Progress 2025 Region

Pocahontas : 150 years … and counting

Pocahontas prepares to celebrate its founding

POCAHONTAS -- There were notable projects that occurred over several parts of Pocahontas in 2024, but one that continues to draw a lot of attention is the large statue of the indigenous woman for whom the town is named.

The Pocahontas princess statue that was erected in 1952 was refurbished last year.

Pocahontas City Administrator Laura Holmes said when there are projects that come to the fore, people in the town of almost 1,900 people will step up.

"You can't ask for a better community," said Holmes, a native of the town who moved away for a few years and later returned, taking the city job in 2024.

"It is a good little town," she said. "The long-time residents of Pocahontas really have a lot of pride. We have so many people who will help with community projects."

Another visually arresting project is being carried out by the Pocahontas County Foundation as large, spinning, colorful kaleidoscopes will be placed in all nine county towns. So far, six are up, with the city of Pocahontas getting one in late 2024.

"We are nationally known for those," Holmes said.

Other important additions in Pocahontas revolved around health care and housing options.

Pocahontas Community Hospital added a helipad for emergency helicopters. Moreover, a cardiac center of the hospital has returned after some years without one, Holmes said.

She said the center for heart conditions was paid for by some community fundraising and also hospital revenues after people wanted to stop having to drive to Fort Dodge for cardiac care.

"People are glad it is closer and that they don't have to drive to Fort Dodge," she said. "We have an elderly population."

A second phase of Prairie Estate Addition on the northeast side of Pocahontas was finished. The city put in water and other infrastructure, and streets will come when houses fill in.

Phase One began in about 2020 and all the lots have houses, so Holmes said city leaders knew it was time for Phase Two. The new lots sell for $30,000 and up, and already about one-third have been sold.

"Phase Two is selling faster because people can see what happened in Phase One," she said.

Additionally, 2025 will have the city of Pocahontas hold big sesquicentennial events. However, the celebration won't come 150 years after the founding in 1870, but in the 155th year.

The sesquicentennial was all set for 2020, but the international coronavirus pandemic squashed it. City leaders at first pushed back the date later into 2020, but saw that wasn't in the cards well before vaccines became available.

Holmes said people are ready to carry out the sesquicentennial fun and it will overlap on July 18-20 with the annual summer Heritage Days and the Pocahontas County Fair. There will be an all-school reunion, a parade, live bands and fireworks.

"This is going to be big, big," Holmes said. "It is going to be a whoop and a holler. It will be a packed place."

Looking ahead in one more area, the Pocahontas Area Community School District will have a new superintendent in July 2025.

The school board in late January hired Robert Boley, previously with the South Tama School District, after deciding among 10 applicants.

Superintendent Joe Kramer has headed the school district for many years.