Grinnell, Iowa
| Grinnell, Iowa | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 41°44′37″N 92°43′29″W / 41.74361°N 92.72472°WCoordinates: 41°44′37″N 92°43′29″W / 41.74361°N 92.72472°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Poweshiek |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.0 sq mi (13.0 km2) |
| • Land | 5.0 sq mi (12.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,014 ft (309 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 9,218 |
| • Density | 1,825.7/sq mi (704.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 50112, 50177 |
| Area code(s) | 641 |
| FIPS code | 19-33105 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0457150 |
Architect: Louis Sullivan
Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.
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[edit] History
Grinnell was founded in 1854 by Josiah B. Grinnell. The city was originally slated to be named "Stella," but J.B. Grinnell convinced other members of the colony to adopt his own name for the city, citing it as a rare and concise name.[1] By 1880 Grinnell had a population of around 2000. Located at the junction of two railway lines (east-west line of the Rock Island Railroad and the north-south Minneapolis & St Louis (M&St L) Railroad) it became and remains the largest community in Poweshiek County.
Grinnell was a stop on the Underground Railroad.[citation needed]
Grinnell is home to Grinnell College, the first college established west of the Mississippi.[citation needed] On June 17, 1882 a tornado destroyed most of the college campus and much of the community with a death toll near 100.[citation needed] In 1889 fire destroyed most of the downtown area.[2]
Grinnell was home to Spaulding Manufacturing. H.W. Spaulding began making carriages and spring wagons in Grinnell, Iowa in 1876. In 1909 the Spaulding Manufacturing Company added automobiles to its production line. At one time, the factory was the largest employer in the county.[citation needed] Automobile production ceased at the Spaulding factory in 1916 when it could no longer compete with the cheaper Ford automobile.[citation needed] The Spaulding factory site became home to the Spaulding Center for Transportation/Iowa Transportation Museum.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km2), of which, 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.80%) is water.
[edit] Climate
Grinnell has a humid continental climate with clear seasons, hot, humid summers, and cold, snowy winters. The precipitation averages 36.07 in (916 mm) yearly. Summers are the rainiest times of year, with over two thirds of the precipitation falling between April and September in an average year.[3]
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 3,856 |
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| 1910 | 5,036 | 30.6% | |
| 1920 | 5,362 | 6.5% | |
| 1930 | 4,949 | −7.7% | |
| 1940 | 5,219 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 6,828 | 30.8% | |
| 1960 | 7,367 | 7.9% | |
| 1970 | 8,402 | 14.0% | |
| 1980 | 8,868 | 5.5% | |
| 1990 | 8,902 | 0.4% | |
| 2000 | 9,105 | 2.3% | |
| 2010 | 9,218 | 1.2% | |
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As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 9,105 people, 3,498 households, and 2,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,825.7 people per square mile (704.5/km²). There were 3,725 housing units at an average density of 746.9 per square mile (288.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.88% White, 1.04% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 3,498 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 19.9% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,625, and the median income for a family was $48,991. Males had a median income of $33,956 versus $23,864 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,939. About 8.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
for the city of Grinnell
Grinnell is the home of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company.
[edit] Downtown renovations
In the spring of 2005, Grinnell embarked upon a renovation project to make its downtown area more inviting for residents and visitors. The renovation encompassed new water mains, restoration of two-way traffic flow, brick crosswalks in the middle of each block, and more uniform parking spaces in front of downtown businesses. Additionally, a median strip at each intersection was designed with Grinnell's distinctive Jewel Box pattern.[citation needed] Infrastructure upgrades and aesthetic renovations were also planned for the southern section of the downtown area, to include Commercial Street.
[edit] Arts and culture
[edit] Library
In 1901, Joel Stewart funded the construction of the current Stewart Library[citation needed], which remains in service today as the headquarters for the Grinnell Arts Counsel.
Plans for a new library for Grinnell began in 2006 with the passage of a Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) to assist with funding. In addition to the funds raised through the LOST tax, the library committed to raising $3.5 million in public funds through the Chapter campaign.[5] Groundbreaking took place in the spring of 2008 and the library opened in the fall of 2009 although it is now known as Drake Community Library.
[edit] Architectural landmarks
Grinnell has several notable architectural landmarks: [6]
- Merchants' National Bank - architect Louis Sullivan.
- Ricker House - architect Walter Burley Griffin [7]
- See Also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Poweshiek County, Iowa for more listings
[edit] Education
The first school in Grinnell was founded in 1855.[8]
- Public schools
Schools within the Grinnell-Newburg School District include:
- Fairview Elementary School (K-2nd for the eastern side of the city)
- Bailey Park Elementary School (K-2nd for the western side of the city)
- Davis School (3rd-4th)
- Grinnell Middle School (5th-8th)
- Grinnell High School (9th-12th)
- Private schools
There is one private school, Central Iowa Christian School, which enrolls about 35 students in Kindergarten through eighth grade.
- Advanced Education
Grinnell is the home of Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college.
[edit] Health care
Grinnell is served by Grinnell Regional Medical Center, an acute care hospital licensed for 81 beds. GRMC was established in 1967 after the merger of two hospitals. Nearly 60 physicians provide care at the medical center.
[edit] Notable people
- See also: Grinnell College's Notable alumni
- John O. Bailey (1880-1959), judge and politician who served as the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, was born in Grinnell and attended local schools before enrolling at Harvard University.
- Bruce Braley (born 1957), member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa's 1st congressional district, was born in Grinnell.
- Jeff Criswell (born 1964), offensive lineman who played twelve seasons in the National Football League, was born in Grinnell.
- Kirby Criswell (born 1957), linebacker who played two seasons in the National Football League, was born and raised in Grinnell and attended Grinnell High School.
- Josiah Bushnell Grinnell (1821–1891), city founder and abolitionist to whom Horace Greeley is quoted as having said : "Go West, young man, go West."
- Hallie Flanagan (1890–1969), Federal Theater Project head, grew up in Grinnell and also attended Grinnell College.
- Harry Hopkins (1890–1946), one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's advisors and New Deal architect, lived in Grinnell as a teenager before attending Grinnell College.
- Wilfred James McNeil (1901–1979), Rear Admiral, Comptroller of Department of Defense (1949-1959), president of Grace Lines, Inc., attended Grinnell High School.
- David R. Nagle (born 1943), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, was born in Grinnell.
- Robert Noyce (1927–1990), inventor and Intel co-founder who grew up in Grinnell and also attended Grinnell College.
- Billy Robinson (1884–1916), pioneer aviator, moved to Grinnell at the age of 12. [9][10]
[edit] References
- ^ Hamilton, Henry. "A Chapter in the Early History of Grinnell." Grinnell Herald, 1892.
- ^ 1889 fire Fire Ravaged Grinnell in 1889]
- ^ Average Weather for Grinnell, IA – Temperature and Precipitation
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Next Chapter campaign
- ^ Additional documents on Grinnell architecture are available in pdf format from the Stewart Library website.
- ^ Details and photos at http://web.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery/rickerhouse/
- ^ Grinnell: A Century of Progress, p.10. Grinnell: Grinnell Herald-Register, 1954.
- ^ "The Billy Robinson Story / Grinnell's Pioneer Aviator". Drake Community Library Archives. http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/heritage.htm. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ^ Billy Robinson's story. From the online collections of Stewart Library.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Grinnell, Iowa |
- Official Website for the City of Grinnell
- Grinnell Historical Museum
- Grinnell Chamber of Commerce
- City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Grinnell, Iowa
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