It was the laying of the railroad tracks from Mason City northwest into Minnesota that started the new towns along the railroad right of way. The towns of Hanlontown, Joice, Scarville, and then into Minnesota with Kiester and Bricelyn became places where the train stopped for the trading centers for the area served by each new town.
Many of the new town took their names from Mason City business leaders such as Frank Hanlon, a Mason City banker who became Hanlontown's namesake.
These are pictures from postcards of that time showing the new town with its new buildings.