|
History
Atkins
was settled in the summer of 1881 as the Chicago, Milwaukee and
St. Paul Railroad was being built west from Marion, Iowa. The settlement
was known as Poker Flat, but after William Rinderknecht sold the
land to S.S. Merrill of Milwaukee Land Company on September 8, 1881,
they recorded the site on February 13, 1882 and named the town Atkins,
in honor of one of the supervisors of railroad. Atkins grew steadily
over the next few decades, but the big change came in 1915 when
the railroad moved their division point from Marion, Iowa to Atkins.
The community changed from a few scattered stores and homes to a
business and farming center.
|
|
Today
Atkins is a community growing by leaps and bounds. A 1990 census
indicated 637 residents. Nearly 35 new homes have been completed
and many more scheduled for construction. Atkins boasts a
thriving and diverse main street, excellent school system, local
community services and close proximity to Cedar Rapids (15 minutes).
|
