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 Beacon was laid out in 1864 as a coal mining town under the name of "Enterprise." On the completion of the Keokuk and Des Moines Railroad, it was call "Oskaloosa Station." Mining boomed shortly after the Civil War. There used to be a five-story mill in the town made of brick and stone. Beacon was incorporated in 1874 and was a thriving mining community. As the mines moved westward, so did the miners. Beacon today is a quiet, comfortable community located on the west edge of Oskaloosa.
| | Demographics | (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 1) | Population: | 518 | | Total Area (in square miles): | 1.01 | | Land Area (in square miles): | 1.01 | | Water Area (in square miles): | 0 |
Housing Units | Total Housing Units: | 217 | | Occupied Housing Units: | 208 | | Vacant Housing Units: | 9 | | Seasonal, Recreational, or occasional use: | 2 |
Mahaska County Labor Force (Source: http://www.iowaworkforce.org)
September 2009 (August figures in parenthesis)
Not seasonally adjusted | Resident Civilian Labor Force | 11,680 (12,000) | | Resident Unemployed: | 900 (1,300) | | Percent Unemployed: | 7.7 (10.9) | | Resident Total Employed: | 10,780 (10,700) |
(Note: Labor Force Statistics are only available county-wide through IWD) Location and Map 
| | Government Information | Type of Government
Contact Information
Mayor: Shawn Maxwell
641-672-1335 Mayor Pro Tem & City Council: Richard Thomas
641-673-3134 Wayne Braden 641-673-6559
Tom VanDerVeer 641-673-7145
Aron Whitlatch 641-295-3425
Ron Ferree 641-660-7522 City Clerk: Trudy Harwell 641-672-1183 City Treasurer: Lois Nicholson
641-673-7638 Water & Sewer Department Billing: Shirley Mitrisin
641-673-7512 Renting of City Hall: Diane Whitlatch 641-660-1751 Meeting Notices
City council meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at the Beacon City Hall at 7 p.m. All Beacon meeting minutes are posted at the Beacon Post Office and Thomas Sanitation a day or two after meetings. The Post Office and Thomas Sanitation also has a list of phone numbers of City Officials for anyone who may need them. Ongoing projects that the council discussed at the January 8 meeting that they would like to pursue. One, being the ongoing efforts to keep properties cleaned up in both residential and business areas. Another is possibly fixing water drainage problems throughout Beacon. This has been an ongoing problem for years and the council seems interested in taking care of it as funds become available. Another is updating the city ordinances. During the term of Council Member Bernie Chapman, he compiled a disk containing the ordinances, which is making the ordinances more accessible. At the first meetign in February, the council will be discussing the City Budget. | | In the News | | | Community Information | Mid American Energy is our power and gas source. The phone number is 1-888-427-5632. Phone service is available through Qwest Communications. They can be reached at 1-800-244-1111. Trash service is not mandatory in Beacon. However, Thomas Sanitation is located in Beacon and can be reached by calling 641-673-3134. Cable services are available from
Mediacom 800-332-0245.
Mahaska Communication Group 641-676-1000 Water and Sewer services are available from the City of Beacon. Shirley Mitrisin is in charge of new accounts and billing. Her number is 641-673-7512. Beacon enforces ordinances such as animal control (leash law), parking regulations, junk vehicles, weed ordinance, open burning, abandon buildings. |
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