Sumner, IA

Sumner sits on the eastern edge of Bremer County, a town that came into focus with the railroad and kept its industrial streak. The town was established in 1870 and incorporated in 1894, while nearby Cassville was folded into Sumner in 1875 when it became clear the railroad was coming through. Today the local map mixes Iowa Highway 93, a traditional main street, and Life Line Emergency Vehicles, a manufacturer that builds ambulances in town. Sumner’s story is one of a railroad-era settlement that kept finding new work after the first town lots were sold, with the Bremer-Fayette county line close by.