“There are just not enough of us in town here anymore.”
Judy Ash, Mount Sterling city council member
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| Photo by Timetrax23 (Creative Commons) |
Mount Sterling, Iowa (population 44) is 105 years old. But making it to 106 is looking pretty iffy.
The year Mount Sterling was incorporated—1907—Teddy Roosevelt was president, Oklahoma got its statehood and the Hoover vacuum was invented. The town’s population peaked at 232 in 1910, and it’s been puttering along ever since. Until this year.
In the last election, no one ran for mayor. That’s not unusual in small towns. When it happens, townspeople usually write in a neighbor’s name during the election and talk him or her into taking the job. The problem is, at this election no one showed up to vote. Not one person.
So the city council decided it’s time to call it a day. They’re passing a resolution to disband Mount Sterling. The town will lose its name, and the county will take over day-to-day management.
If any of the residents feel strongly about saving their town, it’s not too late. All they have to do is sign a petition . . . and vote.
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