Monti, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Monti is a tiny unincorporated community
located in the southeast corner of Buchanan County
, Iowa
, United States
. Founded in the 1880s and plat
ted in 1905, the community lies on the west bank of Buffalo Creek
6 miles (10 km) east of Quasqueton
and 8 miles (13 km) west of Ryan
.
The railroad brought several years of prosperity to the town, but the settlement declined after World War II. Over the years, the closure of the railroad depot, bank, stores, post office, schools, and church left Monti as the site of four houses, a closed church, a cemetery, and the Monti Community Center.
, the southeasternmost of Buchanan County's townships
. The village lies along County Road W-45, where that road meets with Washington Avenue, an unpaved and unimproved gravel road.
immigrants flocked to the state in search of new lives in the New World
. The town's Catholic roots can be traced back to the first Irish
settlers of Iowa. A large church, St Patrick's Catholic Church of Monti, built in 1870, actually predates the town's existence. A town post office
was built in either 1882 or 1885.
Postal service was discontinued in 1902, with the introduction of Rural Free Delivery; mail was routed through nearby Masonville
.
The nearby villages of Newtonville and Kiene were also located in Newton Township. In 1905, the Chicago, Anamosa and Northern Railway was built through Monti and Kiene http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:lgMLWCXJx5sJ:familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/a/h/Howard-Wahlert/GENE1-0002.html+Monti+Quasqueton&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=16. The railroad sparked renewed interest in Monti, and a number of new buildings were constructed in 1905. The townsite was plat
ted that year, and St. Patrick's Church registered 400 members.
Monti was a sizeable community in 1913 when E.R. Hensley took a panoramic photograph of the 70 students in St Patrick's confirmation class http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/pan:@field(SUBJ+@od1(Iowa--Monti+)). However, years of rural migration gradually shrank the area's population, emptying Monti and its nearby sister communities; the town's population began to dwindle. The CAN Railway was sold for scrap after World War I
. The remains of the railroad grade can still be seen today at the north edge of the hamlet.
During the early-to-mid-20th Century, Monti attracted some attention from the Ornithology
community. Noted ornithologist Fred J. Pierce reported that a large tract of timber 1 mile (2 km) "southeast of the village of Monti, in the southeastern corner of the county" was a particularly good area for birdwatching
. In a 1930 paper, Pierce noted the unusual (for the area) birds he had spotted between 1923 and 1928. Among these were one specimen each of the Ruffed Grouse
(1923), Cerulean Warbler
(1927), and in 1928 a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
and a Connecticut Warbler
. As late as 1945, the Monti woods were home to at least 62 species of bird; the area was used as one of fourteen birding stations in the state. The woods contained the largest confirmed populations of Gray-cheeked Thrush
es, Bobolink
s, Eastern Vesper Sparrow
s, Eastern Field Sparrow
s, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the state during the Spring of 1945. (These same woods were the scene of a gruesome hanging of an unidentified man in July 1900).
In 1966, the Monti Consolidated School District was disbanded. The northern portions of the district went to East Buchanan Community School District, while the southern areas were ceded to North Linn Community School District.
In 1998, RAGBRAI
, a massive cross-state bicycle ride across the state, passed through the hamlet.
. In 2005, St Patrick's Catholic Church, which had operated for 135 years, closed its doors. The parish was open from 1870 until July 2005.
Though the town is very small, it has a community center (formed from the former church rectory). The Monti Festival is held in June. An unusual railroad flatcar bridge, constructed from two decommissioned flatcar
s, was built at the eastern edge of Monti in 2007. The 89 ft (27.1 m) long 17 ft (5.2 m) wide bridge spans Buffalo Creek on Yale Avenue, a gravel road, one mile (2 km) southeast of the community. Monti students (when there are any) may attend schools in the East Buchanan Community School District.
Monti is not found on most maps and can be difficult to locate. The town of Monticello
, 20 miles (32.2 km) east, also causes some confusion. Monti appears on the official State Map of Iowa. Visitors to Monti may locate the community by heading east from Quasqueton on D-47, then turning right (south) on county road W-45, and following that road south then east to a cluster of six houses approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Quasqueton. These houses mark the nucleus of the community. The large Catholic
church is the most visible landmark.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
located in the southeast corner of Buchanan County
Buchanan County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 20,958 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,968 housing units, of which 8,161 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in the 1880s and plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1905, the community lies on the west bank of Buffalo Creek
Buffalo Creek
-Waterways:In Pennsylvania*Buffalo Creek *Buffalo Creek , tributary of the Casselman River*Buffalo Creek *Buffalo Creek In West Virginia...
6 miles (10 km) east of Quasqueton
Quasqueton, Iowa
Quasqueton is a city in Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 574 at the 2000 census. Just northwest of the town is Cedar Rock, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which is maintained by the state as a museum.-Geography:...
and 8 miles (13 km) west of Ryan
Ryan, Iowa
Ryan is a city in Delaware County, Iowa, United States. The population was 410 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ryan is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
.
The railroad brought several years of prosperity to the town, but the settlement declined after World War II. Over the years, the closure of the railroad depot, bank, stores, post office, schools, and church left Monti as the site of four houses, a closed church, a cemetery, and the Monti Community Center.
Geography
Monti is located in the northern part of Newton TownshipNewton Township, Buchanan County, Iowa
Newton Township is one of sixteen townships in Buchanan County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 423.-Geography:Newton Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. The unincorporated community of Monti is in the northern portion of the township. Other...
, the southeasternmost of Buchanan County's townships
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
. The village lies along County Road W-45, where that road meets with Washington Avenue, an unpaved and unimproved gravel road.
History
The town traces its roots to the late 19th century, when large numbers of IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants flocked to the state in search of new lives in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. The town's Catholic roots can be traced back to the first Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
settlers of Iowa. A large church, St Patrick's Catholic Church of Monti, built in 1870, actually predates the town's existence. A town post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was built in either 1882 or 1885.
Postal service was discontinued in 1902, with the introduction of Rural Free Delivery; mail was routed through nearby Masonville
Masonville, Iowa
Masonville is a city in Delaware County, Iowa, United States. The population was 104 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the western border between Delaware and Buchanan counties.-Geography:Masonville is located at ....
.
The nearby villages of Newtonville and Kiene were also located in Newton Township. In 1905, the Chicago, Anamosa and Northern Railway was built through Monti and Kiene http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:lgMLWCXJx5sJ:familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/a/h/Howard-Wahlert/GENE1-0002.html+Monti+Quasqueton&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=16. The railroad sparked renewed interest in Monti, and a number of new buildings were constructed in 1905. The townsite was plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted that year, and St. Patrick's Church registered 400 members.
Monti was a sizeable community in 1913 when E.R. Hensley took a panoramic photograph of the 70 students in St Patrick's confirmation class http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/pan:@field(SUBJ+@od1(Iowa--Monti+)). However, years of rural migration gradually shrank the area's population, emptying Monti and its nearby sister communities; the town's population began to dwindle. The CAN Railway was sold for scrap after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The remains of the railroad grade can still be seen today at the north edge of the hamlet.
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
community. Noted ornithologist Fred J. Pierce reported that a large tract of timber 1 mile (2 km) "southeast of the village of Monti, in the southeastern corner of the county" was a particularly good area for birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
. In a 1930 paper, Pierce noted the unusual (for the area) birds he had spotted between 1923 and 1928. Among these were one specimen each of the Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
(1923), Cerulean Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
The Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.-Description:Adult males have pale cerulean blue upperparts and white underparts with a black necklace across the breast; they also have black streaks on the back and flanks...
(1927), and in 1928 a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family.Adults have brownish-olive upperparts, darker on the wings and tail, with yellowish underparts; they have a white eye ring, white wing bars, a small bill and a short tail...
and a Connecticut Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
The Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.These 15 cm long birds have light yellow underparts and olive upperparts; they have a light eye ring, pink legs, a long tail, pale wing bars and a thin pointed bill...
. As late as 1945, the Monti woods were home to at least 62 species of bird; the area was used as one of fourteen birding stations in the state. The woods contained the largest confirmed populations of Gray-cheeked Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
The Grey-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 15–17 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant species together with the Veery and Bicknell's Thrush ;...
es, Bobolink
Bobolink
The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps...
s, Eastern Vesper Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
The Vesper Sparrow is a medium-sized American sparrow. It is the only member of the genus Pooecetes.Adults have light brown upperparts and light underparts, both with darker streaking. They have a white eye ring and a long dark brown tail which shows white outer feathers in flight.Their breeding...
s, Eastern Field Sparrow
Field Sparrow
The Field Sparrow is a small sparrow.Adults have brown upperparts, a light brown breast, a white belly, wing bars and a forked tail. They have a grey face, a rusty crown, a white eye ring and a pink bill....
s, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in the state during the Spring of 1945. (These same woods were the scene of a gruesome hanging of an unidentified man in July 1900).
In 1966, the Monti Consolidated School District was disbanded. The northern portions of the district went to East Buchanan Community School District, while the southern areas were ceded to North Linn Community School District.
In 1998, RAGBRAI
RAGBRAI
RAGBRAI is an acronym for Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is a non-competitive bicycle ride across Iowa that draws recreational riders from across the United States and overseas. They ride from a community on Iowa's western border to a community on Iowa's eastern border,...
, a massive cross-state bicycle ride across the state, passed through the hamlet.
Monti today
Today there are fewer than two dozen residents in this dwindling farm community. Because Monti was never incorporated, population figures were never compiled. Although population figures for Monti do not exist, 423 persons live in Newton Township, the 36 square miles (93.2 km²) around Monti, according to the 2000 CensusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. In 2005, St Patrick's Catholic Church, which had operated for 135 years, closed its doors. The parish was open from 1870 until July 2005.
Though the town is very small, it has a community center (formed from the former church rectory). The Monti Festival is held in June. An unusual railroad flatcar bridge, constructed from two decommissioned flatcar
Flatcar
A flatcar is a piece of railroad or railway rolling stock that consists of an open, flat deck on four or six wheels or a pair of trucks or bogies . The deck of the car can be wood or steel, and the sides of the deck can include pockets for stakes or tie-down points to secure loads...
s, was built at the eastern edge of Monti in 2007. The 89 ft (27.1 m) long 17 ft (5.2 m) wide bridge spans Buffalo Creek on Yale Avenue, a gravel road, one mile (2 km) southeast of the community. Monti students (when there are any) may attend schools in the East Buchanan Community School District.
Monti is not found on most maps and can be difficult to locate. The town of Monticello
Monticello, Iowa
Monticello is a city in Jones County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,796. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Monticello is located at...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) east, also causes some confusion. Monti appears on the official State Map of Iowa. Visitors to Monti may locate the community by heading east from Quasqueton on D-47, then turning right (south) on county road W-45, and following that road south then east to a cluster of six houses approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Quasqueton. These houses mark the nucleus of the community. The large Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church is the most visible landmark.