Survey of Historic Transportation Development in Muscatine County, Iowa

The Survey of Transportation Development in Muscatine County focused on developing historic contexts for the historyof transportation development in Muscatine County, including early river transportation, early roads and stage routes,ferries and bridges, development of modern county roads and state and federal highways and bridges, railroads andinterurbans, and the county’s airport.The survey portion of the project sought to identify through a reconnaissance survey those extant and nonextanttransportation-related resources that reflect the historic contexts of transportation history in the county. It alsoincluded the inventory of selected historic sites identified during the survey, resulting in a total of 20 historic resourcesnewly recorded as part of the current study. Recommendations for potential NRHP eligibility of each resource wasmade, with some requiring additional research before a final recommendation of eligibility can be made.The research and survey for the current study were completed with the assistance of the Muscatine County HPCmembers, who conducted in-depth research and provided information and photographs of the historic resources. Thelocation and basic information for all the transportation-related resources identified during the survey will be enteredinto Muscatine County’s MAGIC geodatabase system.In total, the survey identified 93 transportation-related sites, including three ferry crossing sites; one road segment; 16road bridges and remnants; 26 railroad bridges and remnants; one state highway garage; one truck weigh station; sevendepots; one stagecoach stop; nine gas/service stations; two roadside one-stops; five automobile dealerships; onetourist home; three tourist camps (intact, remnant, and site only); two motels; one roadhouse/supper club; one fastfood restaurant; three railroad hotels and associated buildings; three examples of railroad rolling stock and tracks; threehighway grain/feed elevators; four bulk fuel stations; two railroad grain/feed elevators; and one airport hangar.Of the 93 historic resources surveyed, 10 were already listed on the National Register and three were previouslyevaluated as eligible for the National Register. Of the 80 resources identified during this survey, eight resources arerecommended potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places; four resource groups have potentialhistoric district eligibility under Criterion A for transportation-related historical significance; two potential MultipleProperty Documents were identified with five and 18 resources, respectively; more research is recommended for 19resources; and 23 were not eligible for the National Register. Read more