Zero is a ghost town[2] and former unincorporated community in Lucas County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.[1] between Russell and Melrose.
Zero, Iowa | |
|---|---|
former unincorporated community | |
  Zero, Iowa | |
| Coordinates: 40°59′00″N 93°07′38″W / 40.98333°N 93.12722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Lucas |
| Elevation | 942 ft (287 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 464296[1] |
History
editZero was platted in 1883 as a mining community, with the townsite being divided into five streets and 61 lots. There was a post office and the general store was operated by Henry Gettinger. The Zero Mine closed in 1886 due to flooding in the mine.[2] Zero's population was estimated at 200 in 1887,[3] and was 35 in 1902.[4]
Zero continued to decline into the Twentieth century. In 1978, the Lucas County Genealogical Society wrote, "Only a couple of old wooden buildings and a few foundations remain of the old town [...] Today Zero, Iowa, is losing its contest with time. Fred Schreck is the last person living there in 1978 and he is 78 years old. The few buildings that remain have deteriorated past the point of ugliness and have achieved a weathered beauty of their own. The lovely countryside is closing in on the once proud house and sagging barn, and the shingle roofs no longer hold back the rain."[5]
Little remains of the original townsite.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Zero, Iowa
- ^ a b "Old Post Offices & Ghost Towns". iagenweb.org. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ Cram, George Franklin (1887). 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. pp. 367–369.
- ^ Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition. J. R. Gray & Company. 1902. pp. 203–207.
- ^ a b History of Lucas County, Iowa, 1978. Walsworth Publishing Company. 1978.
External links
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