Traer's History


Since the railroad surveyors met in a grove on Wolf Creek and drove the first stake for our town on July 24, 1872, Traer has been a town on the move. Less than a year and a half after the railroad arrived, the town boasted 100 buildings.  To this day, Traer continues to grow.

Compare a current telephone directory to a listing of the first families living in the area and you'll find many of the same names...Calderwood, Podhajsky, Stoakes, and many more.  Generations of families have chosen to stay in Traer and make it home.

Traer became known as a manufacturing city when, in 1878, the Traer Flouring Mill added steam as an additional means of power.  Today we're proud to say that we are the first community in Tama county to have a commercial wind turbine to provide 'green" energy for our community.

From the first visiting circus to our current Winding Stair Festival, residents and visitors alike have gathered in Traer for fun.  Whether the old opera house or the modern Traer Theatre, through the years the fact remains that Traer is a great place to live, work and play.  


To find out:

who was Traer named after and why.....
which famous resident had a cork leg.....
what was the name of the first church in town.....
what's a horses' "underground railway".....
why is Jim Wilson so popular in town..... 
where is the park named after Traer's first mayor.....
who owned the first television set in town.....

stop by the Traer Library or the Traer Museum - both located in downtown Traer.