So many small communities in Iowa, present and past, maintain cemeteries that collectively hold a lot of history of Iowa in Siouxland and elsewhere. But many times those histories of former residents or pioneers are not accessible to more than the few remaining residents or folk who live in the immediate area.
At most sometimes one can find a listing of those buried within these various resting places like Fairview Cemetery in Albaton, but beyond that or knowing descendants or local residents, not much else can be discerned about the history of the place or its former residents.
Judging by the dates some of these folk buried here as elsewhere were pioneers to the area. Traveling by wagon train or walking to find a new life west of the Mississippi at the time. A reference to the former community I found online also showed photographs but nothing definitive about the place itself.
So a cursory understanding who settled into the area, and if they prospered will never be known outside of descendants if any exist. History is a continuum of life, but sometimes that life and history can be very fleeting on that long road.
Life can somewhat be filled with surprises, even in Siouxland, finding unexpected treasures in unexpected places. While out driving about looking for some harvesting and previously having seen a roadside sign for a community called Albaton, I found it, at a crossroads in the countryside with a couple of homes nearby, along with a church.
Looking for information online didn’t produce an onslaught of information, but another person posting to a blog as well. From indications it may have been a regional hub for a local railroad line that faded away along with the railroad hopes of those settling around it. Now the area sits among farmland, recently, waiting for harvest. One can only imagine what early days were like. And it’s nice to see a sense of humor as someone decorates the corner with seasonal displays for the holidays. May have to make a trip out for Christmas to see if the engine is lit up and sparking with the “spirit” of the holiday, bringing a little light to the surrounding darkness in the countryside.
I live in the Siouxland area that encompasses a wide swatch of land in northwest Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The people that inhabit this area are generous folk and your basic honest, Midwestern people you like to have as neighbors. I explore the area and share observations, mostly photographic, sometimes through video, and and short text. All images and video are copyrighted material of the author.
Jerry Mennenga, Sioux City, Iowa
jerrylmennenga@yahoo.com
lostinsiouxland 