Ontario is a community within the corporate limits of the city of Ames, in Story County, Iowa, United States. [1]
The first settlement in the area was New Philadelphia laid out in 1855 on the western edge of Story County just northwest of Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). The Chicago and North Western Railway was built just north of the town and the new railroad town complete with a rail station was established in January 1869. It wasn't long before Ontario, strategically situated by the rail line, swallowed up New Philadelphia. [2] A post office was established New Philadelphia in 1858, and renamed Ontario in 1868; the post office closed in 1951. [3] [4] The community was named after Ontario, Ohio, the native hometown of a first settler, Hiram Scott. [5] Ontario failed to incorporate several times and was ultimately annexed by Ames in 1962.
Watkins is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in southeastern Benton County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 118. Watkins lies along local roads south of the city of Vinton, the county seat of Benton County. Its elevation is 830 feet (250 m) above sea level. Although Watkins is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 52354, which opened on 15 December 1873.
The Consolidation Coal Company (CCC) was founded in 1875 in Iowa and purchased by the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1880 in order to secure a local source of coal. The company operated in south central Iowa in Mahaska and Monroe counties until after World War I. Exhaustion of some resources, competition from overseas markets, and other changes led to the company's closing down its mines and leaving its major planned towns by the late 1920s. The CCC worked at Muchakinock in Mahaska County until the coal resources of that area were largely exhausted. In 1900, the company purchased 10,000 acres (40 km2) in southern Mahaska County and northern Monroe County, Iowa.
Gridley is an unincorporated community in Emmet County, Iowa, United States.
Almont is an unincorporated community in Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Hanford is an unincorporated community in Cerro Gordo County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Herring is a ghost town in Sac County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Hughes is a ghost town in Hardin County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Lakonta is an unincorporated community in Mahaska County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Long Point is an unincorporated community in Tama County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Nashville is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Petersville is an unincorporated community in Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Plum Creek is a ghost town in Kossuth County, in the U.S. state of Iowa. A railroad station was once located at Plum Creek.
Rubens is a ghost town in Pocahontas County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Secor is a ghost town in Hardin County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Thrall is a ghost town in Wright County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
James is an unincorporated community in Plymouth County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Lakewood is a ghost town in Lyon County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Merriam was a town in Scott County, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The town has since been closed altogether.
Seney is an unincorporated community in Plymouth County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Bailey was a community in Wayne Township, Mitchell County, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1886 as a whistle stop, it was briefly known as Wapsie. The community lay north of the Wapsipinicon River.