County of town: Decatur County
Location of town: SW corner of county; Hwy's US-69 & I-35
County of southern border county in center of state
Location of city hall: 109 S. Chestnut St., converted old train depot, Lamoni
Elevation: 1,125 ft (343 m)
Population: 2,309 (2013)
"Originally, proposals were made to rename the town Sedgwick, the name of the post office. Eventually the name Lamoni [after a pacifist king from The Book of Mormon] was selected.
"The First United Order of Enoch, an corporation comprised of members who were men of means and affliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, met in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on September 19, 1870. The men elected the following officers: Elijah BANTA, president; Israel L. ROGERS, treasurer; and Henry A. STEBBINS, secretary. The board resolved to develop, and improve tracts of land for settlement.
"Elijah BANTA, David DANCER, Israel L. ROGERS, and Phineas CADWELL were appointed as a committee to seek a suitable site for the purchase of land and the operation of the Board. After visiting Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, the committee selected Fayette Township in Decatur County. 2,680 acres of land were purchased for $21,786.84. They called the new settlement "The Colony."
"Twelve new homes were built at a cost of $7,678.40; approximately 16,000 acres of prairie had been plowed; and a nursery had been planted. Lumber for construction and blocks for pouring foundations was hauled in from Leon.
"The organization continued for around twenty years, paying 90% cost in dividends plus returning the original stock.
Samuel H. GURLEY started a small store in what had been a school house in 1875. He kept a limited supply of stock. The closest stores and blacksmith shops were located in Davis City until around 1877. Peter HARRIS arrived from Wisconsin around the year 1877, and established a blacksmith shop near the church building that had been erected in the center of the town in 1875.
In 1879, The Leon, Mount Ayr & Southwestern Railroad Company laid tracks through Davis City and Bethany Junction [Togo]. Plans were to lay tracks approximately two or three miles north of "The Colony" and then on to Mount Ayr. A committee representing The Order of Enoch met with representatives from the railroad. The committee proposed that if the tracks were laid through "The Colony," the Order would donate 120 acres of land to the railroad. The Order would also furnish 3 miles of right of way.
"The Herald building was erected in Lamoni during the summer of 1881 from bricks made locally. In 1891 and 1892, a two-story wing with a basement was added on the west. This building and volumes of valuable books in the library were completely destroyed by fire on the morning of January 5, 1907. Before the smoke had cleared, the people of Lamoni began to rebuilt. The new Herald building, dedicated in November of 1907, consisted of two stories and a basement. The ground floor housed the manager's office, composing room, mailing room and bindery. Presses, repair shops, and storerooms were located in the basement. The top floor was used by the editors, proofreaders, and church library officers, and general church officers. The power, heating, and light plant was housed in a separate building, generating enough electrical power for the Herald building and the cities of Lamoni, Kellerton, and Davis City." ~ IAGenWeb Project
Make sure you check the link above, for great photos and more history
"Lamoni was founded as a church colony in 1879 when it was platted as a town. The earliest settlers had come approximately 30 years before the laying out of the town. The first was a group who came from 1834 to 1840 thought they were settling in Missouri. In those days there was intense feeling and marked division over the slavery issue.
"Missouri was drawing several settlers because it was open to slave holding. A number of this early band brought slaves to be held in the southern territory. They miscalculated a few miles on the boundary and found they could not hold slaves in the Iowa Territory. Lamoni’s real beginnings, however, do not spring from this group.
"Two unusual pioneer groups came into the early history of the section of the country. The one was that of the refugees from Nauvoo who were moving westward and who established a camp at Garden Grove from 1826-1852 as a stopping place on the journey. The other was the Hungarian colony at New Buda about 1851, following the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. It had been planned to establish a large settlement and invite immigration. Neither of these temporary colonies had permanent influence.
"The County was organized April 1, 1850. In July of that year the County Seat was located at the nearby place of Decatur. The County itself being named after Stephen Decatur, a distinguished Officer in the War of 1812. During the Fall, a log court house was built and soon after the County Seat was moved to a town named Independence. It happened that Iowa had another town by that name and so in 1854, by act of the legislature, the name was changed to Leon. A pretty well established county organization preceded the founding of Lamoni.
"The first settlers who really influenced local history were those who came to the area now known as Pleasanton. Shortly after 1850 the Morey, Keown, Moffet and Hinkle families moved in. These had been members of the old Latter Day Saint Church. In 1859, they accepted the claims of the Reorganization and effected a local organization, a new slant came into the affairs of this territory" ~ City of Lamoni