Abandoned Record
About Holmes
Holmes is an unincorporated community and de facto ghost town in Lake Township, Wright County, Iowa, United States. Holmes is located along County Highway R33, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Clarion.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Holmes, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.
Map
Where Holmes is
Historic maps
4 historic USGS maps cover Holmes
Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.
- 1954 Waterloo sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1955 Waterloo sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1978 Holmes sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1984 Iowa Falls sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
Before you go
- Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
- Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
- Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.
Nearby
Other sites near Holmes
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Iowa index.
- Thrall4.9 mi W · Wright
- Cornelia8.4 mi NE · Wright
- Unique26.0 mi W · Humboldt
- Plum Creek31.5 mi NW · Kossuth
- Mackey39.8 mi S · Boone
Sources
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Holmes, Iowa": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q55613866.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).