Yampa is a small unincorporated community in Wapello County, Iowa, United States.[1]

Yampa, Iowa
Yampa, Iowa is located in Iowa
Yampa, Iowa
Yampa, Iowa
Coordinates: 41°00′36″N 92°13′32″W / 41.01000°N 92.22556°W / 41.01000; -92.22556
CountryUnited States
StateIowa
CountyWapello
Elevation
755 ft (230 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code641
GNIS feature ID464301[1]

Yampa was the site of a school, rail station, general store, cemetery, and short-lived post office.

Geography

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Yampa lies west of Batavia, near the junction of U.S. Route 34 and County Highway V-43, south of Bladensburg.[2]

History

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Early years

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Yampa in Wapello County, Iowa, 1902

Yampa was founded in Pleasant Township. The village of Yampa briefly had a post office from 1899 to 1900.[3] Charles E. Walker was the postmaster.[4] The site was established on the Chicago, Fort Madison and Des Moines Railway.[5] At this time, Yampa was considered a community.[6]

Yampa had a school in this era.[7] In addition to the school and post office, Yampa had a general store and was considered a "thriving little town". The Yampa school was also used as a church.[8]

A literary society was formed in Yampa in November 1899.[9] The literary society held events in Yampa and co-sponsored events with the Pleasant Grove literary society.[10] In 1900, due to the railroad line in Yampa being "torn up" due to construction, Yampa's mail service was disrupted, with it being reported that mail was arriving late or not at all.[11]

Yampa's population was 12 in 1902.[12] The Yampa School District was still operational in 1916.[13]

Later years

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In 1936, Yampa celebrated its Independence Day with races, athletic contests, music, and dances at the Ennis (Yampa) Sterner grove. Speeches were made by Iowa Attorney General candidate Robert Shaw and secretary of the National Farmers Union Edward E. Kennedy.[14]

In 1939, the rail line between Ft. Madison and Ottumwa, called the 'Pea Vine', was discontinued, with the railroad being torn out. Yampa had been the first stop on the railroad; by this date, the Ottumwa Courier noted, the town of Yampa was mostly found on older maps.[8] In 1962, it was recalled that the Yampa school, along with other area schools, had been painted white.[15]

In 1991, the Ottumwa Public Library announced a pictorial history project of historic towns in Wapello County, including Yampa, Ormanville, and Competine.[16]

The Yampa-Sterner cemetery is maintained by Pleasant Township.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Yampa, Iowa
  2. ^ Iowa Atlas and Gazetteer. Yarmouth, ME: Garlin, Ltd. 2021. p. 60.
  3. ^ "GNIS Detail - Yampa Post Office (historical)". geonames.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  4. ^ "State News". Cedar Rapids Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. February 11, 1899. p. 7. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "Local Miscellany". Fairfield Ledger. Fairfield, Iowa. February 8, 1899. p. 3. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "Yampa". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, Iowa. September 26, 1901. p. 7. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022. This community was visited with a light frost on Thursday. Very little damage was done.
  7. ^ "Batavia". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, IA. September 5, 1899. p. 10. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "After Nearly Half A Century Progress Catches Up With The "Pea Vine'; Last Trip Made Today". Ottumwa Courier. November 11, 1939. p. 15. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  9. ^ "Yampa". Ottumwa Herald. Ottumwa, Iowa. November 9, 1899. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  10. ^ "Yampa". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, Iowa. February 22, 1900. p. 6. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  11. ^ "Yampa". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, Iowa. August 16, 1900. p. 8. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  12. ^ Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition. J. R. Gray & Company. 1902. pp. 203–207. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  13. ^ "Society". Ottumwa Daily Review. Ottumwa, IA. February 25, 1916. p. 3. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  14. ^ "Plan Celebration at Sterner Grove Saturday, July 4". Fairfield Daily Ledger. Fairfield, IA. July 2, 1936. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  15. ^ "The Little 'White' Schoolhouse". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, IA. September 3, 1962. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "Know Ottumwa". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, IA. July 20, 1991. p. 8. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "Bids". Ottumwa Courier. Ottumwa, IA. March 8, 2017. p. A6. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
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