10 SMALLEST Towns in IOWA

[@Dragonflylane77]

Ok, one more thing. I love all the towns, they are all very nicely kept. I also love seeing all the old playground equipment you show in all these towns, takes me back!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you very much! 😊

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

Yay! Finally! Thank you so much John

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

I appreciate it John! What is your next list? I’m just kidding! THANK YOU SO MUCH JOHN!!!

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

Great video! Especially on beaconsfield! My great grandfather lived in beaconsfield and grew up in Coburg.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Yeah Beaconsfield is one of the best! Wow he lived in 2 of them!

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy pretty interesting imo, I also recently just walked the entire Heritage trail end to end in July and before I started, I chilled and talked to a nice man in DURANGO! Cool Spot

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Oh wow how long was that walk?

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy it took me, since I remember I used a stopwatch, 2 hours and 46 minutes long. Another question for you John, what about delphos? Is it unincorporated because it also has 26 and on Wikipedia it says former city, are former towns not in lists either? I know Donnan isn’t, it’s population is 7!!! They said it’s the smallest incorporated town in Iowa, but it’s become unincorporated a few years ago

[@bglrj]

I've spent a lot of time in Iowa. I love every inch of it. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

You bet!

[@brendacejda7069]

I've done a lot of traveling through Iowa. It's a beautiful state, especially when the corn is at its peak. Curious what time of year this video was shot?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I filmed this in mid-October

[@robinconnell3882]

We really enjoyed your visits to Iowa's smallest towns. While in school at Iowa State I helped my Rural Sociology Professor conduct a large research project that took me all over Iowa. Even though I was born, and now live, in Missouri I consider Iowa my adopted State. Go Cyclones! But most of all we enjoyed your Bussards Belly t-shirt! Been there. Keep up your great work.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Sounds like a fun project! Haha yes! Cisco, Utah!! 😊

[@sarge3ad]

I attended school in that old school house in Leroy 28:59 from 1st grade through 6th in the late sixties early seventies. Back then LeRoy had a few businesses like the grocery store/ post office all in one. The owner use to literally change hats when he would go from store clerk to post master. They also had feed stores and repair/ welding shops plus other. The town has remained active by the members of the church where have an annual LeRoy Harvest Festival celebration with a parade and big meal sponsored by the church and more.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Love that! Thanks for the info!

[@musicroom7185]

I went to school there too ! 1972-74 (we moved to MO in 1974) Rode a shuttle bus over from Humeston. That was such a cool building ..makes me sad to see it run down. When I was there, K-2 were in Humeston with 7-8, 3-6 in LeRoy, and HS in Garden Grove

[@Nickifoster-hl3ux]

Did that street sign say cookie monster? I'm enjoying these videos of places I'll probably never see. Thanks for the window on the tiny towns world 😊

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Yes it did! Someone had a good sense of humor in Berkley 😂

[@Nickifoster-hl3ux]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy indeed they did!

[@sheryld1957]

I love looking at all these older slower going towns. Very interesting to hear their history.

[@chiefamylee]

The quiet of the small towns in Iowa is a breath of fresh air. Thanks for the great video!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Couldn't agree more! Thanks so much!!

[@davidespinoza958]

I live in Southern California. These little towns in the video are so peaceful Thank you for your video..

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you 😊 Iowa has so many great small towns!

[@amymeier1239]

Welcome to Iowa..by wat of video!

[@pigoff123]

My step fathers family is from Iowa. The family farm is in Waterloo outside of Gilbertville. My brother lives in Cedar Falls.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Beautiful state!

[@susanoline5823]

I ate in Gilbertville a couple days ago! A young local girl opened a new restaurant. 1854 ... the old Cobblestone.

[@lindastepp9842]

Good ole towns, I can see where the population went, 😥 in the grave yards. I enjoyed this venture. 😎

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! Yes indeed 😞 It was a fun adventure!

[@LM79453]

Makes me wish for the peaceful and quiet life.❤

[@UncleDaffy313]

Glad to see you getting up North. I first watched one of your videos about ghost towns in Texas, since I live in that state. But I was born in Minnesota (New Ulm), and was hoping you'd take a trip up North. Searles was a tiny, nearby town when I was a kid there in the '60s, with one gas station, one bar/town store combo, a Cathodic church/school, & a post office run out of somebody's home. Even THAT sounds huge next to these in Iowa. 🙂

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! I’m hoping to continue to explore different areas - Minnesota is definitely on the list! I’m actually going down to Texas this weekend 😊

[@Giles29]

My uncle, who lives in Iowa, was a regional manager for Hy-Vee for a number of years. He's retired now though. I remember being quite impressed when it came to Missouri as well. Interesting to see where it started off.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Kind of amazing it started in that little town!

[@theangryangle9050]

This is another wonderful video of history. I bet it was a beautiful drive through that part of America. Thanks for what you do with these videos.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

It was definitely a beautiful drive! Glad I went there in October! Thank you very much!

[@asimplehorseman4648]

"You'll be able to see that the town is on a hill in the drone footage"..... LOL!!! Of note is how well those "small towns" maintain a civil standard of upkeep. Great episode. Thanks for sharing. Always enjoy the vintage merri-go-rounds actually moving. One was pretty old. "I died once when I was 5, but my mom made me get up and walk it off". Better times, stronger people.....

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! Some great go-rounds for sure. That one in Ellston might STILL be spinning 😂

[@michellenmakeup]

I really enjoyed this small towns journey so much!! I had no idea about any of this, so thank you for the historical info and all of it

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much!!

[@Dragonflylane77]

Whats the difference between incorporated and corporated? I know i live in an unincorporated town in az and ive always wondered? ❤ your vids!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

The difference is an incorporated town has a form of government (mayor, city council, etc) where an unincorporated one doesn’t and is just an area where people live and are usually part of a different postal code and such. Thanks you!!

[@pigoff123]

Iowa has some beautiful churches.

[@trishamccarty3202]

I feel in love with that church ⛪️

[@PB-hr8tg]

Born and raised in Iowa. My oldest son’s name is LeRoy, so LeRoy is on the list of towns to visit!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Would be a great photo next to the sign!

[@billiegutierrez2506]

Some of the small towns are well kept and very impressive I loved seeing the old barn. imagine the stories they could tell. Nice Muriel’s in Elliston. What a wonderful video thanks for the ride along stay safe until the next adventure

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! Ellston was a great little town!

[@TonkaVicious9607]

I'm from Iowa, but I live in Utah now, so I IMMEDIATELY recognized your shirt! I LOVE the Buzzard Belly in Cisco Utah!!!!!!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Awesome! 😎

[@JerryGreif]

Pretty cool cruising all the small towns in Iowa, I have been to every town in Iowa on 2 wheels (bicycle or motorcycle). 1588 towns this includes ghost towns and unincorporated towns.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That’s amazing!

[@robertodebeers2551]

I know Hepburn, Iowa, well. I owned a farm a few miles south of Hepburn, on the way to Clarinda. There are several small towns in the Clarinda area that are pretty darned cool, like College Springs. Enjoyed your journey this time, too. Always a pleasure.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! Beautiful area to visit!

[@donnaemslie5729]

My dad when he was younger worked at the Hy-Vee in Clarinda. He grew up in Gravity, Iowa

[@robertodebeers2551]

@@donnaemslie5729 My wife and I owned a small farm near Clarinda. I know Gravity, and shopped at the Hy-Vee store in Clarinda. Good town, good area, especially for Sunday morning motorcycle backroads rides.

[@timmitchell4701]

Thanks again John really enjoyed your video I live in a small town and consider myself very fortunate . Have you ever considered incorporating a gravel bike into your visits you being a track coach I am a 62 year old gravel bike rider and ride around small towns in south west Missouri it’s a very relaxing thing for me to do have met a lot of wonderful people in my adventures!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! I used to be a reasonably decent bike rider and someone stole my mountain bike 🤷🏼‍♂️ But I haven’t done much of it in a while. I was a sprinter so the long distances aren’t always my thing 😂😂

[@peterselten500]

Hi john thanks for the tour i enjoyed seeing the places an when you show a old gas station i think about what they were back in the day when open how they looked . Cheers mate🇦🇺

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I do too! Interesting to see some old photos of what it used to be!

[@suzannewhitaker3507]

Remember free maps

[@peterselten500]

@@suzannewhitaker3507 yes an match books an esso had tigers

[@darrylclark563]

My mom graduated from Leroy Iowa. I will have to show her this video.

[@lindawicker2225]

My mom taught school there or Mormon Trail her entire career. Nice to see your comment.

[@darrylclark563]

⁠@@lindawicker2225my mom’s younger siblings graduated from Mormon Trail.

[@amylamb8693]

I enjoyed the video. I actually grew up in Galt.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Oh wow - interesting little town!

[@dochood1966]

Yetter is 5 miles from Lytton, where I grew up. I knew someone who moved from Lytton (population 376 at the time) to Yetter... probably for the "peace and quiet"! Also, I recognize some of the family names on that rock.

[@ronfullerton3162]

You have captured the look of the small Iowa town very well. Or anyhow, how I knew them before moving away from the tall corn state. Most have been kept up fairly well. I believe many of the residents are either "lifers" or at least have a good amount of years involved to where there is much pride. There are some that look like the junkyard from Hades, but those are an exception. The joy of visiting these little bergs is the occasional diamond you fond in the rough. The people are usually friendly and a joy to chat with. And little snips of history is alive in these remote Uowa areas. I really enjoyed your tour of small town Iowa. I have been removed from Iowa for over thirty years now, but I guess my heart never left! Thank you again for a wonderful trip!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Awesome words - thanks so much! I really did enjoy finding these towns and for someone interested, many of them are not too far from each other in the SW part of the state. Fun trip!

[@Jruth68]

They are all probably family in some of those towns.

[@ronfullerton3162]

@@Jruth68 Many times you will find many families in the area are related. Just part of small town life.

[@aliceevans3357]

All of the small towns were so clean and well kept. Shows pride in their small burgs. Bigger towns could take a lesson. Beautiful churches, you wonder if folks from other areas come to worship there. Wouldn't be a video without playgrounds and puppy dogs.😊 Enjoyed the journey, stay safe and GOD bless

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Absolutely! Thank you very much! Always love finding the playgrounds and dogs 😊

[@roberteshaw9520]

Coach,good job as usual.These small towns have a surreal vibe in their quiet clean setting. Just a thought, when those playground rides start moving by themselves,it might be time to get to a slow sprint on out of there, just saying. Thanks for the research and effort put forth.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha yeah it felt like someone else might have been spinning that 😂😂

[@onrycodger]

All of them were clean and seemed to be well taken care of. As always, another great video!👍

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I agree! As a whole, these were some of the best I’ve seen! Thanks 😊

[@rosiemcnaughton9933]

My favorite is Bankston. The church is gorgeous, and the playground looks nice. Everything is neat. They all looked cared for. Nice old buildings. Great video. Thanks.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

That one really stood out to me too. The drone shot of the town is really incredible!

[@rosiemcnaughton9933]

@@TravelwithaWiseguy 👍

[@JaymeErin]

Cool video! Lived in Northeast Iowa my whole life and haven’t seen alot of these places. If you ever get back check out the great river road, especially up here in the north east :)

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for the tip!

[@ronalddailey5208]

I will never see these places myself. So thanks for showing them off. Have a great weekend

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! You as well!

[@michaelgraves5188]

Everything did seem better in Yetter! Just sayin- I’m really enjoying your videos Wiseguy, keep them coming.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you Michael! Much appreciated!

[@lindawicker2225]

I went to school from kdg. through sophomore in Le Roy. Then it merged with 3 other towns to form Mormon Trail schools and I graduated from there. My mother was a school teacher, spent her entire life teaching in Le Roy then Mormon Trail and still was teaching when she died. My dad born and raised in the area was a farmer. I loved growing up in southern Iowa. I was married in that church in 1962 and it''s still a very active church. Don't know that I'm particularly proud that my hometown is the smallest in Iowa, but I'm still proud to have grown up there. The people were great and there was more to the town, but not a lot, when I was growing up.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated!

[@sueelliott3206]

Great video! I knew HyVee started in Iowa but didn't realize it was on a town so small. Thanks for sharing

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I didn’t either! Was surprised when I rolled up and found that out!

[@bertholini2810]

Really nice video. I like how you covered 13 different small towns, quite well too. Yard work/trees today (before hard winter). Be good, be safe !!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! It was a lot of fun and a beautiful time of the year to do it!

[@judysoedt916]

Thanks for video. Born and raised in Iowa.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks for watching! 😊

[@TrentFocken]

I love ghost towns and your amazing videos!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Much appreciated- thank you!

[@imaoregonbum6683]

Makes me want to travel. Thank you!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Go for it! 😊

[@papabear562]

Ok, gotta admit, Ellston was the highlight. Looks like a nice little town to retire to. I wonder, what do small towns like these do in the winters when the streets need to be plowed? Great video!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

It was probably the most “livable” of these towns. Very well kept and a big lake nearby. A lot of these small towns don’t have much winter plowing available. Probably done by a local.

[@sixchuterhatesgoogle3824]

The county government usually provides services the towns need, like snow removal and law enforcement.

[@Orange-Entity]

I'm from the Ellston, Sun Valley Lake area, and when the roads get snowed over really bad, Ellston usually has to either wait for the snow removal service from a nearby town such as Kellerton or Mount Ayr, but also, a lot of us have personal snow plows that we put on the front of our vehicles that is able to do most of the work.

[@juanitagarcia958]

Great video! Ellston looks well kept and clean. Interesting history 😊

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! Yes Ellston was really nice!

[@terriquotskuyva4594]

Some amazing small town!! I love your odd ball videos 😂!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha thanks! It was a fun trip!

[@catherinefrancis5827]

Loving your videos❤ thanks for sharing

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

You are so welcome!

[@bratzmama]

I was expecting to see Mederville (with maybe 10 people if that) but when I didn't, I went looking and it is unincorporated. But if you ever decide to do the small uninc's check it out because it's got a lot of history.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks!

[@darrenmuci5984]

Great video, Coach Wise!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks!!

[@melissagerber7231]

I lived in Centerville . It's a wee larger than surrounding ones,being a county seat.

[@riverratranger1427]

Our farm was near the little, now dying, of Ruthven Iowa. These towns started going down hill with the end of passenger train service... then as the Baby Boom passed the local schools consolidated, then again... and again.

[@danieltrue1689]

The Interstate highways don't pass through towns like the old highways did.

[@skylermummert24]

My grandma is originally from the ruthven area

[@derekace7471]

very awesome. great video, sir.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you kindly!

[@stevehilliard1495]

Interesting trip, I noticed no wind generation, maybe too flat. Good to see the wheels of death & the pups. Be safe my friend

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! Good point about the wind turbines. 🤔

[@keithnichols7926]

Iowa contains more than 6,000 wind turbines, even after the tornadoes of this spring.

[@juliesroadtrip]

Very nice! What equipment are you using? Best wishes.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I’m pretty simple. Just my iPhone and a drone!

[@Mikell-h2c]

another cool production❤

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you 🙌

[@gwortman3515]

Great film clip full of facts

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks!

[@Dragonflylane77]

Which vid showed that table and chair out in the middle of nowhere in Kansas? And it was a geocache place. I want to share that vid with a few people and i cant find it. Please and thank you!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Here ya go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqWxhGOiYq92laMsi=05w7zfMKWUxJTCKf

[@Dragonflylane77]

​@@TravelwithaWiseguy Thanks!

[@juliogonzales5441]

Love small quite towns..thanks

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

My pleasure! 😊

[@angelikac6767]

I drive through galt all the time ,i live in a nearby metropolis sporting 540 people ( if some of us have company staying)

[@donnaemslie5729]

I grew up in Emerson, Iowa, Fontanelle, Iowa and Tabor, Iowa.

[@darrylclark563]

Have you done a video on Garden Grove Iowa and the Mormon Trail? Or maybe explored part of the trail?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I haven’t but I didn’t entire Oregon Trail where it paralleled the Mormon Trail for a long time. Visited a lot of Mormons towns on that trip.

[@williamford9392]

Well, first time ever, have been shown a railroad diesel switcher at a grain elevator in an out of the way place. Green liveried 6974 at the Farmers Coop elevator, Yetter, IA. Have travelled from the UK just to see such on many occasions, and this one is new to me. The number of times I have wished that the blogger would show me the rail siding, to see whether there is switcher there !! Thanks a lot, don't forget us crazy railfans in the future. Will have to try to find the identity and history of 6974 now.

[@williamford9392]

Has taken me a few hours, but 6974 is an EMD SD40-2, built by GMD Canada A2310/1968 as Canadian National SD40 5058. Was rebuilt by Alsthom, Canada in 1999, becoming Burlington Northern Santa Fe SD40-2 7314, later renumbered 6974. Subsequently sold out of service, and becoming Farmers Cooperative Co, FARX 6974 at Yetter.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Awesome stuff! It’s just dumb luck that I included it - I just thought it looked cool 😂😂 Thanks for the great info!

[@CindyinArizona]

Funny, it wasn't a bridge of Madison County. Great video, very interesting. I wonder what people do in those small towns and where they work? I would think it would be very boring living there.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks! Usually most of these small towns have an older population and most of the jobs are farming and rural.

[@sixchuterhatesgoogle3824]

They're mostly bedroom communities. It doesn't take long to drive to a bigger town for work.

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

Hi John, you should go explore Wiley street in greenwood Indiana! That’s mine! It’s amazing houses

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Would love to someday!

[@GabeGarrett-t7s]

@@TravelwithaWiseguyIf you do, tell me so I can meet you, I get home from school around 3:25

[@toonertimesfour1158]

I hope you got to take side trips to the American Pickers shop and the farmhouse in the "American Gothic" painting.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Unfortunately I didn’t on this trip

[@anthonyneagle]

Off to Dublin Georgia next year to see family. What can I look forward too?. Anthony from England

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Have never been there - have fun!

[@robertkellett1156]

How far do people have to drive to go shopping for grocery's ( roughly) ? I'm in Australia in The Whitsundays Qld. Most to drive here in this area its about 100/150km round trip, if your in a small locality( town)

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

It really depends on there are certainly places in far off remote parts of the US that is 100 miles or so from anything. But usually it’s much closer than that.

[@glennso47]

What about Sabula? It’s a small town on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Sabula’s population is 506. Huge compared to these towns!

[@bluelionsage99]

Ya know, I only see those "wheels of death" mostly in old, small places. Well, except for one near the Space Needle in Seattle. That thing was fling off kids left and right like a dervish the day I was there.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I imagine most larger places worry about a lawsuit for those things!

[@robertlusnia506]

Enjoy your video

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thanks!

[@ElwoodAndersonNV]

I've enjoyed your trips to the small towns. Growing up in a small town in North Dakota where my grandparents homesteaded at the turn of the 20th century, I learned how the area developed. You might wonder why people settled along the railroads. There are a few reasons, the homestead act, the soil suited to agriculture, the immigration from Europe at the time, etc. Your maps show that the counties were laid out in near perfect rectangular layout. So, why did the railroads develop in such areas, and why did the immigrants settle along the railroad lines. The settlers were primarily immigrants, some with agricultural background who were looking for land to farm, others with shopping keeping or professional experience that these farmers would need to buy the clothes, food, and other necessities and services they would need. It was not unlike the development of communities around mines in other areas of the country. The government and the homesteading act provided the land. Railroads came because they were given land on either side of the tracts, every ten miles of so, so it could be sold to the immigrants to develop a townsite. The farmers needed places to market their grain and the grain elevators to buy it, since the mills were located in cities further east, the case of North Dakota, in Minneapolis. So why every ten miles or so? That was the distance a team of horses pulling a grain wagon could travel forth and back from the grain elevator. As time passed, some immigrants couldn't make a go it, so they sold their land to adjacent farmers who could, after their homestead obligations were fulfilled. As farms and farming equipment grew in size to handle more farmland, farmers income improved so they afford the new equipment. With trucks replacing the horses and wagons they could reach the grain elevators over a longer distance and the small towns in between the new terminals shrunk in size while the more distant towns with larger elevators grew in size. This has been the way the plains states have developed. The little towns survive because the survivors there can afford to live there, possibly because they sold their land, and the location has become endeared to them.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Greta post! Thanks for the info - very interesting!

[@sheryld1957]

Would you ever consider moving to any of the small towns you show us in all these series?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I think I would later in life when I’m retired. But I need to live closer to where I currently work 😊

[@dalekrohse1871]

Very nice video. My three decades working for a regional electric power cooperative in Iowa put me at or working with power lines near around 2/3 of those small towns. It brought back memories.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! It was fun!

[@williammatzek4660]

In Bankstown the Catholic church was unlocked. I've been told the reason for that is a place of quiet to work thur their problems. In yetter I wonder if the metal tower and tanks is a grain dryer?

[@tinman7130]

I kinda liked Bankston a lot. Church was specular. Although the fact several of them had parks and play grounds makes them fun to see. 11 people...Leroy. I'll bet the city council meeting draw the whole town

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha yes! 6 votes passed new legislation 😂

[@Vossi420]

Medervill ia. Have you done that?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I have not - yet!

[@elizabethmurray3221]

I can’t say my favorite town - it keeps getting autocorrected. I love when people leave signs to share history. The churches were beautiful. Lovely to see on a Sunday morning.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Thank you! I wonder why it keeps autocorrecting 🤔 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@elizabethmurray3221]

Still autocorrects, but it’s better with a Y.

[@vickigraves8597]

Your "after shots" are the best. Dogs and carousels ❤

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha thanks 😂😂

[@lalistamales-dp1mw]

You need to go to New Home Texas in 1973 it was like 252 population . I was raised there now I live in Wolfforth.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Ok!

[@bjen72]

I am from Iowa and have heard of some of these small towns.

[@senzanome8294]

I love this small towns, but where do the people go shopping, banking? Is there good phone service, internet?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Usually there are big enough towns not too far away from these places to get those things. I would think phone and internet are hit and miss.

[@keithnichols7926]

The county seat usually has the businesses that have abandoned the small towns. Eisenhower's national highway grid and the reduction in farm population owing to improvements in farm machinery have killed many small Midwest towns. My hometown, which had a population of about a thousand in 1933 and served a good many farms as well, now is about 750. But it serves fewer farms and so has lost most of the essential services it once provided.

[@evanorthcliff2782]

Thats a beautiful impressive looking church bldg.

[@trinity7776]

The large red brick church which is almost a cathedral in Bankston makes absolutely no sense for a very small town with only a handful of people in its entire recorded census unless they have a long history of migrant workers from south of the US border. Nice long vlog, John.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

The drone footage of Bankston showing the church within the town is kind of wild!

[@sixchuterhatesgoogle3824]

Those small towns are surrounded by farms. Farm families used to be quite large, especially Catholic ones. There could have easily been forty people per square mile around the towns.

[@KipdoesStuff]

Lived in Iowa for my entire life, never heard of any of these towns.

[@glennso47]

I’ve lived in Illinois all my life and there are small towns here that I never heard of.

[@glennso47]

I grew up in Mount Carroll Illinois and lots of people have never heard of it unless you are from there or nearby. That’s probably the case with many of these places in Iowa.

[@glennso47]

It seems that the southern part of Iowa has lots of small towns. It’s similar to the northern part of Missouri. There’s probably more life in the cemetery than in the actual towns.

[@glennso47]

The city hall in so many of small towns look like an outdoor toilet.

[@davidcollins7730]

Trails usually follow water courses

[@johnedgren8502]

Hamilton Iowa was not mentioned. We are incorporated with a small government. Located in Marion county. Lovilia and Bussey are slightly bigger.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Population 119 so a little bit too big for this video

[@travis303]

Any of these towns you strongly recommend or at least moderately recommend I visit?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

My favorites were: Beaconsfield, Leroy, and Durango. But also very good were: Yetter and Ellston. Most abandoned feeling was Berkley.

[@janewasson4845]

I went to high school in Blairsburg. At the time, there was a ratty wooden sign that said population 308-still growing. Now, it's down too 172.

[@jerrilynhenson9024]

I was wondering if I’d recognize a town of an ancestor but I didn’t.

[@scottpond5881]

I often wonder who owns these seemingly abandoned properties now?

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Often someone who lives there owns the property or if it was a public building the town or county may own it.

[@evanorthcliff2782]

Veryvgreen in Durango abd Yetter

[@rossbryan6102]

ON THE MENTION OF ANIMAL TRAILS BECOMING ROADWAYS, IN MY VERY YOUNG DAYS , WAS GOING BEHIND OUR BARN, AND FOLLOWING OUR COWPATHS TO THE FAR REACHES OF OUR PASTURE AREAS! AS I MADE THESE EXCURSIONS WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE, IT WAS QUITE WORRISOME TO MY PARENTS! WITH A CAR, TANK OF GAS, AND A NICE DAY I STILL WANDER ABOUT, MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

I lived in a farm and can’t believe the places I would wander off to. Maybe that was the beginnings of our love of travel! The story about the Dragoon Trace was fascinating!

[@Jruth68]

I had a girlfriend who had Family in Delhi Iowa in the 90's. The population back then was only 90. Now its over 400. Still very small but not even close to your list.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Nice to see it growing in population!

[@sueboller7183]

Cookie Monster Place? That's random. 😉

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha yes! Someone had a good sense of humor. It was the driveway to the old school 😊

[@travis303]

I notice a lot of these towns are near the state's southern border

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

For sure - most in the SW part of the state. Many Ringgold County.

[@travis303]

That must have made it easy for you, could knock a bunch out right next to each other@@TravelwithaWiseguy

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Yep that was an efficient day haha

[@travis303]

Did you notice how "Iowa Nice" people were as nobody kicked you out of their town? 🤣🤣@@TravelwithaWiseguy

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Haha yes! All friendly people 😊

[@Jilly-Kerry-2Mullens]

Prescott is incorporated. Less than 200 pop.

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

Population 191

[@KevinWhite-zb5os]

Town was so small, sign at the edge of town said "Welcome, come back again", on the same post! 🙃🤡

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😂😂

[@travis303]

Well you didn't find Sesame Street but you did find Cookie Monster!

[@TravelwithaWiseguy]

😂😂