Oakdale was an unincorporated rural residential village established in 1908 by the State of Iowa as a state-wide treatment center for tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

 (TB) in rural Johnson County

Johnson County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 130,882 in the county, with a population density of . There were 55,967 housing units, of which 52,715 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, located about five miles northwest of central Iowa City

Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...

 and now a part of Coralville

Coralville, Iowa

Coralville is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, adjacent to the community of North Liberty

North Liberty, Iowa

North Liberty is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb of Iowa City and part of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area....

. The site was chosen for its remoteness, its location along a railroad, and its proximity to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a 762-bed public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UIHC is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A...

 in Iowa City.
As a partially self-sustaining community, Oakdale included a depot on the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway

The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway , also known as the Crandic is a Class III railroad operating in the US state of Iowa.-History:...

 (CRandIC) line, power plant, several residential patient and staff buildings, pharmacy, postal, and administrative units, as well as associated facilities to support varied farming operations intended to help sustain the institution, including a large dairy.