Mineola, Iowa

Mineola is an unincorporated village in Mills County, Iowa, United States. This community on the highlands east of Keg Creek was first established as Lewis City during construction of the Wabash Railroad. The land had previously been owned by German immigrant freighter Louis Lanz and Germans long dominated the community. St. John's Lutheran Church was established in 1883 on the hill overlooking town. The original church closely mirrored the church at Giekau in Schleswig-Holstein from where many settlers had originated. During the early 20th century Mineola had grown into an important local shipping point with an opera house, hotel, the Mills County German Bank, and other associated businesses. The present Mineola Community Center began as Joe Deitchler's pool hall in 1916 and was converted into the Palisades Ballroom in 1934 by Roy Wasserman. The Palisades featured a variety of famous performers, including the Lloyd Hunter Orchestra of North Omaha, Nebraska, and Lawrence Welk, along with movies, bingo, and school programs with a saloon and lunchroom in front. A branch of the Glenwood State Bank still operates here, as does the Mineola Steakhouse. In recent years the village has become a bedroom community of Omaha in what is still a largely rural area. Mineola is the first major stop on the Wabash Trace southeast of Council Bluffs.

External links

• Community website