According to the 1880 Census of Iowa, Mills County had a population of 23,752, including 1,276 foreign-born. Oak Township was listed with a population of 1,031 while Mineola is recorded as having 35 residents. The 1880-81 edition of the Iowa State Gazetter and Business Directory refers to Mineola as "A recently established post-office in Mills Co."

On February 13, 1883 Saint Johns Lutheran Church was organized in Mineola under Reverend Albert Blasberg by Heinrich Heithoff, CF Roenfeld, Wilhelm Kahl, F Miller, H Nipp, Friederich Barg, Thomas Brandt, Christian Goos, Heinrich Roenfeldt, Detlef Miller, Charles Hammer, Hans Hammer, John Rohrberg, John Roenfeldt, Christian Hoeck, Matilda Voss, Christ Foss, Leo Jurgens, Johan Busch, Henry F Kruse, Hans Kruse, Charlotte Deitchler, Wilhelm Jens, F Schoening, William Bichel, Fritz Hoeck, Christian Bauer, CH Heitmann, N Kiersch, and August Hansen. Construction of the church started the next October under the supervision of Thomas Brandt and was completed in December.

The first Vorsteher at Saint Johns were H. Heithoff, CF Roenfeld, and W Kahl with F Miller, H Nipp, and F Barg as the first church trustees. The Vorsteher sat in the front pews of the church with all men seated on the north side and women on the south side.

The first confirmation class in the new church was held in April 1885 and included John Deitchler, Anna Hal, Herman Miller, Lena Hansen, Adolph Goos, Mary Baurkemper, Rosa Jurgens, Frieda Bichel, Lizzie Hoeck, Minnie Gotsch, Mary Wolfe, Dora Kiersch, Charles Kiersch, John Hopp, Louie Kruse, Corte Tasto, and Louie Schoening. The students took a year off from public school to attend religious and language instruction in High German five days a week.

The Waterloo Creamery Association had been incorporated in Council Bluffs in 1900 and produced butter, ice cream, milk, and cream at a three story brick building located at 21 South 8th Street in Council Bluffs.

In 1902, Wilhelm Huebner Sr. and his wife Mathilde moved to Mineola to operate the Mineola hotel. Huebner's wife died at Mineola in 1909 and Huebner moved to Logan, IA; Minden, MO; and finally died in Papillion, NE. He's buried in Mineola. Also in 1902, an altar niche and schoolroom were added to the growing Saint Johns Lutheran Church.

The next year The Mills County German Bank was organized in Mineola by M. Lord of Glenwood and CF Nipp.

According to the Mills County Tribune of April 21, 1905 reported that Mineola was struck by a miniature cyclone. The windows were blown out of the schoolhouse while JF Bichel's general store received the most serious damage.

A wide variety of Mineola news found its way into The Tribune in 1909. According to that January's Wabash timetable, southbound # 12 stopped in Mineola at 8:45 in the morning and northbound #51 followed shortly afterwards at 9:29 with southbound #50 stopping at 5:35 in the afternoon and northbound #3 arriving in Mineola at 10:43 in the evening.

A masquerade ball was held at the Mineola Opera House on February 6. Miss Luth of Emerson, NE won the prize of $1.50 for best female costume while Rudolph Hubner won for best male and Louis Saar for most comic outfit. Later that month, someone stole Louis Lanz's team of draft horses out of his barn on the northeast edge of town. The Tribune also reported in February that - Mineola's handsome new school house is now in the hands of the painters and will soon be ready for use, JJ Hartzel had contracted for a new residence and recently purchased and tore down the old creamery building, WA Bichel was building a new tenant house on his farm west of Mineola that was rented to Chris Gobel, and that JF Shipp of Stanberry, MO was the new blacksmith at KA Kiersch's shop.

Other Mineola items from the spring of 1909 included an April notice that Misses Ella and Emma Schoening have gone for a visit of two months with relatives at Los Angeles. The latter live in the suburban town of Hollywood. Other April notices included Mrs. William Bichel is enjoying a visit from her brother Fritz Miller. He lives in the province of Holstein, Germany, in the town of Gadendorf and that One of the bigger shipments of cattle by one man made from Mineola in many a day took place last Saturday, William Roenfeldt sending six loads to Chicago. Mineola will not take a back seat for any town in this part of Iowa when it comes to hog shipments, but we are not up with the rest of them in the matter of cattle.

In May, a train wrecked in Mineola at noon. An engine and way-car were demolished and the resulting fire burned 50 head of cattle to death before Mineola residents brought the blaze under control.

On June 4, the Tribune reported that confirmation services were held in Mineola by Reverend Otto Sitzler for Emilia Piermann, Mary Petersen, Ella Jurgens, Lulu Jurgens, Mary Deitchler, Helen Roenfeld, Helen Miller, Martha Lieber, Paula Bendt, Hedwig Schark, Sarah Heitman, Sarah Krakau, Alvina Loof, Adela Schoening, Roy Miller, Ferdinand Prien, Paula Lanz, Chas Scheel, John Huebner, Chas Hoeck, Fred Lieber, and Paul Schoening.

On June 8, the Tribune reported that Freight train No. 92 and the town of Mineola are a sort of hoodoo for the Wabash road as a little over two weeks after the previous wreck the same train was wrecked in almost the same place. Seven train cars jumped the track and three of them were pretty badly demolished. Late that month, JA Kirsch added to the equipment of his shop a lawnmower sharpener and Henry Kruse was doing a big business in the corn shipping line. Thus far, Kruse had sent out at least 20,000 bushels and brought in a big inflow of cash to Mineola farmers. Also, a new house, barn, and outbuildings were in the midst of construction on the Sam Schoening barn three miles west of Mineola. Finally, at the end of June, the Tribune reported that the Mineola school had been divided into nine grades under the supervision of Principal AC Sperry and his assistant Pearl Zimmer.

On August 13, the Mills County Tribune recorded that Augustus Deitchler and Miss Clara Kay, two well known and popular young people, were married on Wednesday afternoon at 5 o'clock near Mineola. The ceremony took place at the home of the bride's parents Mr. and Mrs. Joachim Kay, and was performed by Rev Sitzler of the Mineola Lutheran Church. About 40 guests were present. A fine supper was served and the customary dance followed in the evening. The couple planned to leave the next week for a wedding trip to Idaho Falls before moving to a farm south of Mineola. At the end of August, there was a new bridge constructed over Keg Creek, CH Kruse recently paid Henry Roenfeld the snug sum of $567 for a bunch of 22 hogs, averaging 356 pounds, and WA Bichel and John Deitchler went to Loup City, NE for the 25th wedding anniversary of Mr and Mrs Henry Kuhl.

Then on September 3, 1909 the Mills County Tribune reported the robbery of the Mineola bank of $1,537 at 3:45 in the afternoon. As cashier CF Nipp was at the State Fair, his brother Ferdinand was in charge when the robbery occurred. After leaving the bank, the robbers vanished into the cornfields east of town and disappeared despite the efforts of the Mineola posse who were joined by some men from Silver City who scoured Mills County in Richard Bada s automobile. The Tribune noted that the bank was insured and had offered a $200 reward for information about the perpetrators.

Three weeks after first reporting a meeting in Mineola of landowners along Keg Creek, the October 5, 1909 Tribune listed those who had presented a petition to the County Board to straighten the creek: FH Nipp, M Flammant, Ellison Evernham, FG Deitchler, Wm Jens, WA Bichel, FF Roenfeld, ES Warren, HF Roenfeld, Otto Schoening, Claud J Deupree, MH Sivers, FH Evernham, HL Kruse, WP Warren, MT Deupree, John Roenfeldt, Louis Schoening, WF Roenfeld, and Evan Lloyd. The Tribune noted the this had become necessary after Pottwattamie County began straightening Keg Creek and that without channeling Mills County farms would bear too heavy a burden for rains further north.

On October 19, 1909, the Tribune reported that Henry Detlef's new cottage is nearing completion. It is nicely located on the side hill, will contain five good rooms, and will cost $2,200. A cosy place for a bride which some people say is about to be installed there. Henry declares he has rented it. We ll see. The same issue also recorded the progress of LW Bichel's new residence on the east edge of town that was two stories tall and 32 square. One Tribune editor visited Mineola that fall, calling it a thriving, prosperous little village on the east slope of the classic Keg that had undergone a veritable building boom for the past two or more years with a new school, residences, and business blocks. According to the Tribune, there were only three people in Mineola who rent property while all others owned their homes and businesses. The article also mentioned the surveyed but as yet unbuilt electric trolley route that was surveyed along Keg Creek between Mineola and Glenwood.

Towards the end of 1909, the Tribune reported that Louie Kahl had killed a large gray wolf near Mineola in November and that 65 Greeks from Chicago had arrived in town to work on that section of the Wabash Railroad.

According to the 1910-11 edition of the Iowa State Gazetteer, Mineola boasted a population of 250 with a Lutheran Church, bank, Western Union telegraph, Pacific Express, and telephone connection. AEA Hartje was Mineola Postmaster and that year's business listings included:

The congregation at Saint Johns in 1910 included 600 members. In the 1910 Atlas of Mills and Fremont Counties, the Reverend Otto Sitzler wrote a summary of St. John s Evangelical that favors theology over history. Rev. Sitzler wrote that St. Johns had been founded about 25 years ago (1884). Its capacity may be three hundred or more. The school room is connected with the church. In the first years the services were held by Rev. Blasbery, but since 1889 the congregation has had its own ministers.

Under the first of them, Rev. Handrich, the parsonage was built. When Rev. Handrich resigned in 1894 the Rev. Berndt took charge of the parish. He was succeeded by Rev. Dahlke in 1900.

From 1903 to 1907 Rev. Kurtz had charge of the congregation but he resigned to accept a call to the Lutheran church at Sterling, Ill.

After a vacancy of about two months, Rev. Otto Sitzler, the present minister, was called and duly installed by Rev. Hoff of Traynor, Iowa.

The church officers are: Albert Schoening, Win. Bichel, Win. Kahl, Julius Miller, Fred Hoeck, and Henry Wasserman.

A branch of the congregation is located near Glenwood, Iowa, and the pastor is required to preach there every four weeks. Services are held in a little school house. A Sunday school is conducted by Rev. Sitzler and Mr. Arnold.

(1) As a German congregation all services are held in the German language. And as a Lutheran congregation (2) declares in the constitution its willingness to be served as an orthodox Evangelical Lutheran congregation its acceptance of the Scriptures of the Whole Bible as the Word of God; (3) Its open adherance to the Symbols of the Lutheran Church, especially the Small Catechism of Dr. M. Luther and the Augsburg Confession, as its own confession, and its agreement to have the pastorial office administered in its midst accordingly: (4) Its willingness to conform to the orthodox Lutheran Church with regard to distinctive ceremonies; (5) Its willingness to introduce only pure church and school books to its congregation; (6) Its willingness to practice previous application for Holy Communion; (7) Its readiness to give full scope to the Word of God, whether applied in public or private, for doctrine, admonition, consolation, or reproof, and submit to the same. The constitution wad adopted under Rev. Blasberg.

The February 16, 1911 Silver City Times reported that the Mineola Post Office safe was robbed of about $270 in cash and post stamps. The Post Office was located in Hartje and Peters store and the thieves also stole $115 from their cash register. The depot and HF Kruse's office were also broken into with the thieves gaining 75 cents from the depot and nothing whatsoever from Kruse.

The 1911 Fourth of July celebrations at Mineola was dandy in every respect, according to the Silver City Times on July 6. A large crowd was present and perfect order prevailed. The program did not begin until one o clock when the brass band appeared on the street. There were no speeches, the tiem being spent in having a general good time. The members of the Frauen Verein had a stand where they sold cooling refreshments. A variety of contests were held in the afternoon culminating in the automobile races for Thirty and Forty horse-power cars. Winner of the 40 horse-power class was JA Kiersch with FH Nipp, John Flynn, and Ferd Jurgens runner-ups. Winner of the 30 horse-power class was Westerman with Theo Schoening second and Carl Goos and CF Nipp tied for third.

The May 2, 1912 edition of the Silver City Times lists the Mills County German Bank with CF Roenfeld as President and Chas F Nipp as cashier and Directors of the bank as HF Kruse, CF Roenfeld, LMLord, and Chas F Nipp.

The June 11, 1914 edition of the Mills County Tribune lists delegates from the Mineola precinct: LW Bichel, JA Kiersch, FH Nipp, and H Detlef for the Republicans and HF Kruse, J. Flynn, FG Deitchler, Chas F. Nipp, and AOE Hartje for the Democrats.

The November 16, 1914 issue of the Tribune relates return of Henry Wiese from Germany where World War I had just broken out. Wiese had went to Germany earlier that spring with Fred Nagle and John Herr who had returned to Minneola a week earlier. Wiese reported that a good crop was harvested and factories are running part of the time and the people were satisfied as far as it is possible to be.

In 1914 Herman Peters took over Flammant's store. In 1886, Peters immigrated from Germany at the age of 15 and came to Mineola to work for his uncle. Peters began working for Flammant and, except for a 1898-1900 stay in Utah, continued to do so until he took the store. A member of the GA Spelbring orchestra, Peters also served as Mineola postmaster from 1914-42 and during World War I he was responsible for fingerprinting and keeping records on local resident aliens.

According to the 1915 census, 4.8% of the county s residents were foreign-born with 312 of them from Germany. In Oak Township, 337 residents were native born to foreign or mixed parents.

The November 25, 1915 Silver City Times recorded the disastrous fire that destroyed LW Bichel s opera house and Joe Deitchler s pool hall building. According to the Times, the fire started in the northeast corner of the pool hall. Otis Hopkinson, who had a barber shop in the ground floor of the Opera House, managed to get two barber chairs out of the building. Telephone operator Katherine Miller alerted local farmers who rushed to Mineola and formed a bucket brigade. That kept the fire from spreading but nonetheless Claus Schroeder s building east of the pool hall and JA Kiersch s garage just across the alley were badly scorched. The Times estimated Bichel s losses at $3,500 to $4,500 and his piano, moving picture machine, chairs and stage furniture were all burned. The newspaper also noted that On February 21, 1907, the buildings on these same lots burned down. The store building belonged to LW Bichel and was occupied by his brother Joe.

On February 10, 1916, the Silver City Times reported that the Mineola Post Office had been robbed again. The thieves broke out the front window and used nitro-glycerin on the safe but found nothing of value, only a few stamp books and some pennies but they also emptied Herman Peters cash register.

1916, Saint Johns Lutheran was renovated. Later improvements included electric lighting in 1920 and a basement and furnace room in 1926.

The June 7, 1917 issue of the Silver City Times lists members of the Mineola Band which is now well-organized and meets every Tuesday and Friday :
•LW Bichel, leader
•Hugh Lehman, solo cornet
•Henry Kahl, solo cornet
•Edward Kahl, first cornet
•Edward Roenfeld, second cornet.
•Louis Kruse, piccolo
•Roy Kahl, first alto
•Willie Kahl, first alto
•John Huffman, second alto
•Arthur Schoening, first trombone
•Harold Bichel, first trombone
•Earl Schoening, second trombone
•Edward Kahl, slide trombone
•Lee Bland, baritone
•Willie Rohrberg, baritone
•John Kahl, bass
•Harry Tasto, snare drum
•Fred Kahl, clarinet

The Silver City Times of February 10, 1921 lists members of the Mineola Orchestra which the newspaper noted is somewhat smaller in size than the New York Symphony, but Mineola can make the most music in proportion to its size. The orchestra was composed of LW Bichel as cornetist, Herman Peters and Lily Kruse as violinists, Audrey Nipp on saxaphone, and Viola Nipp on piano.

The 1922-23 Iowa State Gazetter lists Mineola with a population of 150 and Herman Peters as Postmaster. The business index lists the following:

1916, Saint Johns Lutheran was renovated. Later improvements included electric lighting in 1920 and a basement and furnace room in 1926.