Villisca, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Villisca is a city in Montgomery County
, Iowa
, United States
. The population was 1,344 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 1,344 people, 576 households, and 347 families residing in the city. The population density
was 703.9 people per square mile (271.7/km²). There were 636 housing units at an average density of 333.1 per square mile (128.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.81% White, 0.07% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.37% from other races
, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 576 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% 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 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,694, and the median income for a family was $34,345. Males had a median income of $28,500 versus $20,292 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,067. About 9.3% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Josiah B. Moore and Sara Montgomery were married on December 6, 1899. They had four children, Herman, Katherine, Boyd, and Paul. Joe was a prominent and well-liked businessman. By 1912 his Moore Implement Company (a John Deere Company franchise) was a solid competitor with other Villisca and area hardware stores, including the Jones Store owned by his former employer, F.F. Jones. Sara was active in the Presbyterian church and assisted with Children's Day exercises on the night of June 9, 1912. Joe (43) and Sara (39), their children, and two visiting children were found bludgeoned to death with the Moore's own axe the following morning. Their unsolved murders began a chain of events that split the borough of Villisca and forever changed the course of the town's history and the lives of its inhabitants.
The case has inspired two published books: Roy Marshall's Villisca and Stephen Bowman's fictionalized Morning Ran Red. Kelly and Tammy Rundle's documentary Villisca: Living with a Mystery also dealt with the incident. The case has also inspired a feature narrative project titled Haunting Villisca, co-authored by James Serpento and Kimberly Busbee, directed by Serpento and produced by Busbee for AriesWorks Entertainment. Haunting Villisca combines a fictionalized present-day scenario with scenes suggested by courtroom transcripts, folklore and current paranormal investigations of the house where the murders occurred. The picture premiered in Villisca in the spring of 2008.
Note: In the attic, there are two windows which people have noticed looked exactly like the ones in The Amityville Horror House.
http://www.villiscaiowa.com/ is the official website of the city, which tells the story in its entirety.
Montgomery County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,740 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,239 housing units, of which 4,558 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 1,344 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Villisca is located at 40°55′45"N 94°58′41"W (40.929115, -94.978162).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 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), all land.
Demographics
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 1,344 people, 576 households, and 347 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 703.9 people per square mile (271.7/km²). There were 636 housing units at an average density of 333.1 per square mile (128.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.81% White, 0.07% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.37% 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 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 576 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% 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 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,694, and the median income for a family was $34,345. Males had a median income of $28,500 versus $20,292 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 $14,067. About 9.3% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Villisca Axe Murders
On June 10, 1912, six members of the Moore family and two young houseguests were killed with an axe by an unknown assailant.Josiah B. Moore and Sara Montgomery were married on December 6, 1899. They had four children, Herman, Katherine, Boyd, and Paul. Joe was a prominent and well-liked businessman. By 1912 his Moore Implement Company (a John Deere Company franchise) was a solid competitor with other Villisca and area hardware stores, including the Jones Store owned by his former employer, F.F. Jones. Sara was active in the Presbyterian church and assisted with Children's Day exercises on the night of June 9, 1912. Joe (43) and Sara (39), their children, and two visiting children were found bludgeoned to death with the Moore's own axe the following morning. Their unsolved murders began a chain of events that split the borough of Villisca and forever changed the course of the town's history and the lives of its inhabitants.
The case has inspired two published books: Roy Marshall's Villisca and Stephen Bowman's fictionalized Morning Ran Red. Kelly and Tammy Rundle's documentary Villisca: Living with a Mystery also dealt with the incident. The case has also inspired a feature narrative project titled Haunting Villisca, co-authored by James Serpento and Kimberly Busbee, directed by Serpento and produced by Busbee for AriesWorks Entertainment. Haunting Villisca combines a fictionalized present-day scenario with scenes suggested by courtroom transcripts, folklore and current paranormal investigations of the house where the murders occurred. The picture premiered in Villisca in the spring of 2008.
Note: In the attic, there are two windows which people have noticed looked exactly like the ones in The Amityville Horror House.
http://www.villiscaiowa.com/ is the official website of the city, which tells the story in its entirety.