An Algona man is in the research phase of a project to write a book about the how railroads shaped Kossuth County after it was founded in 1851. Richard Shieck said at one time there were 26 railroad depots in Kossuth County.
“The idea back at that time was that they were trying to have rail service,” he said, “that no one would be more than 10 miles from a rail station.”
Shieck said people migrated to towns that had a depot. “Kossuth County wasn’t doing too much until the railroads came in,” Shieck said. “They supplied materials and everyday items that they needed, so as soon as the railroads came in, there were a lot of settlements in the county.”
The Kossuth County Historical Society is assisting Shieck’s project. Jean Kramer of Whittemore — who goes by “Kossuth County History Buff: online — said they’re hoping anyone who has photos of railroad activity or the depots in the area will contact the Historical Society. “With technology today, we don’t need to have them actually donate the material to us if they want to keep it, but we would love to be able to scan it, take photos of the memorabilia, make sure they get credit for their donation to us,” she said. “…We’re always looking for better quality photos. We have some, but we know that there’s got to be more out there — different views of the depots. We’d love to have pictures with the railcars or the trains in front of the depots.”
Railroads began laying tracks in Iowa in the late 1840s and by 1917 there were over 10,000 miles of track in Iowa.
