If you are a student of Palmer’s history, it’s not a big surprise: Palmer has been part of the small family heyday and has survived the challenges associated with small town living.

Palmer was originally named Hanson in honor of Neil Hanson, who owned 25 acres utilized as a town site. Due to the confusion with the similar sounding town of Manson, the post office recommended a change.

Palmer’s location is in section 10, Bellville Township, Pocahontas County. On April 12, 1901, Palmer was incorporated.

On July 12, 1900, regular train service came to town and the depot was built that same year. With the rail came community growth with coffee shops, pharmacies, hardware stores, and implement sales.

With the good times came some tough times. On Oct. 25, 1905, a fire broke out, consuming Olson Brother Implement, Hungerford Implement, Whitt’s Hardware and the Citizen’s Lumber Company. Palmer — being Palmer — rebuilt these establishments for the good of its citizens.

In 1916, the Palmer Opera House was raised to bring quality of life to the community beyond the ability to make a living.

In 1923, the Home Cafe was “ready to cook for threshers.” Two banks were in business as was a farmer’s co-op.

A sure sign that Palmer was growing was the thriving recreation in 1923. A Woodman picnic was held at Lizard Lake Resort, and The Rifle Club built a new shooting gallery. Baseball was a favorite sport and games were played at the resort. A fall festival was held in September with a concert by the Pocahontas Band, closing with a dance and a Fontenelle phonograph — a piece of high-tech at the time — was given away at the festival. All of December 1923 was warm and on Christmas Day — with a 42-degree heat wave — horseshoes were a favorite game of the locals.

In 1924, Palmer bought a Fordson tractor to drag the streets; it was the first time in the town’s history it had not been done with horses.

High school students went to John Beneke’s home to listen to a radio concert broadcast by the State University at Iowa City. Another hardware store was opened to meet the needs of Palmer’s building projects, including four new residences.

In 1925, the Palmer Shipping Association reported at their February meeting that 65 cars of cattle stock were shipped during the fiscal year. It was noted that the yards were inadequate to handle the amount of stock shipped by Palmer. This was another clear sign that Palmer was doing well, as were the rural cattlemen. As of July 1925, the Palmer Opera House installed a large fan in the basement to keep the house abundant with cool, fresh air.

Not all the news was good during Palmer’s years as a Pocahontas County seat; for instance, there was the matter of the March 1936 “butter robbery” when thieves robbed the creamery of a ton of the creamy goodness worth $600, a hefty sum for the day.

Another fire took its toll in the 1940s, gutting Elsen Pool Hall and causing smoke and water damage to Hanson Barber Shop, O’Brien Grocery, and Nolan Drug Store. As an offset, rural electrification was a big hit in 1940.

Flash forward 75 years later, and Palmer has its own playground and baseball field, Mutual Telephone Company, a new cooperative, its own post office, and three churches. It is part of the Pocahontas Area Community School District, and boasts of a public museum to celebrate everything it has been to residents over the years.

Like many of Iowa’s hamlets, Palmer peaked in population during the 80-acre farmstead days; it glided down to the stable 138 seen today. And, luckily, the town’s people know that they have something special to celebrate in 2025.

If the celebration is anything like Palmer’s early years, it’ll surely involve a band, dancing, a few ball games, and the pitching of a few horseshoes.