Astor, Iowa
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Astor, Iowa
|settlement_type = unincorporated community
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|pushpin_map=Iowa
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Iowa
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Crawford County
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|established_title = Platted
|established_date = 1882
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|timezone = Central (CST)
|utc_offset = -6
|timezone_DST = CDT
|utc_offset_DST = -5
|elevation_ft = 1299
|coordinates = {{coord|41|52|12|N|95|16|00|W|type:city_region:US-IA|display=inline,title}}
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|blank_name = GNIS feature ID
|blank_info = 464452{{GNIS|464452}}
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Astor was an unincorporated community in Crawford County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Geography
Astor was located in Nishnabotny Township on county road M38 where that road crosses the present-day BNSF Railway line.{{Cite book |title=Iowa Atlas and Gazetteer |date=2021 |publisher=Garmin, Ltd |location=Yarmouth, ME |page=36}}
History
Astor was platted on the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St Paul Railroad in 1882 by Alexander Liedlum. Astor had a Methodist church, a school, a grain elevator, and a general store which also served as the post office. The town grew quickly, but railroad officials set the junction of the rail line two miles northeast, to nearby Manilla. Many residents in Astor then moved their houses to Manilla, pulling them on horse-drawn skids. The community was slowly abandoned.{{Cite web |last=Prince |first=Norm |date=2014 |title=Crawford County, Iowa, History |url=http://iagenweb.org/crawford/history/astor.html |access-date=2022-09-28 |website=iagenweb.org |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928122041/http://iagenweb.org/crawford/history/astor.html |url-status=live }}
In the 1880s, a church and parsonage were built in Aster. The church was moved to nearby Manilla around 1887.
Even after several years of decline, in 1911 Astor was said to have maintained its identity as "a pleasant little village" and had a "good store, good school, and a post office."{{Cite book |last=Meyers |first=F. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4QUAAAAYAAJ |title=History of Crawford County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement |date=1911 |publisher=S. J. Clarke publishing Company |pages=268, 473 |language=en |access-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-date=January 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108085217/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4QUAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}
The community's population was 150 in 1890,{{Cite book |last=Cram |first=George Franklin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CPAwAQAAMAAJ&dq=cram%2527s+1885+atlas&pg=PA330 |title=Cram's Universal Atlas: Geographical, Astronomical and Historical, Containing a Complete Series of Maps of Modern Geography, Illustrated by Numerous Views and Charts; the Whole Supplemented with Valuable Statistics, Diagrams, and a Complete Gazetteer of the United States |date=1887 |publisher=G.F. Cram |pages=367–369 |language=en |access-date=2021-07-28 |archive-date=2021-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708045124/https://books.google.com/books?id=CPAwAQAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA330&dq=cram%2527s+1885+atlas&hl=en |url-status=live }} 22 in 1900,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9AzrWecxN1wC |title=Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition |date=1902 |publisher=J. R. Gray & Company |pages=203–207 |language=en |access-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229210727/https://books.google.com/books?id=9AzrWecxN1wC |url-status=live }} and 42 in 1920.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WqRRAQAAMAAJ |title=Premier Atlas of the World: Containing Maps of All Countries of the World, with the Most Recent Boundary Decisions, and Maps of All the States, Territories, and Possessions of the United States with Population Figures from the Latest Official Census Reports, Also Data of Interest Concerning International and Domestic Political Questions |date=1925 |publisher=Rand McNally & Company |pages=188–190 |language=en |access-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229220633/https://books.google.com/books?id=WqRRAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }} The population of Astor was 28 in 1940.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTcjAQAAMAAJ |title=The Attorneys List |publisher=United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department |year=1940 |page=292 |language=en |access-date=2023-12-18 |archive-date=November 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103000157/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTcjAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}
The town's people realized the opportunities for growth at this junction and moved in large part to the newly platted town. The resulting community became known as Manilla. Business buildings, homes, and the Methodist Church were moved cross-county by pulling them on skids behind teams of horses. Astor was left almost abandoned.{{Cite web |last=Prince |first=Norm |date=2014 |title=Crawford County, Iowa, History |url=http://iagenweb.org/crawford/history/astor.html |access-date=2024-11-06 |url-status=live |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928122041/http://iagenweb.org/crawford/history/astor.html }}
See also
{{Portal|Iowa}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Crawford County, Iowa}}
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Category:Unincorporated communities in Crawford County, Iowa