Berea, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Berea, Iowa
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 Berea, Iowa
Location in Iowa
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| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Adair |
| Elevation | 1,306 ft (398 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 641 |
| GNIS feature ID | 464460 |
Berea was once a small, unincorporated community in Adair County, Iowa, United States. An unincorporated community means it was a group of homes and businesses that grew up together, but it didn't have its own official town government.
The Story of Berea
Berea was started near the Middle Nodaway River. It was named after an ancient city called Berea from Greece. Two early settlers, Ned Brown and Alexander Broadfoot, helped found the community. At its busiest, about 100 people lived there.
Life in Early Berea
A post office opened in Berea in 1894. It helped people send and receive mail until 1908. By 1905, about 40 people lived in Berea. The community had several important businesses. These included a general store, a pharmacist, and a creamery. There was also a blacksmith who worked with metal and a wagonmaker. The original Berea Store burned down, but a new one was built in June 1909.
Berea in the 1910s
In 1915, Berea was described as a small village. A well-known business was the Berea Horse Company. It was owned by two brothers, Isaac Brown and A.R. Brown. Berea even had its own town band! The band would play music at community events. Around this time, the population of Berea was about 50 people.
The Decline of Berea
The Berea Gospel Hall, a church building, was built in 1929. However, Berea began to shrink because of the Rock Island Railroad. This railroad passed through nearby towns like Anita and Adair, but not through Berea itself. This meant people and businesses started moving to the towns with the railroad.
By the 1930s, most services in Berea had closed down. A school still operated for a while. But in 1936, the Berea School closed because there were not enough students. By the 1940s, Berea was often called a "ghost village." At that time, it only had the general store, the closed school, and the Berea Gospel Hall.
The population of Berea was 30 people in 1940. The Arnold family bought the Berea Store in 1950. Berea continued to appear on state maps until about 1960.
