Centerville, Iowa

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Appanoose County Courthouse, Centerville Iowa

Centerville is a city in Appanoose County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,924 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Appanoose County^GR6. Centerville once boasted a rich history of coal mining that attracted many European immigrants from Sweden, Italy and Croatia that today remains the home of many Swedish-Americans, Italian-Americans and Croatian-Americans.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Famous Persons
4 Events
- 4.1 Pancake Day
- 4.2 Croatian Fest
5 Education
6 Media
7 Demographics
8 External links

[edit] Geography

Centerville is located at 40°43′47″N, 92°52′19″W (40.729836, -92.872012)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.8 km² (4.6 mi²). 11.7 km² (4.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.88%) is water.

[edit] History

Founded in 1846 by Jonathon Stratton under name Chaldea, the town was planned around a unique two-block long city square. The name was later changed to Centerville and incorporated in 1855.

The town experienced its peak population in the early 1900s as the popularity of coal peaked. After that point, as coal usage dwindled, the coal industry that had been the town's life blood collapsed. In the 1950s and 1960s a civic movement to promote new industries began. This effort culminated in the building of Rathbun Dam, near the town of Rathbun, Iowa, forming Rathbun Lake, known as "Iowa's Ocean", that was dedicated on July 31, 1971 by President Richard M. Nixon.

Today the town is supported by many industrial plants, mostly in the area of plastic products. In June of 2006 the Centerville Daily Iowegian reported the largest employer in town, a Rubbermaid plant, would shut down in September 2006 displacing 500 workers.

In 1984 The Appanoose County Community Railroad was formed out of discarded pieces of the Wabash and Rock Island lines to maintain a rail link to the outside world.

From the 1990s to present day, the town has focused on quality-of-life issues, in an attempt to attract and keep young families in the area. A new emphasis on the arts, culture and local history has emerged, culminating in the Townscape project to beautify the Courthouse Square Historic District, which has hundreds of parking spaces between the shops' sidewalks and the courthouse lawn--in effect, six-lane wide streeting around the Appanoose County Courthouse provides four lanes of public parking.

In 1999, the Lake Center Mall was destroyed by an act of arson. The entire site sat unoccupied until a cineplex and a pizza parlor was built there in the early 2000's.

[edit] Famous Persons

Centerville is the birthplace and childhood home of Metropolitan Opera baritone Simon Estes, who is a 1956 graduate of Centerville High School. It is also the the home of former Governor of Iowa Francis M. Drake, who established Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Centerville is also the birthplace of several members of the Spooner and Payton Families that were well known in the stock theater, including Corse Payton, Claude Payton, Franklin Edward Spooner, Mary Gibbs Spooner, Edna May Spooner and Cecil Spooner.

In 2006, Danny Wolf, the lead vocalist of Small Towns Burn A Little Slower, moved to Centerville with his wife, Kelli. Kelli holds a teaching position at Howar Junior High.

[edit] Events

[edit] Pancake Day

Since 1949 the city has conducted an annual Pancake Day festival, held the last Saturday in September, in which local businesses and organizations cook up pancakes which they provide for free to their customers to show thanks for their continued patronage. The event that is held in the Courthouse Square Historic District features a morning kiddie parade, a larger afternoon parade, a queen contest and free entertainment.

Pancake Day has been attended by many well-known celebrities including every Governor of Iowa since 1949 along with Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver, J. C. Penney, Philip W. Pillsbury, former Governor of New York, W. Averell Harriman, Muriel Humphrey, Rocky Marciano and Centerville Native Simon Estes. Entertainers have included Barbara Mandrell and Cousin Minnie Pearl.

[edit] Croatian Fest

Croatian Fest has been held in Centerville on the last Saturday in July since 1987 to celebrate the areas Croatian Heritage. It is celebrated with colorful ethnic costumes, music, dancing and entertainment, as well as home-cooked ethnic food. The event includes an afternoon Polka Mass celebrated at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church.

Croatian Fest was held in the Courthouse Square Historic District thru 2004 and is now held at the Knights of Columbus Hall.

[edit] Education

The school district serving Centerville is the, K - 12, Centerville Community School District. It consists of Centerville High School, Howar Junior High, Lakeview Middle School and Central, Lincoln and Garfield Grade Schools all located in Centerville and the Cincinnati Grade School and Mystic Grade School located in the communties of Cincinnati, Iowa and Mystic, Iowa.

The mascot name for Centerville High School is the "Big Reds" and "Redettes" with the school colors being Scarlett and Black.

The first Centerville High School graduate was Jennie Drake, the one and only graduate, from the Class of 1876. She was the daughter of former Governor of Iowa Francis M. Drake. The first African-American graduate was Joseph Edwin Herriford a graduate from the Class of 1885.

Centerville is the home of the Centerville Campus of Indian Hills Community College, a two year community college, that was established in 1930 as Centerville Junior College. It later merged with the area community college of Indian Hills Community College with the main campus located in Ottumwa, Iowa.

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspapers

Ad Express Centerville Daily Iowegian

[edit] AM Radio Stations

KCOG 1400 The True Oldies Channel

[edit] FM Radio Stations

KMGO 98.7 Iowa's # 1 Country

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 5,924 people, 2,583 households, and 1,516 families residing in the city. The population density was 506.0/km² (1,310.5/mi²). There were 2,935 housing units at an average density of 250.7/km² (649.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.35% White, 0.81% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.

There were 2,583 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 36.3% 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 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.

Population spread: 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,498, and the median income for a family was $36,855. Males had a median income of $28,333 versus $21,207 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,574. About 11.3% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.