Community Info
The first survey plat was done in October 1899 in Joice, which was named in honor
of P.M. Joice. Electricity came in 1910 and the first car came to town driven by a
cookie salesman from Mason City. It was such a big event that school was dismissed
and the children lined up on either side of the street to watch.
Major town events included a cyclone in 1907, killing three people. Other
tornadoes included one in 1964 and one in 1998. A bank robbery occurred in 1975.
After Hanlontown was robbed, they moved onto Joice and were never caught. RAGBRAI,
an Iowa bike ride hosting 10,000 cyclists, also came through town in 1987 and again
in 1996.