[8] Java was founded in 1900, shortly after the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Line was extended from Bowdle to the Missouri River.

The village was incorporated into a town by election in 1903 after survey of the townsite by Surveyor George Merriman of Bowdle on September 5 of that year.

The Java Herald, the first newspaper serving the town, was established in 1903 by Carl F. Clement, and was printed in both English and German.

Another addition to the town was made when the Milwaukee Land Company had their property north of the railroad track surveyed and added.

[8] From 1908-1909, the railroad company rerouted its track, passing north of the town by one-half mile.

In 1921, a schoolhouse was constructed, and at this time Java was incorporated from a town into a city, and adopted the Mayor-Alderman form of government, the first mayor under this new system being Carl F. Clement.

In 1939, a Public Works Administration project was begun, creating a waterworks system to include both commercial and private users.

[8] In 1901, the first term of school was help in a building that had been relocated into town, serving twenty-three students, ranging in age from five to eighteen years.

In 1903, a frame school building was built on the site two blocks east of Main Street and was used until 1921, when the fireproof brick schoolhouse was constructed.

[9]According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.49 square miles (1.27 km2), all land.