TRAER, Iowa – If you’re passing through downtown Traer, you might miss it, but on a second glance, it’s a pretty unique sight.

Downtown Traer is home to what some believe is the only uncovered winding staircase west of the Mississippi.

The staircase was built in 1894 when a fire destroyed the building housing the town newspaper, the Traer Star-Clipper. The newspaper office was located on the second floor of the new building, and the public needed an access point on the front side of the building to pick up their papers. And so the winding staircase was created.

People used to line the staircase on Thursday nights, waiting to pick up the Friday edition of the paper. The newspaper left the building in the 1950s, but the staircase has remained.

The winding staircase has been through at least a couple of repairs and renovations. In 1975, a snowplow hit the staircase, creating a need for major repairs. While the entire staircase and catwalk is now closed to the public, it’s common to see people walk up the first couple of steps to take a picture.

George Kadrmas with the Traer Historical Museum says people stop in Traer just to see the stairs. He hopes the staircase’s constant fixture in the community will remind people of the town’s history.

If you’d like to learn more about Traer’s winding staircase, there is an exhibit at the Traer Historical Museum, which is open on Wednesday afternoons. You can also visit the staircase for yourself, which is located on 2nd Street in downtown Traer.