[2] Three mill-related buildings near the Des Moines River are associated with the Meek's family who had a central role in the town's development from its founding through the turn of the 20th-century.

The single historic structure is the stone lock in the city park, which is also individually listed on the National Register.

Bonaparte's commercial area was built on the riverfront to take advantage of the riverboats that were important for commerce when the town was founded in the 1830s.

Because of the Meek's facilities, Bonaparte continued to focus on the river until the mills closed in 1909.

This article about a property in Van Buren County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.