Donnan is a former city in the U.S. state of Iowa, located in central Fayette County. For many years, this farm hamlet was Iowa's smallest incorporated city. The town's population slowly eroded over the years; by 1990 the population had dropped to 7, and the remaining residents voted to disincorporate. Donnan ceased to exist as a city in early 1991. History Early years The post office at Donnan was established on July 10, 1874; The town was platted in 1878 as Donnan Junction, located at the junction of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroads. Donnan was named in honor of William G. Donnan (1834–1908), who served the area in the House of Representatives from 1871-75. The town plat showed Donnan divided into five blocks, with blocks 2 and 3 divided into 18 parcels each. Blocks 1, 4, and 5 were smaller because of the railroad lines running diagonally through the community. Donnan had three streets running north–south; from westernmost to easternmost the streets were named Maple, Logan, and Sumner. The east–west streets were named Woodard Street and Washburn Avenue. By 1916, only six houses had been built, and these were all on Logan Street. Several farmhouses also fronted the Rock Island railroad tracks (see map). Incorporation The settlement was officially incorporated (as Donnan) in 1922 so that a school could be built. An area of of land was included within the city limits so the area would meet the state's 25-person minimum population requirements. By the 1930s, several improvements had been made in the town, including a diagonal road built alongside the Rock Island railroad. This road, named New Donnan Road, became the town's main thoroughfare. Aside from the post office and railroad depot, the community also had a meeting hall, a pool hall, stock yards, a restaurant, an implement company, a hardware store, a grain elevator, a livery stable, a blacksmith shop, and a three-story hotel. Despite attracting a number of businesses and the site's prime location at the junction of two railways, the town never attracted many residents. The population of Donnan peaked at around fifty people in the 1940s. The City of Donnan was the state's smallest recognized community in 1954; the post office served 12 families (50 residents) and the school. Officials at the U.S. Postal Service that year decided to close the Donnan post office, but due