Confidence, Iowa

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Confidence is a small unincorporated community located in south central area of the U.S. state of Iowa. It is in the northeast corner of Wayne County, just west of Rathbun Lake, on Wayne county highway J18.

It was originally platted in 1858, and its population and economic activity peaked in the 1920s, when coal mines were active in the area. The town changed drastically as a result of The Great Depression. In its prime, the town boasted a millnery, a tavern, a shoe shop, and a bank. The bank paid off all its deposits upon closing in 1935.

By the end of the 20th century, it was a virtual ghost town, with only a handful of occupied houses, a derelict church, a cemetery, a park, and the New Providence Baptist Church (affiliated with Mid-American Baptist Churches [1]), housed in its current building since 1981. Its postal address designations are split between Melrose, Iowa, ZIP code 52569, and Plano, Iowa, ZIP code 52581. Its area is part of the Wayne Community [2] of Corydon, Iowa school district.

Nearby towns aside from Corydon include Russell, Iowa, in Lucas County, Iowa; also Albia, Iowa, seat of Monroe County, Iowa; then also Centerville, Iowa, and Moravia, Iowa, both located in Appanoose County, Iowa.