Coin Public Library, Coin Iowa

Last summer I was on a photo road trip.  I like to document small towns as well as rural areas.  I was photographed Coin, Iowa in Page county.  Page County is in the Southern most tier of counties in Iowa and in the Southwest corner of Iowa.

Coin is a very small town with a population just under 200 and has the 51636 zip code and is home to the Wabash Trace which is a 63 mile train line running to Council Bluffs that is now a bike trail.  The Wabash Railroad operated in the mid-central United States.  “It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit, Michigan, Buffalo, New York, St. Louis, Missouri, and Toledo, Ohio.”1.

Coin Iowa Post Office
Coin Iowa Post Office

Coin residents are fortunate to still have a working post office.

Coin Iowa Library
Coin Iowa Library

They also have a small but well kept library.

Land of Make Believe
Land of Make Believe

Someone cares enough to add some extra touches to give it a less sterile feel.

Former Bank - Coin, Iowa
Former Bank – Coin, Iowa

Now it’s an insurance agency.

Former Hardware Store, now a bar and grill
A.E. Swift Furniture and Hardware

Now a bar and grill

Former Gas Station
Former Service Station

Coin is a nice little town but it’s dying.  The post office will probably close soon.  There is no grocery store or gas station so residents need to buy food and fuel elsewhere.  But the library indicates they do have community spirit and make an effort to do things for the better of the community with what they have.

 

References:
1.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabash_Railroad