Bromley is a former village in Minerva Township, Marshall County, Iowa, United States.

Bromley, Iowa
Bromley is located in Iowa
Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is located in the United States
Bromley
Bromley
Coordinates: 42°07′8″N 93°07′47″W / 42.11889°N 93.12972°W / 42.11889; -93.12972
CountryUnited States
State Iowa
CountyMarshall
Elevation
935 ft (285 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code641
GNIS feature ID464470[1]

History

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Town plat of Bromley, Iowa, in 1885

Bromley was platted by Charles Bromley in September 1881.[2]

The community was built adjacent to the Story City Branch of the Central Iowa Railway. The town plat was divided into sixteen blocks, with three north-south streets (High, Main, and Liberty streets) and five east-west streets (first through fifth streets). A railroad depot was built at the center of the community, with the Central Iowa Railroad bisecting the community. Bromley was located between Minerva and Clemmons (Clemmons Grove).[3]

Bromley's population was estimated at 100 in 1890,[4] 150 in 1900,[5] and 150 in 1925.[6]

Despite the community's location on a major rail line and the presence of a brick and tile factory in the community, Bromley did not stay prosperous after its early years.[2] By 1940, Bromley's population had declined to just 4 residents.[7]

Early 20th Century historians suspected Bromley's failure to prosper might have been its location: just two miles west of Minerva and one mile east of Clemmons. According to historian William Battin (1912), "the town failed to grow."[2]

Today, Bromley is the site of Bromley Pond, just east of Clemmons.

References

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  1. ^ "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Battin, William (1912). Past and Present of Marshall County, Iowa, Volume 1. Brookhaven Press. p. 173. ISBN 9781581038972.
  3. ^ Plat Book of Marshall County, Iowa: Drawn from actual Surveys and the County Records. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Warner and Foote. 1885. pp. 37, 47.
  4. ^ Cram, George Franklin (1890). Cram's Universal Atlas: Geographical, Astronomical and Historical, Containing a Complete Series of Maps of Modern Geography, Illustrated by Numerous Views and Charts; the Whole Supplemented with Valuable Statistics, Diagrams, and a Complete Gazetteer of the United States. G.F. Cram. p. 367.
  5. ^ Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition. J. R. Gray & Company. 1902. pp. 203–207.
  6. ^ 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. 1925. p. 188.
  7. ^ The Attorneys List. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department. 1940. p. 298.