Parkersburg, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Parkersburg is a city in Butler County
, Iowa
, United States
. The population was 1,870 in the 2010 census, a decline from 1,889 in the 2000 census. Parkersburg, although not the county seat, has the highest population of all the cities in Butler County.
and the Chicago North Western, were built through the town. The town was soon platted and recorded and given the name of "Parkersburg" in honor of Pascal P. Parker, a prominent settler and the town's first postmaster. The first major business was a hotel built by Thomas Williams, called The Williams House. Later it became known as the Commercial House. Parkersburg was incorporated
on December 7, 1874
The first "School House" was built in the 1860s. Parkersburg became an independent school district in the Spring of 1871. A new school was built in 1872. This building burned beyond repair on October 9, 1893 in the "great fire of Parkersburg" which also destroyed most of the business district. In 1894 a modern, three-story, brick structure was built. In 1930 the school added an auditorium and gymnasium.
The first electric power was furnished by the Parkersburg Electric Light & Power Company, composed of local citizens who built the plant in 1898 at a cost of ten thousand dollars. Parkersburg's roads were paved around 1920. The first water tower only had a capacity of 40,000 gallons.
Seven people died in Parkersburg and two in nearby New Hartford
from injuries sustained when a confirmed EF5
tornado
struck the cities on May 25, 2008. At least 70 injuries were reported, and the city's south part was turned into rubble. Over 400 homes were damaged, the roof was taken off the high school, and the gym was destroyed. The surviving residents were evacuated while the rescue operation was in progress.
The local water utility called the Iowa Rural Water Association for assistance after the city went on a boiled water notice. Utility infrastructure was left largely intact, but the tornado and clean-up efforts damaged the connections in numerous homes.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,889 people, 811 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,655.7 people per square mile (639.8/km²). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 745.0 per square mile (287.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.99% White, 0.11% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 811 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,083, and the median income for a family was $40,313. Males had a median income of $31,949 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,978. About 5.5% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Beaver Meadows Golf Course and Campground lies just north of Beaver Creek on the north side of Parkersburg, including a spillway frequented by the locals.
just north of U.S. Route 20
at exit 208 (IA 14).
and mortally shot the high school's football coach, Ed Thomas
, who died later at Covenant Hospital in nearby Waterloo
.
Other notables
Butler County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,867 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,682 housing units, of which 6,120 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,870 in the 2010 census, a decline from 1,889 in the 2000 census. Parkersburg, although not the county seat, has the highest population of all the cities in Butler County.
History
The first known settlers to the Parkersburg area were John Connell and his son William, who built a log cabin in 1857. A railroad company surveyed the area in the early 1860s. A depot was erected in 1865 and two railroads, the Illinois CentralIllinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
and the Chicago North Western, were built through the town. The town was soon platted and recorded and given the name of "Parkersburg" in honor of Pascal P. Parker, a prominent settler and the town's first postmaster. The first major business was a hotel built by Thomas Williams, called The Williams House. Later it became known as the Commercial House. Parkersburg was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
on December 7, 1874
The first "School House" was built in the 1860s. Parkersburg became an independent school district in the Spring of 1871. A new school was built in 1872. This building burned beyond repair on October 9, 1893 in the "great fire of Parkersburg" which also destroyed most of the business district. In 1894 a modern, three-story, brick structure was built. In 1930 the school added an auditorium and gymnasium.
The first electric power was furnished by the Parkersburg Electric Light & Power Company, composed of local citizens who built the plant in 1898 at a cost of ten thousand dollars. Parkersburg's roads were paved around 1920. The first water tower only had a capacity of 40,000 gallons.
2008 Tornado
Seven people died in Parkersburg and two in nearby New Hartford
New Hartford, Iowa
New Hartford is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 516 at the 2010 census. It is the hometown of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.-Geography:...
from injuries sustained when a confirmed EF5
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
struck the cities on May 25, 2008. At least 70 injuries were reported, and the city's south part was turned into rubble. Over 400 homes were damaged, the roof was taken off the high school, and the gym was destroyed. The surviving residents were evacuated while the rescue operation was in progress.
The local water utility called the Iowa Rural Water Association for assistance after the city went on a boiled water notice. Utility infrastructure was left largely intact, but the tornado and clean-up efforts damaged the connections in numerous homes.
Geography
Parkersburg's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 42.574419, -92.786729.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 1,870 in the city, with a population density of . There were 870 housing units, of which 779 were occupied.2000 census
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,889 people, 811 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,655.7 people per square mile (639.8/km²). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 745.0 per square mile (287.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.99% White, 0.11% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 811 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,083, and the median income for a family was $40,313. Males had a median income of $31,949 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,978. About 5.5% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Schwartz Memorial Park on the east end of town contains a small pond.Beaver Meadows Golf Course and Campground lies just north of Beaver Creek on the north side of Parkersburg, including a spillway frequented by the locals.
Transportation
Parkersburg is located at the junction of Iowa Highway 14 and Iowa Highway 57Iowa Highway 57
Iowa Highway 57 is a state highway that runs from west to east in northern Iowa. Its western terminus is at U.S. Route 65 northeast of Iowa Falls. Its eastern terminus is at an intersection with U.S. Highway 218, Iowa Highway 27, and Iowa Highway 58 in Cedar Falls. It currently follows much of U.S...
just north of U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 in Iowa
U.S. Route 20 in Iowa is a major east–west artery which runs across the state, separating the northern third of Iowa from the southern two-thirds. It enters Iowa from Nebraska, concurrent with Interstate 129 and U.S Route 75, crossing the Missouri River at Sioux City. US 20 runs in a...
at exit 208 (IA 14).
Ed Thomas
Tragically national attention was focused on Parkersburg on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, when a disgruntled 24-year-old former football player walked into the weight room with at least 20 students inside at Aplington-Parkersburg High SchoolAplington-Parkersburg High School
Aplington-Parkersburg High School is a school in Parkersburg, Iowa. On May 25, 2008, the school was destroyed by an EF5 tornado. It has since been rebuilt.-Athletics:...
and mortally shot the high school's football coach, Ed Thomas
Ed Thomas
Ed Thomas was the high school football coach for Aplington-Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, Iowa. On June 24, 2009, Thomas was shot and killed in the football team's weight room. Ed Thomas's killer is Mark Becker, a 2004 Aplington-Parkersburg graduate and one of Thomas' former players...
, who died later at Covenant Hospital in nearby Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
.
Other notables
- Pauline PfeifferPauline PfeifferPauline Marie Pfeiffer was the second wife of the writer Ernest Hemingway. She was born in Parkersburg, Iowa, on July 22, 1895, moving to St. Louis in 1901 where she went to school at Visitation Academy of St. Louis...
, the second wife of author Ernest HemingwayErnest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
. - Roy LuebbeRoy LuebbeRoy John Luebbe was a Major League Baseball catcher. Luebbe played for the New York Yankees in . In 8 career games, he had no hits in 15 at-bats. He batted right and left and threw right-handed....
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcherCatcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division... - William Wallace McCredie, United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe 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...
member from Washington - Harold Duane VietorHarold Duane VietorHarold Duane Vietor is a senior federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.Born in Parkersburg, Iowa, Vietor was in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1954. He received a B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1955, and a J.D. from the its College of Law in...
, federal judgeFederal judgeFederal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest... - NFL players Jared DeVriesJared DeVriesJared Jay DeVries [] is an American football defensive end who played for the Detroit Lions in NFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa...
, Aaron KampmanAaron KampmanAaron Allan Kampman is an American football defensive end and linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa....
, Brad MeesterBrad MeesterBradley Ryan Meester is an American football center for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, and Casey WiegmannCasey WiegmannCasey Peter Wiegmann is an American football center for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
, are all natives of Parkersburg.
Sister cities
| – Parkersburg West Virginia Parkersburg, West Virginia As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing... |
External links
- Parkersburg Info Portal style website, Government, Economic development, Recreation and more
- City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Parkersburg