Rockville, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Rockville is a former city
in Delaware County
, Iowa
, United States
. Bordering Dubuque County
within the North Fork Township, it was approximately 3 miles northwest of Worthington
and 1.5 miles west of today's Iowa Highway 136.
, it was one of the oldest towns in Delaware County. The area served as an important trading point and included a sawmill
, a gristmill
, a blacksmith
, hotel, and various stores. Slightly predating Rockville's establishment, a log schoolhouse was built in 1843. This would be rebuilt in brick after burning down ten years after its founding.
During this era, Rockville served as a stagecoach
stop for those heading west of the Mississippi River
. The Rockville post office opened June 15, 1846 with Olmstead serving as postmaster, and a hotel was opened for travelers of the Western Stage Company. The town's popularity even saw Charles W. Hobbs, one of the first settlers in Delhi, relocating to Rockville in 1850. Hobbs subsequently opened a store which allegedly found great success.
However, Rockville's prosperity would not last in the face of its developing neighbors. The town's proverbial death knell came not long after the Dubuque
and Pacific Railroad Company began building rails in the newly formed town of Dyersville. Rockville's post office closed for the second and final time on May 31, 1898. As Delhi and Dyersville grew, the town's role as a stagecoach declined and would virtually vanish by the end of the 19th century. Today, the area is recognized simply as a rural
area on the outskirts of Worthington. Remnants of its history can be seen in Rockville Cemetery, which includes veterans of the Civil
and Mexican War
s, and the nearby remains of an old mill
, which resides at the North Fork of the Maquoketa River
. The hilly area, still traversed by gravel road
s, now consists primarily of farms and woodland
.
The Rockville name has been adopted in numerous ways around the location of the former town. These include:
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Delaware County
Delaware County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,764 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,028 housing units, of which 7,062 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Bordering Dubuque County
Dubuque County, Iowa
Dubuque County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 93,653 in the 2010 census, an increase from 89,143 in the 2000 census. The county seat is the city of Dubuque. Dubuque County is coterminous with the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the seventh...
within the North Fork Township, it was approximately 3 miles northwest of Worthington
Worthington, Iowa
Worthington is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census. Iowa Highway 136's route takes it through Worthington, which is north of Cascade and south of Dyersville.-History:...
and 1.5 miles west of today's Iowa Highway 136.
History
Rockville was founded in 1845 by Oliver A. Olmstead. Second only to DelhiDelhi, Iowa
Delhi is a city in Delaware County, Iowa, United States. The population was 458 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Delhi is located at near the Maquoketa River. The Delhi Dam on the river in Delhi's southwest created Hartwick Lake...
, it was one of the oldest towns in Delaware County. The area served as an important trading point and included a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, hotel, and various stores. Slightly predating Rockville's establishment, a log schoolhouse was built in 1843. This would be rebuilt in brick after burning down ten years after its founding.
During this era, Rockville served as a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop for those heading west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The Rockville post office opened June 15, 1846 with Olmstead serving as postmaster, and a hotel was opened for travelers of the Western Stage Company. The town's popularity even saw Charles W. Hobbs, one of the first settlers in Delhi, relocating to Rockville in 1850. Hobbs subsequently opened a store which allegedly found great success.
However, Rockville's prosperity would not last in the face of its developing neighbors. The town's proverbial death knell came not long after the Dubuque
Dubuque
-Places:United States* Dubuque, Iowa* Dubuque County, Iowa* Dubuque, Kansas* East Dubuque, Illinois* University of Dubuque* USS Dubuque-Surnames:* Julien Dubuque, a French Canadian who arrived near what now is known as Dubuque, Iowa...
and Pacific Railroad Company began building rails in the newly formed town of Dyersville. Rockville's post office closed for the second and final time on May 31, 1898. As Delhi and Dyersville grew, the town's role as a stagecoach declined and would virtually vanish by the end of the 19th century. Today, the area is recognized simply as a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
area on the outskirts of Worthington. Remnants of its history can be seen in Rockville Cemetery, which includes veterans of the Civil
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
and Mexican War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
s, and the nearby remains of an old mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, which resides at the North Fork of the Maquoketa River
Maquoketa River
The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. Its watershed covers within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque. It is not to be confused with the Little Maquoketa River, another distinct...
. The hilly area, still traversed by gravel road
Gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...
s, now consists primarily of farms and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.
Geography
Rockville is located at 42°25′7"N 91°8′32"W (42.4186086 -91.1420837), at an elevation of 925 feet (282 m).Name usage
- Rockville Road, a gravel and blacktopAsphalt concreteAsphalt concrete is a composite material commonly used in construction projects such as road surfaces, airports and parking lots. It consists of asphalt and mineral aggregate mixed together, then laid down in layers and compacted...
road spanning Delaware and Dubuque County - Rockville Cemetery, a 19th century graveyardGraveyardA graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
; its last burial was in 1951 - Rockville Tree Farm, a local tree farmTree farmA tree farm is a privately owned forest managed for timber production. The term tree farm is also used to refer to plantations and to tree nurseries.-American Tree Farm System:...
established in 1998 - Rockville Design, a personal graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
business established in 1999 - Rockville Coins, a personal coin collectingCoin collectingCoin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of minted legal tender.Coins of interest to collectors often include those that circulated for only a brief time, coins with mint errors and especially beautiful or historically significant pieces. Coin collecting can be...
reseller established in 2009