Oakdale, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oakdale, Iowa
|
|
|---|---|
| Nickname(s):
Oakdale Hospital (TB)
|
|
 Oakdale, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Oakdale, Iowa
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Johnson County |
| Elevation | 246 m (807 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
52319
|
| Area code(s) | 319 |
| GNIS feature ID | 459738 |
Oakdale was a small village created in 1908 by the State of Iowa. It was built in a rural part of Johnson County, Iowa, about five miles northwest of Iowa City. Today, it's considered part of Coralville, right next to North Liberty.
Oakdale was special because it was a statewide treatment center for a serious lung disease called tuberculosis (TB).
Why Oakdale Was Built
The location for Oakdale was chosen very carefully. It was picked because it was far away from busy cities. It also had a railroad line nearby, which made it easy to get supplies and patients. Plus, it was close to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, which was important for medical support.
Oakdale was like a small, self-sufficient community. It had its own train station on the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRandIC) line. There was also a power plant, buildings for patients and staff, a pharmacy, and a post office. To help support itself, Oakdale even had farms, including a large dairy.
For many years, the main way to treat TB at Oakdale was with lots of rest, fresh air all year round, and healthy food. Before it was called "tuberculosis" in 1839, this disease was often known as "consumption." It has affected humans for thousands of years.
Growing and Changing
Oakdale started with just eight patients. But by the end of its first year, it had 45 people living there. Because it grew so quickly, the facility had to be expanded many times, including a big expansion in 1926. The farmland also grew from 280 acres to almost 500 acres. At its busiest in the 1940s, Oakdale had about 400 patients.
Over time, public health improved, and in 1944, the first medicine to cure TB was discovered. This meant fewer people needed to go to Oakdale for treatment. Around 1960, they tried using the facility as a center for other health issues.
In 1965, the entire Oakdale facility and its land were given to the University of Iowa. The very last tuberculosis patient left Oakdale in 1981 and moved to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Oakdale Today
The University of Iowa started using the Oakdale campus in new ways. In 1966, they opened the Agricultural Medical Research Facility there. Today, this rural campus has grown a lot. It is home to the State Hygienic Laboratory in a new building. It also includes the university's 197-acre Oakdale Research Park. Many important facilities are located here, like the National Advanced Driving Simulator.
There is also a separate facility nearby that shares the Oakdale name because of its location. This is the Iowa prison system's Iowa Medical and Classification Center. It is located right across the road from the main Oakdale campus. This facility opened in 1969 and is a place where people enter the prison system from all over Iowa. It also provides medical and psychiatric care for prisoners.
