Small Iowa Town's 2 Great Big Contributions to the World

With most states, their smallest towns' claims to fame are often just that, they are the smallest towns on the map. But in Iowa that couldn't be further from the truth.

This town with a population of just 15 people has contributed to some pretty important moments in history.

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Credit: Google Maps

We're talking about the tiny town of Beaconsfield, Iowa which is in Ringgold County in the south-central part of the state.

On the outside looking in, there's not much to the town, but if you look closer, Beaconsfield has a lot to hold its hat on.

Beaconsfield, IA is home to the first Hy Vee Grocery Store in the U.S.

Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg opened the store in the small town in 1933. It's since grown to have over 240 stores in the Midwest and counting. These days the original Hy Vee serves as a community center and is on the list of National Historic Places.

One of the most distinguished astronauts in U.S. History is from Beaconsfield, IA

STAR CITY, RUSSIA - OCTOBER 25: Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson smiles as she listens to a reporter's question ahead of the final qualification exams with fellow crew mates Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, on October 25, 2016 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) in Star City, Russia. (Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

Peggy Whitson was born in Beaconsfield, Iowa in 1960. When she saw the moon landing in 1969, Whitson was inspired to become an astronaut.

She became the first woman ever to command the International Space Station (doing so twice). She also accrued more than 665 days in space, making her the most experienced astronaut in the history of NASA.

Tiny little Beaconsfield may never be a metropolis but it sure has a lot to be proud of.

Story Source: Mental Floss

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