Amber, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amber, Iowa
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 Amber, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Amber, Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Jones |
| Elevation | 1,027 ft (313 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 ((CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
52205
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| Area code(s) | 319 |
| GNIS feature ID | 454164 |
Amber is a small, unincorporated community in Jones County, Iowa, United States. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city. It's located in the middle of Jones County. You can find it northeast of Anamosa and south of Monticello.
History of Amber
The community of Amber began around a train station. This station was part of the Chicago & North-Western Railway. The first people to help start Amber were the Hartmans, the Sanfords, and J.C. Ramsey. Mrs. C.E. Sanford and her son opened a general store. J.C. Ramsey worked as the agent for the train station.
The first post office opened in 1873. T. Hartman was the first postmaster. He also helped manage Wayne Township. The area was first called Blue Cut. This name came from a wide strip of blue clay nearby. On July 1, 1878, the name was changed to Amber. A local resident had read a novel and liked a character named Amber.
In 1940, Amber had a population of 82 people.
The Hula Hoop Tree
From 2015 to 2020, Amber was famous for its "Hula Hoop Tree." This tree was decorated with hundreds of colorful plastic hula hoops. Sadly, the tree had died after it caught fire. Even though the tree is gone, its Facebook page is still online!
No one really knows how the first hula hoops got onto the tree. Some people think a strong wind carried them there. This is because the first two hoops appeared after a big storm in 2015. After that, many more hoops were added by people who visited.
Education in Amber
Students in the Amber area attend public schools. These schools are managed by the Anamosa Community School District.
