Astor, Iowa

Astor was an unincorporated community in Crawford County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.

Geography
Astor was located in Nishnabotny Township on county road M38 where that road crosses the present-day BNSF Railway line.

History
Astor was platted on the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St Paul Railroad in 1882 by Alexander Liedlum. Astor had a Methodist church, a school, a grain elevator, and a general store which also served as the post office. The town grew quickly, but railroad officials set the junction of the rail line two miles northeast, to nearby Manilla. Many residents in Astor then moved their houses to Manilla, pulling them on horse-drawn skids. The community was slowly abandoned.

In the 1880s, a church and parsonage were built in Aster. The church was moved to nearby Manilla around 1887.

Even after several years of decline, in 1911 Astor was said to have maintained its identity as "a pleasant little village" and had a "good store, good school, and a post office."

The community's population was 150 in 1890, 22 in 1900, and 42 in 1920. The population of Astor was 28 in 1940.