Pekin, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pekin, Iowa
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 Pekin, Iowa
Location in Iowa
Pekin, Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Jefferson |
| Elevation | 814 ft (248 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 641 |
| GNIS feature ID | 460061 |
Pekin is a small, quiet community located in the northwestern part of Jefferson County, Iowa, in the United States. It's known as an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town.
Contents
Pekin's Past: A Look at Its History
The first big change for Pekin happened in late 1882. That's when the Burlington and Western Railway arrived. This railway line was originally a narrow gauge track. This means the rails were closer together than on most train tracks.
In 1902, the railway line was made wider to become a standard gauge track. This made it easier for trains to connect with other lines. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy then took over the railway. Later, in 1934, it was sold to the Minneapolis and St. Louis.
Pekin was quite small in its early days. In 1902, only 32 people lived there. By 1909, the community was just one city block. It had a church and 14 empty lots. There was also an empty block north of the train station.
Pekin didn't grow much because it was very close to another village called Linby. Linby was founded in 1902, just over a mile (about 2 kilometers) away. A new railway line, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, crossed the Burlington and Western line there. This made Linby a more active center.
By 1925, Pekin's population had grown to 109 people.
Learning in Pekin: The School Story
Pekin is home to a special school system called the Pekin Community School District. This school brings together students from many nearby communities. Kids come from places like Hedrick, Martinsburg, Ollie, Packwood, Richland, and Farson. Students from the countryside around Pekin also attend.
A School Built on an Airfield
The school campus has a very interesting past. It was built on what used to be a naval airfield. This airfield was called the Linby Naval Outlying Landing Field. It was built in 1943 during World War II for training pilots.
This airfield was one of 15 smaller airfields. They were used by the Naval Air Station Ottumwa. That station trained pilots from 1942 to 1947. The airfield had four concrete runways. They were shaped like a diamond. Each runway was about 200 feet wide and 2000 feet long.
However, the airfield was not used much. The strong winds made it hard for planes to take off and land safely. It was closed down sometime between 1948 and 1955.
From Runways to Classrooms
When the regional school system bought the airport land, there was a special rule. The runways had to be kept in case the government ever needed them again. The high school building was constructed on top of one of these old runways. The first classes were held there in 1961.
Today, some of the old runways are still used. They serve as parking areas for the school. They also hold equipment for school maintenance. Local police departments even use them for training practice.
The Pekin Community School teaches many subjects. These include math, science, and English. They offer all the common subjects found in public schools.
For 18 years, only high school students went to this regional school. It is located about a mile south of Pekin. But in 1978, a big change happened. All students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, began to study at the regional school. The smaller, local school buildings in other towns were then closed permanently.
