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| Ogden began life in 1866 and has population of 2,023 today. It is located just off Hwy. 30 and is 8 miles west of Boone and around 50 miles northwest of Des Moines. Very small town Iowa, Ogden holds Fun Days annually in June and Oktoberfest during the first week in October. Ogden is home to The Bike Barn and one of Iowa's original Maid-Rite cafes. Business-wise the town has suffered from being bypassed by Hwys. 30 and 169, but the small town pride is still intact in this beautiful community. Ogden has some of the last remaining stretches of the original Hwy. 30–also known as the Lincoln Highway–which is located in the heart of Ogden’s business district. The Spinning Wheels roller rink–one of the few wooden floored rinks left in the area–still attracts skaters from around the county. Ogden is also home of the Ogden Reporter, one of the few remaining independent small town newspapers. Northern Natural Gas–an Enron company–is located just northwest of town. If you’d like more information on Ogden go here. |
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There are a number of smaller communities in Boone County. The towns of Boxholm (pop. 215) and Pilot Mound (pop. 214) are in the northwest and north central part of the county and make up the Grand Community School District. Pilot Mound derives its name from the large earthen mound–believed to be left by the glaciers–used by pioneers heading west by wagon train. From this vantage point the pilot of the wagon train could see a great distance to assess the trains progress.
Luther is a small town of 158 folks that is located on Hwy. 17 between Boone and Madrid. Now part of the United Community School District, Luther is close to many area attractions.
Fraser, with its 137 residents, is just a ways northwest of Boone and is located along the Des Moines River. Fraser is the end point for the Boone & Scenic Valley RR.
Beaver (pop. 53) and Berkley (pop. 24) are the smallest incorporated towns in the county. Beaver is located 6 miles west of Ogden along Hwy. 30. It was among the sites considered for the location of Iowa State University and its main employer is the grain elevator. Berkley is 6 miles south of Beaver. There are 3 stop signs in town and the streets are named after Sesame Street characters.
Unincorporated towns: Angus in the far southwest corner of the county.
Jordan–east of Boone and home of United Community School.
Moingona–west of Boone in the Des Moines River valley and home to the Kate Shelley RR Museum.
Napier–5 miles east of Luther.
Ridgeport–5 miles north of Boone. Known for the Ridgeport Locker |
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Boone County is home to the Mamie Doud Eisenhower birthplace. Ledges State Park is just 6 miles south of Boone and gets its name from the beautiful sandstone bluffs. Seven Oaks Recreation–on Hwy. 30, 4 miles east of Ogden–features skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and canoeing. The Don Williams Recreation Area–located north of Ogden on P70–features a nine hole golf course, a lake for boating, swimming and fishing; and camping. The Hickory Grove Rural School Museum is located 2 miles east of Ogden. An authentic one room school house, the museum features turn of the century furniture and school items.
The Iowa Arboretum is located just west of Luther and features a large variety of trees, shrubs and flowers along with trails, scenic overlooks and a butterfly garden. The Kate Shelley High Bridge, one of the world’s longest and highest double track railroad bridges, is just 4 miles northwest of Boone. The Batten Chapel located east of Ogden on old Hwy. 30 is a restored 1887 built rural church. The Swede Point Park one mile west of Madrid is another great park to visit. Just west of Beaver are some of the remaining “rainbow” bridges that were common along the Lincoln Highway. |
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