(August 5, 1931-Late 1980)
WEST End: Stop sign, US 61, Zwingle, Dubuque/Jackson county line
Facing west on 246
Photo by Jason Hancock
Although 246 always ended at US 61, that end was not always in the same place. Between its commissioning in 1931 and 1947, its end was north of Zwingle at what is now the intersection of D53 and 61, entering La Motte on a diagonal now named 230th Avenue in Jackson County.
Facing west on 246
Photo by Jason Hancock
Between 1947 and 1967, 246 ended at an old alignment of 61, beyond the yield sign in the background (between the stop signs). That year, 61 between Zwingle and Maquoketa was straightened; if you look at a Jackson County map today you will see pieces of paved roads on either side of present 61.
Facing south on 61
Photo by Jason Hancock
From 1967 until 1980, when 246 was decommissioned, it ended at this intersection. (While 246 was decommissioned in 1980, it was still on the 1981 map.) There is a signage error here, though, because D55 also runs west of 61 through Zwingle. This has not been fixed.
Facing south on 61
Photo by Jason Hancock
Facing north on 61
Facing north on 61
Notice that the Dubuque County sign comes before the intersection, as if the intersection itself was NOT on the dividing line.
Facing north on 61
The day after Labor Day 2008, I completed the alphabetical span of Iowa: from Ackley to Zwingle.
EAST End: Somewhere in La Motte, Jackson County
USDA NRCS/MIT photo
Even as small as La Motte is, finding the end of 246 was not easy or final. Highway 246 comes in at the northwest corner of town, and then goes south along a diagonal road. The diagonal is broken by the town square. North of La Motte, the diagonal is the oldest (and gravel) alignment of 246, and south it is paved Y61. The solid line is the known route of 246. Jason Hancock says the topo map has it ending at the intersection of Main and Union streets, at the southwest corner of the square (open circle).
Yeah, not much there.
On the other hand, there is this nice park shelter.
Facing south (lower closed circle)
Photo by Jason Hancock
This is another candidate for the end, at the southeast corner of the square. After leaving Zwingle, D57 becomes gravel, and Y61 leaves on the diagonal.
Facing north
This is on the reverse of Jason's picture (the sign reflected in the flash).
Facing east (upper closed circle)
Photo by Jason Hancock
This is at the northeast corner of that square. Jason says, "To the left, facing north, there's an assembly for D55 with a 'Bellevue 15 ->' LGS on the side of the road." Wait, FIFteen? That's not what it showed six years later:
Facing north
Hmm... interesting.
Last seen: 1980 (1981 map)
Pictures by Jason Hancock: First-fourth, eleventh, and thirteenth, 12/25/02
Pictures by me: Fifth-tenth, twelfth, and fourteenth, 9/2/08
Page created 2/22/03; last updated 12/30/08