Lycurgus is shown in Allamakee County, Iowa, circa 1903.
The first settler in the Lycurgus area was a Mexican War veteran in 1851. In the 1860s, a hotel and store were located in the area.[2]
The first post office in Lycurgus was established circa 1852.[3] It was moved to a hotel/store in 1868. A school was built, of native stone, in 1868. The school operated until consolidation took place in the 1960s.[4]
The area also has long had a Catholic church, dating back to approximately 1860.[5][6] The church grounds also included a rectory, cemetery, and parish hall.[2] The church was remodeled and enlarged in 1885.[7] In 2006, the church was closed and made an oratory.[8]
Gradually, the Lycurgus area emptied. Lycurgus' population, in 1902, was just 12;[9] in 1925, the population was 52.[10] The population was 6 in 1940.[11]
