AvocaAvoca was platted as a town in the spring of 1869, but very little improvements were made until 1871. The first building was erected by Jules Priester. The first building of any size, however, was the Pacific House (now called the New England), the frame of which was put up in the fall of 1868. The track of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific road reached Avoca in April 1869. The old settlers called the town Pacific, but on the advent of the railroad the name was changed to Botna. In June of the same year a party of ladies and gentlemen came out to view the site of the town, in company with the town proprietors, with a view to locating. A great many names were suggested for the town, all unsatisfactory, until, prospecting around, they arrived at the top of the hill where the public school building now stand, when one of the gentlemen, enchanted with the scenery, unconsciously quoted from Moore's "Vale of Avoca," "Sweet vale of Avoca, where the bright waters meet." One of the ladies caught the idea, and clapping her hands vigourously, exclaimed. "That's it -- call it Avoca," which name was settled upon as the proper one. In consequence of the high price of lumber, improvements were slow the first two or thee years, but in 1873 the town took a rapid stride forward, and its growth ever since has been of a steady and substantial character. [1880-81 City Directory, Submitted by Darlene Vergamini] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Avoca, the judicial seat of eastern Pottawattamie County and the second town in the county in size, is situated twenty one miles east of Council Bluffs on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway at the junction of the Harlan and Carson branches. Avoca has 1,700 people and is an up to date, progressive town. This is attested to by the fact that it has electric lights, a fine waterworks system, a fire department with a crack hose team, excellent telephone facilities, fine cement walks and the best school system in the county outside of Council Bluffs. This latter is a source of pride to every citizen of the town. There are two school buildings, one of which, the high school cost $20,000 and is thoroughly equipped in every way for good work. In a business way, Avoca is a town of much importance. It has ten passenger trains each day, coming from the four points of the compass, and being the seat of county government, it is known to all the eastern half of the county It has two banks, the Avoca Bank, capital $30,000, and the Citizens' Savings Bank, capital $30,000. It has three good hotels, an opera house, two grain elevators, with the immediate rebuilding of a third in prospect and the various lines of business are thoroughly represented. A new feature of Avoca enterprise is its "Market Day," on which day farmers and others gather from many miles around to buy and sell stock, implements and merchandise. The first day was held two weeks ago and was a great success. On this occasion the band gave a concert and the various stores held bargain sales, the whole proving very attractive to visitors and making the success of future market days unquestioned. Avoca is the seat of the Pottawattamie County Fair, which will open its ninth annual meeting September 19 and will continue through September 22. The fair will be larger and better than ever this year and the extensive premium list is already in the hands of exhibitors. Avoca has profited greatly by this fair in the past, it having contributed materially to its commercial prosperity. Avoca has churches of the United Brethren, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and German Congregational denominations. It has two excellent newspapers, the Avoca Journal Herald and the Avoca Tribune. In the way of industries it has a flouring mill, a creamery, a foundry and a canning factory, which began its yearly pack last week with a prospective output of over a million cans of corn. The capacity of the plant is 60,000 cans daily, and in the busy season it gives employment to a large number of people. There is no more thrifty or enterprising town in southwestern Iowa than Avoca, and no town in which town pride is more strong. It will pay investors to locate here.
[Daily Nonpareil, Sunday, September 3, 1905]
|