Lower Beaver is a largely residential area set across the Des Moines River, about four miles north of Downtown Des Moines. Lower Beaver has a variety of flats, townhouses, and houses for rent in a peaceful setting.  Today, the area is known for being a family-friendly neighborhood with tree-lined streets and older but well-maintained houses that provide a diversity of design and character. Farmers and land speculators were among the first immigrants in the Lower Beaver Neighborhood in the 1850s. Farmers farmed crops and cattle on the neighborhood’s higher elevation in the southwest, while brick and tile companies, coal mines, and the Inter-Urban Railway Line were located along the Des Moines River to the north and east. A few houses had appeared by 1900. The majority of them were tied to the booming brick business along the river’s banks. However, another set of cottages created Camp Douglas, a vacation steamboat stop. Even so, until the Inter-Urban Railway bridge was built in 1908 and the Euclid Avenue wagon bridge was completed a few years later, the region was primarily rural. Beaver Avenue was built at the same period, connecting Des Moines and Camp Dodge. In 1919, along Beaver Avenue and Douglas Avenue, the first housing construction in the Lower Beaver Neighborhood began. Owners built the homes in this subdivision, which are now known for their distinct personalities and huge front lawns. Residents walked the remaining mile to the neighborhood after taking the Urbandale trolley to what is now known as Beaverdale. Housing construction in the area came to a standstill during the Great Depression and World War II, but by the 1950s, developers were planning out new subdivisions once more. The area’s early development was defined by the same north-south grid as previous communities, although neighborhoods in the 1960s moved toward curving streets that more closely followed the area’s terrain. Residents are drawn to the community because of its peaceful environment, accessible location, and natural beauty. Lower Beaver is close to Merle Hay Mall for great shopping, Union Park for fun recreation, and the endless cultural offerings of Downtown Des Moines. The town is also conveniently located just north of the VA Central Iowa Health Care System, allowing many people to travel in a short amount of time. With easy access to the U.S. highway system, getting about Lower Beaver is a breeze. Interstates 35 and 80, as well as Route 6. Parks and recreation within or nearby Lower Beaver are Beaverdale Park, Trestle to Trestle Trail, Sycamore Trail, Ashby Park, and Westchester Park.

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