Big Spring, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Big Spring, Iowa
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 Big Spring, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Big Spring, Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Country | USA |
| County | Wayne |
| Elevation | 324 m (1,063 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 464327 |
Big Spring is a fascinating place in Wayne County, Iowa, USA. It's known as a ghost town, which means it was once a busy community but is now mostly empty. Imagine a town that used to have homes, shops, and a post office, but over time, everyone moved away. Only traces of it remain. That's what Big Spring became.
Discovering Big Spring: A Ghost Town
Big Spring is a great example of a ghost town. These towns were once full of life. People lived and worked there. But for different reasons, like changes in jobs or transportation, people left. Over time, the buildings might fall apart, and the town becomes quiet.
A Look Back in Time
Big Spring was an active settlement in the late 1800s. In 1875, the community was important enough to get its own post office. A post office was a very big deal back then. It connected people to the outside world. It allowed them to send and receive letters and packages.
By 1887, something special was found nearby: several mineral springs. Mineral springs are natural springs where water flows from the ground. This water contains different minerals. Sometimes, people believed these waters had special health benefits. They might have attracted visitors to the area.
What's Left Today?
The post office in Big Spring stayed open for many years. It served the community from 1875 until 1901. After that, it closed, which often signals that a town is shrinking. As people moved away, Big Spring slowly became a ghost town.
Today, almost nothing is left of the original settlement. The only remaining part of Big Spring is the Big Springs Cemetery. Cemeteries are often the last places to remain from old towns. They remind us of the people who once lived there. They tell a quiet story of the past.
