Trade Token, 50 Cents, 1868-1968 Atlantic Iowa, Centennial Token.

Trade Token, 50 Cents, 1868-1968 Atlantic Iowa, Centennial Token. Side 1, One Hundred Years Of Pioneering and Progress, 1868-1968, Atlantic, Iowa, Side 2, Good For 50 Cents In Trade Redeemable at Centennial Headquarters, Thru June 15, 1968.

The Atlantic Town company was established by three men, Franklin H. Whitney, B. F. Allen, a Des Moines banker, and John P. Cook, who owned most of the land on which the original town was built, this being in the year 1868.
While Grove City had been an important village prior to the founding of Atlantic, it, like the town of Lewis, went into a decline when the railroad bypassed it.
The first home in Atlantic was started by Henry Miller on September 9, 1868. This house is located at 409 Birch Street, having been remodeled and relocated.
Mr. Whitney laid out the main street by plowing two furrows 100 feet apart from the Miller house, at what is now 6th and Chestnut, to the railroad right of way. With this street established, lots began to sell quickly and new businesses were opened. Grove City was moved almost bodily to the new town. The town of Atlantic was laid out in October 1868, and the town plan was filed for record a short time later. The site of the city was the property of F.H. Whitney, B.F. Allen, John P. Cook, and others. The town was first called "Avoca," by the railroad civil engineer and it was called "Avoca" for some days, but Mr. Whitney went to Des Moines coming back with the name changed to Atlantic.

In 1857, with the expected arrival of railroad lines, residents of Grove City attempted to have the county seat relocated to their town. It was their belief that Grove City would be the rail depot for Cass County. Their attempt was unsuccessful. At the same time, speculators began purchasing lands and promoting the new site of Atlantic as a railroad depot. The Rock Island railroad came to Cass County in 1868, with the Atlantic being the stopping place in Cass County. With the arrival of the railroad, Atlantic became a fast-growing town. The county seat was removed from Lewis to Atlantic on October 20, 1869. The first courthouse built in Atlantic was completed in 1872, being replaced by a new courthouse in 1882.

Item Code - CUR1E49622PVCZ9B4

Width: 2"  Height: 2"  Depth: 1/8"  Weight: 13 g