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New
Market Iowa, population 454, is located
in the gentle rolling hills of Southwest
Iowa just off State Highway 2 in Taylor
County between Clarinda and Bedford.
Farmers Mutual Telephone Company owns and
operates the Farmers
Mutual Town and Country Store located
on Main Street.
New Market was founded in
1881 and celebrates its heritage each year
on the 4th of July. Founded when the
railroad passed by the former towns of Memory
and Dayton the community of New Market sprung
up as homes and businesses were relocated
adjacent to the new rail line.
"New Market shall be
the name of the town" ...was written
in the 1883 Articles of Incorporation following
a dispute over what to call the new community.
Railroad employees painted "New Market"
on a sign entering the town helping to end
the argument.
New Market thrived
and reached a peak population in 1920 of
745 residents. In 1899 three area
farmers formed the first telephone utility
called "Farmers Mutual Telephone Company".
There were 90 subscribers on three lines
with a small switchboard hung on the wall
in the corner of the Harris Hardware store.
In 1902 a lot was purchased
for $67.50 at the site of the present building.
By 1911 there were nineteen lines serving
all the subscribers with the switchboard
in a small wooden structure. In December
of 1945 the last train of the Keokuk and
Western rolled through town witnessed by
C.L. (Roy) Herron who, as a child had witnessed
the first train make its way through New
Market.
In 1962 the company
had grown and now served 92 miles of rural
lines plus the cable in town at which time
the company consolidated and became known
as the New Market Telephone Exchange.
In 1974 the company
merged with FMTC of Stanton and the new
dial system was installed thus ending the
days of dialing "central" to make
a call.
New Market is now served
by modern digital switching gear that connects
its residents to the world with the speed
of light fiber and the Internet.
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