Polk City in Polk County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Josiah Hopkins' 20-Mile House
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2025
1. Josiah Hopkins' 20-Mile House Marker
The Josiah & Mahala Hopkins House (1848) served the community as a post office and early stagecoach stop on the route from Fort Des Moines to Fort Dodge. It was dubbed 20-Mile House for its location 20 miles from Fort Des Moines.
Locally, the home was known as a station on the Underground Railroad. An abolitionist preacher, Hopkins came to Iowa in the 1840s from southern Missouri and eastern Kansas. He donated land from his grove for a church and a school. Members of the Hopkins Grove United Brethren Church, then near this site, likely supported an end to slavery in the U.S.
When the Civil War began, Hopkins recruited area men to fight against slavery. The local church suffered great loss; many men were killed or injured during the war. Hopkins was asked to leave the church. He and Mahala returned to Kansas in 1865 and the church moved out of the grove to its present location ½ mile north.
Erected 2024 by Big Creek Historical Society and the State Historical Society of Iowa with funding support from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Religion & Religious Structures
this page online
Location. 41° 48.864′ N, 93° 46.363′ W. Marker is in Polk City, Iowa, in Polk County. It is at the intersection of Northwest Madrid Drive and Northwest Nissen Drive, on the right when traveling south on Northwest Madrid Drive. The marker is located at the southeast corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Polk City IA 50226, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Des Moines. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 17 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Big Creek Schoolhouse (approx. 4.2 miles away); Town Square (approx. 4.3 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 4.9 miles away); Granger Subsistence Homestead Project (approx. 4.9 miles away); Cassel Corner Park (approx. 4.9 miles away); Welcome to Waukee (approx. 15 miles away); Ida B. Wise Smith (approx. 16.4 miles away); Ortonville (approx. 16.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Polk City.
Also see . . .
1. Josiah Hopkins 20-Mile House (William G. Pomeroy Foundation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2025
2. Josiah Hopkins' 20-Mile House Marker
Looking north; Northwest Madrid Drive is on the right. Northwest Nissen Drive crosses in the background.
2. Every life was affected by the Civil War (Big Creek Historical Society - Facebook).
Excerpt: Every life was affected by the Civil War. The lives of Josiah and Mahala Hopkins certainly were. But they were able to change many lives for the better, using their 20-mile house as a hiding place for freedom seekers. This dedication of this Historic Marker was the exciting culmination of a three-year long project.(Submitted on September 27, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Josiah Hopkins, Polk County Abolitionist ( Polk Co. IAGenWeb).
(By By Daniel K. Higginbottom, State Historic Preservation Office) Excerpt: Josiah Hopkins was a natural leader and occupied positions of responsibility within the community. He held a seat on the Polk County Board of Commissioners from 1850 to 1851 and was appointed post-master at Hopkins Grove in 1851. Other than being an ordained elder in the Methodist Church, little is known of his ministry prior to reaching Iowa. However, once in Iowa he gained a reputation as a spiritual tour de force among the frontier communities of central Iowa that were on his circuit. Tent meetings held(Submitted on September 27, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)on Hopkins property in Hopkins Grove were an annual occurrence and well attended with Josiah on the bill as a featured speaker.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 20253. Josiah Hopkins' 20-Mile House MarkerLooking south from Northwest Nissen Drive. Northwest Madrid Drive is on the left.
President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect on January 1, 1863, energized the antislavery element and propelled their cause forward. Abolitionists now positioned their attacks from the moral high ground held not only through Christian righteousness supported by scripture, but also through presidential decree. And because of his hard-cast beliefs that were more often than not followed up with effective action, Josiah Hopkins found himself at the center of controversy and threats. It is apparent that Hopkins reputation within the community and standing within the church suffered irrevocable damage during the war years. The few remaining records available suggest that his zealous politics ultimately lead to his expulsion from the church and self-imposed exile to Kansas.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 17, 2025
4. Hopkins Grove United Methodist Church
Located 1 mile north of the historical marker on Northwest Madrid Drive.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 64 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 27, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
