Another early industry was the making of buttons, combs, and jewelry fashioned from mussel shells harvested from the river bottom. Today, the town's small business district includes several taverns and restaurants, as well as Ackerman's Grocery Store, the place where locals gather to share news and swap stories. Most residents commute off the island to work, traveling to the Iowa cities of Clinton and Davenport, or crossing the river to the Illinois town of Savanna. Local children attend grade school and middle school on the island, then are later bused to a consolidated high school in Miles on the Iowa mainland. No one in Sabula is in too much of a hurry.
People enjoy their neighbors and watch out for each other.
Surprisingly, the river has never overwhelmed the little town of Sabula. Though high waters in 1965 and 1993 nearly brought the Mississippi over its banks, the town has been spared a major flood. In Sabula, the waterway clearly is seen as a friend, not foe. That's the heart of Sabula. Lori Erickson is a freelance writer in Iowa City, Iowa.