Iowa's 10th congressional district
Encyclopedia
Iowa's 10th congressional district existed from 1883 to 1933, when Iowa
sent eleven congressmen to the United States House of Representatives
. The district, known as "The Big Tenth," covered large areas of north-central Iowa.
, Cerro Gordo
, Franklin
, Hardin
, Story
, Wright
, Hamilton
, Humboldt
, Hancock
, Kossuth
, Winnebago
, Webster
, and Boone
. Reapportionment in 1886 reflected the increasing population balance between eastern and western Iowa, resulting in a westward shift of the district's boundaries. From 1886 until 1933, the district was made up of Boone, Calhoun
, Carroll
, Crawford
, Emmet
, Greene
, Hamilton, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas
, Winnebago, and Webster counties. After 1886, the boundaries of the district never changed; the Iowa General Assembly
refused to reapportion its districts until the loss of two seats following the 1930 census left the State with no other choice.
— and included counties that had been relatively slow to settle. However, by 1895 the large area of the 10th District, coupled with increased migration to its small towns, caused it to have the largest population of any of Iowa's congressional districts. By 1890, the continued disproportionate increase in the population of the 10th and 11th
Districts caused some to predict that the General Assembly would need to reduce the area of each district, but no such change occurred. By 1921, the 10th District had over 100,000 more residents than the 1st District, and nearly 60,000 more than the population of an ideally-sized Iowa congressional district.
. As a general matter, the most influential event during each election year was not the November general election, but the Republican Party's district nominating convention (or later, the Republican primary). Two 10th district congressmen (Jonathan P. Dolliver
and L. J. Dickinson) became well-known members of the U.S. Senate and sought national office.
, was elected in the new 8th district in 1932. Ten years later, when the 1940 census caused Iowa to lose another seat, the new 6th district included all of the old 10th district's counties, plus Wright County. It was only after that district elected a Democrat (Merwin Coad
from Boone County) and Iowa lost a seat due to the 1960 census that the Iowa General Assembly broke up the old 10th district's counties, dividing them among four districts.
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
sent eleven congressmen to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. The district, known as "The Big Tenth," covered large areas of north-central Iowa.
Makeup
From 1883 to 1886, the district included the north-central Iowa counties of WorthWorth County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 7,598 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,548 housing units, of which 3,172 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 44,151 in the county, with a population density of . There were 22,163 housing units, of which 19,350 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Franklin
Franklin County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,680 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,894 housing units, of which 4,332 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Hardin
Hardin County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,534 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,224 housing units, of which 7,296 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Story
Story County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 89,542 in the county, with a population density of . There were 36,789 housing units, of which 34,736 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Wright
Wright County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Hamilton
Hamilton County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,673 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,219 housing units, of which 6,540 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Humboldt
Humboldt County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,815 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,684 housing units, of which 4,209 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Hancock
Hancock County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 11,341 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,330 housing units, of which 4,741 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Kossuth
Kossuth County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Winnebago
Winnebago County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,866 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,194 housing units, of which 4,597 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Webster
Webster County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 38,013 in the county, with a population density of . There were 17,035 housing units, of which 15,580 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, and Boone
Boone County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 26,306 in the county, with a population density of . There were 11,756 housing units, of which 10,728 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. Reapportionment in 1886 reflected the increasing population balance between eastern and western Iowa, resulting in a westward shift of the district's boundaries. From 1886 until 1933, the district was made up of Boone, Calhoun
Calhoun County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,867 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,108 housing units, of which 4,242 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Carroll
Carroll County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 20,816 in the county, with a population density of . There were 9,376 housing units, of which 8,683 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Crawford
Crawford County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,096 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,943 housing units, of which 6,413 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Emmet
Emmet County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,302 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,758 housing units, of which 4,236 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Greene
Greene County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,336 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,546 housing units, of which 3,996 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Hamilton, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas
Pocahontas County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 7,310 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,794 housing units, of which 3,233 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Winnebago, and Webster counties. After 1886, the boundaries of the district never changed; the Iowa General Assembly
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
refused to reapportion its districts until the loss of two seats following the 1930 census left the State with no other choice.
Demographics and underrepresentation
The district was predominantly rural, especially in its 1886 reconfiguration. During that period, it included only one of Iowa's twenty largest cities — Fort DodgeFort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
— and included counties that had been relatively slow to settle. However, by 1895 the large area of the 10th District, coupled with increased migration to its small towns, caused it to have the largest population of any of Iowa's congressional districts. By 1890, the continued disproportionate increase in the population of the 10th and 11th
Iowa's 11th congressional district
Iowa's 11th congressional district existed from 1883 to 1933, when Iowa sent eleven congressmen to the United States House of Representatives. The district covered northwestern Iowa.-Makeup:...
Districts caused some to predict that the General Assembly would need to reduce the area of each district, but no such change occurred. By 1921, the 10th District had over 100,000 more residents than the 1st District, and nearly 60,000 more than the population of an ideally-sized Iowa congressional district.
Voting patterns
Every congressman elected from this district was a member of the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. As a general matter, the most influential event during each election year was not the November general election, but the Republican Party's district nominating convention (or later, the Republican primary). Two 10th district congressmen (Jonathan P. Dolliver
Jonathan P. Dolliver
Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver was a Republican orator, U.S. Representative, then U.S. Senator from Iowa at the turn of the 20th century...
and L. J. Dickinson) became well-known members of the U.S. Senate and sought national office.
After dissolution
Under the nine-district plan adopted by the Iowa General Assembly in 1931, the boundaries of the old 10th district were preserved as the new 8th district. The last congressman elected by the old 10th district, Fred C. GilchristFred C. Gilchrist
Fred Cramer Gilchrist was a seven-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa, from 1931 to 1945.Born in California, Pennsylvania, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Gilchrist moved with his parents to Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1871.He attended the public schools. He graduated from State Teachers'...
, was elected in the new 8th district in 1932. Ten years later, when the 1940 census caused Iowa to lose another seat, the new 6th district included all of the old 10th district's counties, plus Wright County. It was only after that district elected a Democrat (Merwin Coad
Merwin Coad
Merwin Coad was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district for six years—January 1957 to January 1963. His election snapped the Republican Party's fourteen-year hold on every U.S. House seat from Iowa....
from Boone County) and Iowa lost a seat due to the 1960 census that the Iowa General Assembly broke up the old 10th district's counties, dividing them among four districts.
List of representatives
| Representative | Party | Term | District Residence (County) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1883 | |||
| Adoniram J. Holmes Adoniram J. Holmes Adoniram Judson Holmes a Republican, was the first U.S. Representative from Iowa's 10th congressional district.-Biography:Born in Wooster, Ohio, Holmes moved with his parents to Palmyra, Wisconsin, in 1853... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1889 | Boone Boone County, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 26,306 in the county, with a population density of . There were 11,756 housing units, of which 10,728 were occupied.-2000 census:... |
|
| Jonathan P. Dolliver Jonathan P. Dolliver Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver was a Republican orator, U.S. Representative, then U.S. Senator from Iowa at the turn of the 20th century... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
March 4, 1889 – August 22, 1900 | Webster Webster County, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 38,013 in the county, with a population density of . There were 17,035 housing units, of which 15,580 were occupied.-2000 census:... |
Resigned after being appointed to the US Senate |
| Vacant | August 22, 1900 - December 4, 1900 | |||
| James P. Conner James Perry Conner James Perry Conner was a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 10th congressional district from 1900 to 1909.-Background:... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
December 4, 1900 – March 3, 1909 | Crawford Crawford County, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 17,096 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,943 housing units, of which 6,413 were occupied.-2000 census:... |
|
| Frank P. Woods Frank P. Woods Frank Plowman Woods was a five-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 10th congressional district, in north-central Iowa. He reached a House leadership position after only two terms... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1919 | Emmet Emmet County, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,302 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,758 housing units, of which 4,236 were occupied.-2000 census:... |
|
| Lester J. Dickinson Lester J. Dickinson Lester Jesse Dickinson was a Republican United States Representative and Senator from Iowa. He was, in the words of Time magazine, "a big, friendly, white-thatched Iowa lawyer." In early 1936 he dreamed of winning the presidency... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1931 | Kossuth Kossuth County, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.-2000 census:... |
|
| Fred C. Gilchrist Fred C. Gilchrist Fred Cramer Gilchrist was a seven-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa, from 1931 to 1945.Born in California, Pennsylvania, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Gilchrist moved with his parents to Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1871.He attended the public schools. He graduated from State Teachers'... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933 | Pocahontas Pocahontas County, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 7,310 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,794 housing units, of which 3,233 were occupied.-2000 census:... |
Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to... to the |
| District eliminated | March 4, 1933 | |||