History
“It was a charming village with wide streets and a central park.” said Rev. Adams Cleghorn, the founding father of this community. Much has changed since that comment was made, however, the town of Cleghorn has kept its image as a peaceful place in the Iowa countryside. It retains its reputation as being an excellent area to raise a family.
Cleghorn is located on the main line of the Illinois Central Railroad, and was built on a sloping hill. Since trains had to climb up an elevation to reach the settlement, it became known as a flag station. The railroad brought a great deal of industrial business to the small farming town and soon after, a warehouse and stockyards were constructed there. The municipality was formed in 1901 and the townsfolk soon saw a new school and church erected.
Education
Students in Cleghorn attend MMCRU
Business
Wetherell Manufacturing , Jim’s Cycles (motorcycle sales and repair shop), AgState and the United Bank of Iowa all make for a vibrant economic community.
Central Park
Cleghorn Central Park is a community gathering place with a community center, picnic area, playground, and a basketball court.
Native Iowa Arboretum
The first tree was planted in the MMC Middle School Native Iowa Arboretum on Saturday, April 17, 1996. This interdisciplinary curriculum service learning activity resulted in forty additional trees being planted. Forty of the forty-one trees are species that were native to Iowa when it became a state in 1846, with the research being done in science class. The positioning and plotting of the trees was completed using computer graphing in the Industrial Technology Education Laboratory. The donated trees were planted by MMC Middle School students and staff along with community volunteers. Many of the tree identification markers were placed in cooperation with a Lutheran Brotherhood Service project. An Environmental Shelter was constructed in the middle of the present Arboretum.
Churches
Cleghorn Christian
Interim, Bob Blair, Speaker
Sunday: 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour
11:00 a.m. – Worship Service
First Presbyterian Church
Sunday: 9:15 a.m. – Sunday School
10:30 a.m. – Worship Service