Lafayette or La Fayette is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
Linn County, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
. It is located in
Otter Creek Township.
The community was founded in the mid-1800s, and was once the home to a number of mills and a coal mine.
A post office operated in the community from 1891 to 1902. The Lafayette Christian Church and the Lafayette Salem Evangelical Church still operate in Lafayette, with the Lafayette Salem church operating for well over 100 years in the community.
Geography
LaFayette is from the Linn County seat, Cedar Rapids.
It is in
Otter Creek Township.
History
In 1845, settler John Nevins built a sawmill in what later became the village of Lafayette. This mill was later passed down to new owners John Lambert, James Greene, and A. Brenaman, then Fred Notebahn. Notebahn added a grist mill.
By 1856, Lafayette was listed as a town in N.H. Parker's ''Handbook of Iowa''.
In 1871, a coal deposit was discovered near Lafayette; a mining company was established, but proved unprofitable, with the shafts flooded with water and the coal deposit "not exceeding an inch in thickness".
The Lafayette post office was established in 1891.
The community's population was 50 in 1890, 53 in 1900, and 52 in 1920.
The Lafayette post office was discontinued in 1902.
The community's population was 50 in 1940.
Lafayette is home to the Lafayette Christian Church and the Lafayette Salem Evangelical Church, the latter of which celebrated its centennial around 2001.
See also
*
Whittier, Iowa
Whittier is an unincorporated community in Linn County, Iowa, United States.
Geography
Whittier is located at the intersections of County Roads X20 and E34 south of Waubeek and west of Viola, at 42.092976N, -91.462973W.
History
Whittier was f ...
References
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Unincorporated communities in Linn County, Iowa
Unincorporated communities in Iowa