Ackley

History

In 1852, immigrants began purchasing farms and settling in the north Hardin County area. In the fall of 1852, Lemuel Harvy "Seth" Arledge, a frontiersman who acted as both a physician and preacher originally from Kentucky staked a claim just north of the Hardin County line and built a cabin close to where Highway 57 now passes. Another settler, Thomas Downs, became the first permanent resident of Ackley when he bought Dr. Arledge's claim. Later his widow sold a strip of land from Butler Street to the four county corner for $3.00 an acre to Minor Gallop. Gallop built a house, just east of Highway 57 which became an inn, a stopover for stagecoaches, and the first post office. Many caravans arrived in anticipation of settling in this area. Roby Parriott and wife, Abigail, settled in Washington Township, Butler County. Parriott immediately began to acquire more land and purchased what is now the business section of Ackley. Mills were built on the Iowa River south of the community and in 1856 a stage line was built from Cedar Falls to Fort Dodge. The Dubuque and Pacific Railroad Company received a charter from the State of Iowa in the 1850s to build a railroad. Surveying teams were sent out. One of the members was J. William Ackley. He decided Etna Township was a good place for a railroad station. The land was owned by Parriott and his wife, who had purchased it for speculation. William Ackley purchased the land for the railroad route and discussed founding a town. He and three other land developers purchased the land which is now the town itself for $25.00 an acre. They then sold sites for developing the town. In 1857, the town of Ackley was staked out. The plan was signed December 12, 1857. Even though Ackley never lived here, he gave the town his name. In 1865, the…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  277
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  258
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  229
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  193
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  190
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  157
• Brown-headed Cowbird

  Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  157
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  147