Littleton is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Buchanan County,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, United States, northwest of
Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
. Littleton lies in section 9 of Perry Township. The town had 250 persons in 1960, the latest year for which a
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
is available.
History
![LittletonMillcirca1890s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/LittletonMillcirca1890s.jpg)
Littleton was platted in 1855 by Moses Little, while Chatham was platted by Dr. Robert W. Wright. Chatham is in Section 10 of the Perry Township, with Littleton just on the other side in Section 9. The post office was established in 1851, before being switched to Littleton in the 1880s. Littleton's population was 88 in 1902.
Though Littleton had a booming beginning, the community never incorporated, remaining forever a small town on a side road between Independence and
Jesup. While many residents were not even aware they lived in Chatham, more people are becoming aware of its existence through the efforts of the Littleton and Chatham Historical Society. The LCHS was established in 2007 and acquired the former Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church in 201
Littleton and Chatham Historical Society
See also
*
Wapsipinicon River
The Wapsipinicon River (, locally known as the Wapsi) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 starting n ...
References
External links
Littleton and Chatham, Iowa
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Iowa
Unincorporated communities in Buchanan County, Iowa
1855 establishments in Iowa
Populated places established in 1855