Waverly, Iowa

Waverly, Iowa
City

Waverly, Iowa

Location of Waverly, Iowa
Waverly, Iowa

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 42°43′36″N 92°28′31″W / 42.72667°N 92.47528°W / 42.72667; -92.47528Coordinates: 42°43′36″N 92°28′31″W / 42.72667°N 92.47528°W / 42.72667; -92.47528
Country  United States
State  Iowa
County Bremer
Area[1]
 • Total 11.51 sq mi (29.81 km2)
 • Land 11.01 sq mi (28.52 km2)
 • Water 0.50 sq mi (1.29 km2)
Elevation 912 ft (278 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 9,874
 • Estimate (2012[3]) 10,035
 • Density 896.8/sq mi (346.3/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 50677
Area code(s) 319
FIPS code 19-82875
GNIS feature ID 0462757
Website Waverly, Iowa

Waverly is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bremer County[4] and is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The sister city of Waverly is the German city of Eisenach, which is famous for the Wartburg castle. Waverly is also the home of Wartburg College which is named after this castle.

Early Waverly history

Indian reservation

The first permanent residents of Waverly were settled there against their will. Because of their alleged assistance given to Chief Black Hawk during the Blackhawk War of 1832, the Winnebago were forced to cede their lands east of the Mississippi and to move to Neutral Ground in what is now northeastern Iowa. They were to receive $270,000 ($10,000 per year for 27 years) and were required to surrender several of their tribesmen accused of murdering whites during the war. At that time there were three tribes living in the area, the Winnebagoes numbering about 500, the Mesquakie numbering about 100 and the Pottawattomies numbering about 50. With Iowa statehood in 1846, the Winnebago were moved again. In an 1845 treaty, the Winnebago exchanged their Iowa lands for the 800,000-acre (3,200 km2) Long Prairie (Crow Wing River) reserve in Minnesota and $190,000. In 1848 a detachment of United States troops from Fort Atkinson, Iowa came to enforce the removal. All told, between 1840 and 1863 the Winnebagoes were moved five times. They were pushed first to northeastern Iowa, then to Long Prairie, Minnesota, then to Blue Earth, Minnesota, then to Crow Creek, South Dakota. In 1865, after the constant upheaval cost 700 tribal members’ lives, the current Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska was established by the treaties of 1865 and 1874. The tribe lost more than two thirds of this land in the General Allotment Act of 1887. By 1913, only 120,000 acres (490 km2) of cropland, woodland, and pasture remained. The tribe is federally recognized and organized under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. The Winnebago Tribe established a constitution in 1936 which was amended in 1968.

Settlement

Frederick Cretzmeyer is credited with being the first settler in Waverly, having purchased 160 acres (0.6 km2) in 1852, he built a log hut on the east side of the Cedar River (or what was once called the Red Cedar River). Soon more homes were constructed as other settlers arrived, with some of their later homes built just over the hill behind the old recycling center.

William Patterson Harmon came to Waverly in the spring of 1853 with the idea of establishing a town and a saw mill. He purchased most of what is now Waverly from the United States Government for $1.25 an acre. The area was incorporated as a town on April 25, 1859, according to the Library of the State of Iowa. (A centennial celebration was held in August 1956.) Two stories exist on how the town was named. The speaker at the ceremony was said to have been a fan of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley Novels and when it came time to name the town (which settlers had wanted to call Harmonville or Harmon) he inadvertently called it Waverly. The myth goes that Jennie Harmon Case later wrote that it was her father who was the speaker and that he made the decision to name the town after the favorite book, instead of the proposed "Harmonville." Coincidentally, Bremer County’s name also honors a person eminent in literature. Bremer was named in 1850 by Governor Hempstead, who was an admirer of the Swedish feminist author Fredrika Bremer.[5]

The first school was started by Charles Ensign in a log cabin in 1854. A stone school house was erected by 1855, and additional schools were built in 1861 and 1868. The first graduating class of the Waverly High School was the class of 1875 with two students. Wartburg College moved to Waverly from Clinton, Iowa in 1856. The public library was established in 1866.

Geography

Waverly's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 42.726530, −92.475366.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.51 square miles (29.81 km2), of which, 11.01 square miles (28.52 km2) of it is land and 0.50 square miles (1.29 km2) is water.[1]

Demographics

Waverly historical population
YearPop.±%
18702,291—    
18802,345+2.4%
18902,346+0.0%
19003,177+35.4%
19103,205+0.9%
19203,352+4.6%
19303,652+8.9%
19404,156+13.8%
19505,124+23.3%
19606,357+24.1%
19707,205+13.3%
19808,444+17.2%
19908,539+1.1%
20008,968+5.0%
20109,874+10.1%
201410,106+2.3%
201510,066−0.4%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. 
Source:
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 9,874 people, 3,546 households, and 2,294 families residing in the city. The population density was 896.8 inhabitants per square mile (346.3/km2). There were 3,732 housing units at an average density of 339.0 per square mile (130.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.3% White, 1.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 3,546 households of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the city was 33.1 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.9% were from 25 to 44; 21.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 8,968 people, 3,238 households, and 2,143 families residing in the city. The population density was 803.4 people per square mile (310.3/km²). There were 3,394 housing units at an average density of 304.0 per square mile (117.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.11% White, 1.05% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.61% of the population.

There were 3,238 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.

Age spread: 21.5% under the age of 18, 20.4% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,587, and the median income for a family was $52,656. Males had a median income of $36,369 versus $22,031 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,285. About 2.1% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

A Statue of St. Francis at Wartburg College

Wartburg College, maintained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a four-year liberal-arts college in Waverly that opened in 1852. As of the 2006–2007 school year, the college had an enrollment of 1,800 students.[9]

Waverly-Shell Rock School District is made of seven schools including four elementary schools, a middle school (grades 5 through 8), and a high school.[10] The district strives "to create a passion for learning that will sustain students for a lifetime".[11] In the 2005–06 school year this district had 2,020 K-12 students of whom 1,823 were regular education students and 197 special education students. Thirty-four of the special education students are served in Greenview High School, an alternative high school program. Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High completed building a new auditorium and gymnasium in 2008.

St. Paul's Lutheran School "is committed to providing quality education in an environment where Christian faith is taught, learned and lived." [12] In the 2010–2011 school year 139 students were enrolled in K-6 and 87 students in preschool. More than half of the students come from neighboring congregations and assistance is given to families who demonstrate financial need. The school offers a Gifted and Talented program, a "Partners in Education Program" which allows students and residents at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community to work together, and several unique opportunities in the fine arts.

Economy

Major employers in Waverly include CUNA Mutual Group, Waverly Health Center, Wartburg College, Nestlé Beverage, Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District, Peoples Insurance Agency, and the GMT Corporation.[13]

Government

The City of Waverly has a mayor council form of government. The city has a professional city administrator that is hired by the city council. There is a 7-member city council: 5 elected members from wards, 2 members elected at-large. The mayor is elected by all citizens.[14]

Police and Fire departments

Waverly's police department consists of sixteen officers.[15]

The fire department is a volunteer fire department of between 30-40 citizens.[16]

Infrastructure

Utilities

Renewable energy

Waverly is a leader in the use of renewable energy. In 1993 Waverly Light & Power Company became the first public power system in the Midwest to own and operate wind generation. The Zond 80 kW turbine was installed on a farm just outside the city. In 1999 two 75 kW turbines were added near Alta, Iowa. They are part of the 259 turbines on a wind farm near Storm Lake. In 2001 the first turbine was replaced by a 90 kW turbine which as produced 111,000kwh in 15 days. WLP has set a goal known as "20 by 20-20" which means they are striving to generate 20% of its energy with renewable sources by the year 2020. The latest step in reaching that goal is to build a new ISEP energy park in Dallas County.

Waverly Light & Power has also been instrumental in development of soybean based transformer oil.

Health care

Waverly Health Center is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Waverly. Waverly Health Center provides inpatient care, ambulatory surgery, outpatient services, specialty clinics and emergency room care to area residents. More than 50 health care providers and visiting specialists care for patients at Waverly Health Center, allowing area residents local access to specialized care.[17] Waverly Health Center is accredited by the Joint Commission.[18]

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Waverly may have the highest national per capita concentration of ordained Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) clergy. One estimate in the 1990s suggested Waverly had 37 ordained ELCA clergy, with a population of about 9,000. This estimate was made during the days preceding the ELCA decision regarding Called to Common Mission. If accurate, this would equal a ratio of 1 clergy member for every 243 people. Waverly is also home to St. John Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

Notable people

Media references

The fictional biography of Hawkeye, a Marvel Comics character who is part of the Avengers (comics) superhero group, puts his birthplace in Waverly, Iowa.

The film Ice Castles and its 2010 remake also features Waverly, Iowa as one of its locales including being the hometown of the protagonists.

Sister cities

References

  1. 1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  2. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  3. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ↑ "Bremer County History". Bremer County, Iowa. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  9. ↑ ISPA Position Listing, Wartburg College, 2007-03-05. Accessed 2007-11-02.
  10. ↑ http://www.wsr.k12.ia.us/#!our-schools/zoixj
  11. ↑ "Waverly-Shell Rock Schools". Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  12. ↑ "St. Paul's Lutheran School". St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  13. ↑ City of Waverly Audit Report for FY 2012
  14. ↑ "Welcome to the City of Waverly". City of Waverly. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  15. ↑ Waverly Police Department, City of Waverly. Accessed 2007-11-02.
  16. ↑ Welcome to the Waverly Volunteer Fire Department, City of Waverly. Accessed 2007-11-02.
  17. ↑ "Waverly Health Center". Resolve Technology Group. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Summary of Accreditation Quality Information - Waverly Health Center". The Joint Commission. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  19. ↑ "A.J. Hinch". BASEBALL-Reference. Retrieved May 6, 2011.

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