The more I travel about Siouxland the more I keep encountering small communities such as Dunlap. With a population slightly under 1,000 residents and sitting on the edge of the Loess Hills in southern part of Siouxland it is a community looking to revitalize itself and make it an enjoyable place to live and raise a family.
The surrounding countryside can be seen from downtown Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
Like so many small Siouxland communities it is sustained by an agricultural economy but seems to be breathing new life into itself with a downtown that is small but “smartly dressed” and welcoming to visitors. On days like the one I visited Dunlap there may not be a lot of activity to do other than to walk around and wonder about its residents who created the town in 1871. The prairie land then and naturally a railroad played a part in its creation. And it’s nice to see community still thriving. So many small towns never reach a potential original founders might have dreamed about, and many succumb to loss of inhabitants and continue a long, slow decay of decline, while others come together and thrive and enjoy the benefits of what they have and continue to create.
Jerry Mennenga
Sioux City, Iowa
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- The First Congregational Church in Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
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- A city park with many shelters for residents to use in Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
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- Many of the downtown business buildings appear restored in Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
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- Agriculture is seen just outside the downtown area of Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
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- A grain elevator sits on the outer edge of downtown in Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
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- An agribusiness is seen just beyond the downtown buildings in Dunlap, Iowa Sunday, June 25, 2017. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
lostinsiouxland 
Dunlap really is a lovely town. I continue to enjoy your captured moments from these towns in Siouxland.
Becky, thank you for your kind words and continued visits. I still enjoy and am amazed at the various communities I come across here in Siouxland. It’s nice to finally spend time getting to know an area I call home.