Postville, IA

Postville sits at the corner of Allamakee and Clayton counties, close enough to Winneshiek and Fayette counties that locals describe the area as a four-county corner. U.S. 18 and 52 and Iowa 51 meet around town, and the 2020 census counted 2,503 residents. Joel Post settled here in 1843, the town was platted in 1853, and the name stuck. Postville’s map still feels like a crossroads, with roads and county lines doing as much work as the town’s streets.

ATTRTheCatalyst31 / CC0

The harder part of the story arrived with the meatpacking industry. Agriprocessors brought a large Jewish community and immigrant workforce to town, then the 2008 immigration raid at the plant shook families across Postville and became part of the city’s national reputation. The facility later became Agri Star Meat & Poultry, while residents kept working to rebuild the community around schools, churches, and local businesses. Postville calls itself “Hometown to the World,” and the line makes sense here: the city’s character comes from a small Iowa crossroads that has had to make room for many different languages, faiths, and family histories.