Zook Spur, Iowa

Zook Spur is a former unincorporated community at the border of Dallas County and Polk County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.[1] It was at the corner of what is now NW 158th Avenue and Iowa State Highway 17.

Zook Spur, Iowa
former unincorporated community
Zook Spur, Iowa
Coordinates: 41°50′31″N 93°48′56″W
CountryUnited States
StateIowa
CountyDallas and Polk
Elevation
948 ft (289 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID463290[1]

History

Zook Spur (or Zookspur) was a mining community, and was named after mining superintendent H. Zook. The Scandia Coal Company operated six mines in the area between 1906 and 1943.[2]

Zook Spur was a company town, but had a school, churches, a baseball diamond, a pool hall, a bakery, and the company store. The town was located on the Milwaukee Railroad.[3]

Zook Spur's population was 520 in 1925.[4] A number of cabins were on Zook Spur Place, south of the main intersection. Zook Spur prospered into the 1930s. The 1943 closure of the mines ended Zook Spur's growth.[3]

In 1948, the Zook Spur school district closed, and the school building was put up for sale.[5]

By 1975, little remained of the original community, aside from a few houses and the building where the Zook Spur bakery was located.[3]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Zook Spur, Iowa
  2. "Museums". www.madridiamuseum.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  3. Smith, Maryann (November 16, 1975). "She recalls growing up at Zookspur mining camp". Des Moines Register. pp. 3C. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  4. Company, Rand McNally and (1925). Premier Atlas of the World: Containing Maps of All Countries of the World, with the Most Recent Boundary Decisions, and Maps of All the States, Territories, and Possessions of the United States with Population Figures from the Latest Official Census Reports, Also Data of Interest Concerning International and Domestic Political Questions. Rand McNally & Company. p. 190.
  5. "Council OK's Schedule for Salary Lists". Waterloo Daily Courier. January 12, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
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