Calumet, IA

Calumet is an incorporated municipality in O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. The 2020 census counted 146 residents. Establishment of the community followed the laying of a rail line and construction of a depot in 1887 by the Illinois Central Railroad. Calumet was platted in that year, and the formation of a post office and construction of a town hall and commercial businesses quickly followed — all capitalizing on the availability of rail service to and from the region. That mix gives Calumet a clear local shape within Iowa, with older layers still visible in current places. The local scoop is a place whose streets, landmarks, and institutions keep its earlier story close to the present. Calumet is home to some two dozen retail businesses.