Edgewood Iowa

Edgewood is a town in two counties, divided by Highway 3 which runs through the center. In the spring of 1842 two young men, Lorenzo Mulliken and Daniel B. Noble from York State or Yankeeland, settled on the edge of Turkey timber. They were soon joined by several families and in 1845 the settlement became known as Yankee Settlement. It extended into both Clayton and Delaware Counties. In 1872 the name changed to Edgewood, and the town was incorporated in 1892. The name Edgewood was chosen because the area west of town was mostly prairie and the area east was densely wooded.

One of the founding fathers of Edgewood was Elder N.W. Bixby. He and his wife Ruby, from Williamstown, Vermont, located in Yankee Settlement in 1846. Bixby was the first free will Baptist minister to settle in Delaware County. Mr. Bixby's son was R.J. Bixby. R.J. was one of the honored citizens who did much good for the town. He was a State Representative for Delaware County during the thirtieth, thirty-first, and thirty-second General Assemblies.

R.J. Bixby was also a farmer and nature lover. He made a point of getting a tract of land set into the state park system. Today we know this area as Bixby State Park Preserve.

In Edgewood's recent history we can be proud of the volunteer accomplishments. Edgewood has a reputation of getting things done and the following are examples of that:

1998	Edgewood Speculative Building Completed
1997	Ball Diamond Improvements
1996	Meals on Wheels Program Begun
1995	Ed-Co Abstinence & Character Building Group Started
1994	Hospitality Training Initiated
1993	Reclaiming Bixby Park and Downtown Improvements
1992	Completion of New Library and City Office Building
1991	Opening of the Edgewood Child Care and Learning Center
1990	Opening of Woods Edge Golf Course and Housing Development
1990	Creation of the Edgewood Board of Economic Development
1989	1st Festival of Trees and Craft Show
1988	1st Edgewood Rodeo Days Celebration
1987	Planning for the "Edgewood Three Miles" Sign Begins
1986-7	Creation of Edgewood Little League & Adult Softball Complex
1986	First Community Think Tank
1984	Yankee Settlement Retirement Housing
1978	Completion of New Fire Station
1976	Completion of "History of Edgewood"
1975	Completion of Public Lighted Tennis Courts
1966	Completion of New Swimming Pool