Kingsley, Iowa

Kingsley is a city in Plymouth County, Iowa, United States, which is located within Garfield Township.

The village was later relocated to a different part of Iowa and named Kingsley due to a railroad not running through the original area.

Kingsley includes organizations, recreational activities, and a local government consisting of a mayor and a city council.

It started with William's and W. Roylance Court Jr.'s 2,000 acre farm, which contained buildings, sheds, and hundreds of livestock.

Quorn, through investments by the Close brothers, later included a post office, country store, and social center.

[4] Quorn continued to grow to include a population of 300 to 400 people and multiple buildings on Main Street.

[3] A railroad was being built and the population of Quorn hoped that it would go through the village on its way to Sioux City, Iowa.

One of the many ideas about why the railroad took a different route was due to a disagreement between the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company and the Close brothers.

Due to the railroad being the main mode of transportation of goods, the residents had no choice but to relocate to a new area.

[8] Former United States President Ronald Reagan wrote of the centennial, "The spirit which has built and sustained your community reflects the energy which has forged America into a land of wonder.

As a community held by fellowship and goodwill, Kingsley has become home to many who love it dearly".

[9] In June 1990, a public swimming pool named the Loring Aquatic Center was opened.

[13] Shortly after Quorn was founded, an anonymous organization calling themselves The Spooks was started.

Each Christmas, the members provided free food and clothing to the needy in Quorn and then in Kingsley.

[14][15] The Women's Kingsley Community Action Club was founded in June 1980 as a splinter group of the Men's KCAC.

[17] The local newspaper was founded by J. H. Strief, who later became president of the Iowa State Federation of Labor.

[18] The Kingsley-News Times was later combined with two other newspapers to form The Record, spreading its coverage to include multiple nearby cities.

[22] It was written in a 1990 book that Kingsley is in a "grain and stock region on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad".

[23] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.61 square miles (4.17 km2), all land.

The racial makeup of the city was 98.5% White, 0.24% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 0.7% from two or more races.

The current city council members are Neal Rolling, Ron Mathers, Dave Dugan, Keith Bohle, and Dan Peters.

[43] Iowa Highway 140 passes straight by Kingsley, going by the Brookside Golf Course and ending at the beginning of Main Street.

The water tower
The former water tower
A street view of the city
Side street view in Kingsley
The city hall/library
The public library and city hall
Kingsley, Iowa playground.
The church in the city
United Methodist Church
Map of Iowa highlighting Plymouth County