Sabula dates to 1835, and 54% of its homes were built before 1940
Its Register listing is the Jeremiah Wood House and the John S. Dominy House. Its Register listing is the Jeremiah Wood House and the John S. Dominy House. Below: maps from 1886 on and the census since 1850.
Sabula was established in 1835 when, according to legend, Isaac Dorman crossed the river from the Illinois side on a log and decided to settle on the present site of Sabula. Sabula is a name of French origin meaning "sand"; this refers to the sandy soil of the area.
In the late 19th century the principal industries in the community included a large "pearl button" factory—which produced buttons from clam shells harvested from large clam beds located in the river adjacent to the shoreline. (The factory is no longer there.) The thriving community also supported a large hog slaughtering industry.
Peaked at 1,223 in 1880; 506 people lived here in 2020.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Sabula’s Wikipedia page.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Sabula, 1879–1910
Passages that mention Sabula, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Jackson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion ... history of the Northwest, history of Iowa ... miscellaneous matters,1879Read the page →
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October 8, of that year, twenty-nine citizens of Sabula petitioned the Board of Trustees, of Union Township, for an election in the village of Sabula to take the sense of the people upon the question of organizing an independent school district. This petition was granted, and the election held October 15, 1860, at the Western Hotel, which resulted in twenty votes in favor of the district and none opposed.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Jackson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion ... history of the Northwest, history of Iowa ... miscellaneous matters,1879Read the page →
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In the County Court, July 5, 1864, was filed a petition by J. 0. Bard, Israel Day and Thomas Esmay. as agents, requesting the privilege of incorporating the town of Sabula. This petition was signed by a majority of all the
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History of Jackson County, Iowa1910 · page 522Read the page →
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The first actual settlement of the spot on which the town of Sabula, Jackson county’s easternmost point, stands was originally entered from the government by two men, Dorman and Hinkley, in the latter part of 1835. It is traditional that Isaac Dorman, the first named of these two crossed the Mississippi River on a log. In April, 1836, James and Margaret Wood, natives of Ohio, but for two years previous residents of Michigan, arrived on the spot settled the year previous by Dorman and Hinkley and Dr. E. A. Woods ; one of their son’s bought out Hinkley’s interest in the claim. Shortly afterwards Charles Swan and W. H. Brown
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History of Jackson County, Iowa1910 · page 398Read the page →
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From the small beginning we may trace the history of our town and county, when there was but one family in Sabula, and Bellevue was the nearest point for trade; from the time when in Maquoketa there were no railroads, no tele¬ graphs, no sewing machines, when the blacksmith’s shop served for schoolhouse and meeting house as well. When there was no postoffice, no news¬ paper and no need of one. Few books and fewer magazines. No women’s clubs but the “quilting bee” instead, where over the patchwork the current events were thoroughly discussed. When there was no telephone, no barber shop,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Sabula, 1835 to 1953
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sabula. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1952Savanna sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Sabula.
Every building
Sabula, building by building, 1886–1918
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (10), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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