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History · Breda

Breda’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Breda. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1877established
0old images & papers
4recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Breda got its start in the year 1877, following construction of the Maple branch of the Chicago and North Western railroad through that territory. It was named after the Dutch city of Breda by a settler native to that place.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Be one of the first

Start Breda’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Breda’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
By decade

Breda, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today4 photos
BredaIowaPopPlotCommonsBredaIowaPopPlot2021Breda, IACommonsBreda, IA2020The MoveIt Companies Office BuildingCommonsThe MoveIt Companies Office Building2010IAMap-doton-BredaCommonsIAMap-doton-Breda2004
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Breda is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Breda has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Blackhawk State Park, Black Hawk Preserve (Area B) in Lake View, 7.9 miles away.

Breda and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Breda. Tap a dot.
Blackhawk State Park, Black Hawk Preserve (Area B)Chicago and North Western Passenger DepotBlackhawk State Park, Wildlife Preserve Area (Area A)Blackhawk State Park, Denison Beach Area (Area C)Lakeside Park Historic DistrictChief Black Hawk Statue

Closest to Breda

Blackhawk State Park, Black Hawk Preserve (Area B)Lake View · District7.9miChicago and North Western Passenger DepotWall Lake · Building8.4miBlackhawk State Park, Wildlife Preserve Area (Area A)Lake View · District8.6miBlackhawk State Park, Denison Beach Area (Area C)Lake View · Building8.7miLakeside Park Historic DistrictLake View · District9.2mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Blackhawk State Park, Black Hawk Preserve (Area B)’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Breda?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Breda’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Auburn📜 Arcadia📜 Wall Lake📜 Lake View

From Wikimedia Commons (4). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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