McPaul, Iowa

Unincorporated community in Iowa, United States

40°49′19″N 95°48′10″W / 40.82194°N 95.80278°W / 40.82194; -95.80278Country

United StatesState

IowaCountyFremont CountyElevation

287 m (941 ft)Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)

McPaul is a former townsite and unincorporated community in Fremont County, Iowa, United States. It was located at the intersection of County Roads J18 and L31, near the Missouri River. It is three miles west of Thurman, at 40.887295N -95.7950145W.^[1]

History

McPaul was founded as a railroad town. The Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad passed through McPaul in the late 1800s.^[2] Much of modern-day Interstate 29 covers the former townsite; only a few scattered houses remain. The McPaul State Wildlife Management Area is located north of the townsite.

McPaul's population was 100 in 1925.^[3] The population was 47 in 1940.^[4]

McPaul was impacted by the 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods. One homeowner in McPaul had to wait 180 days for floodwater to drain; the home flooded again five days later. The McPaul exit off Interstate 29 was still closed, with visible standing water, in early October. Buyouts were planned for local residents.^[5]

References

^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
^ Fremont County Atlas (1891). Northwest Publishing Co.
^ Company, Rand McNally and (1925). Premier Atlas of the World. Rand McNally & Company. p. 190.
^ The Attorneys List. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department. 1940. p. 305.
^ Norvell, Kim (October 9, 2019). "205 days and counting: For western Iowa, recovery from historic flooding remains a long way off". Des Moines Register. Retrieved December 8, 2019.