between Rock Creek, 316th and Hickory there is still a derelict barn and a few foundations visible.
LOCATION: Approximately at 316th St and Hickory Ave ("T" intersection going north). It was located in the northwest portion of that intersection.
Please respect landowners property, ask before you enter.
Transcribed in June 2002 by: Neal Du Shane
Contact information:
DUDLEY MCHS 070602.doc
