Meservey, Iowa

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Meservey is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 252 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Schools
4 History
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Meservey is located at 42°54′47″N, 93°28′34″W (42.913139, -93.476173)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 km² (1.5 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 252 people, 123 households, and 75 families residing in the city. The population density was 64.4/km² (166.9/mi²). There were 137 housing units at an average density of 35.0/km² (90.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.81% White, 0.40% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.

There were 123 households out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.60.

In the city the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $36,042. Males had a median income of $28,438 versus $16,406 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,043. About 7.2% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

[edit] Schools

Meservey is part of the Sheffield-Chapin/Meservey-Thornton (SCMT) School District. Students from Meservey currently attend school in the nearby towns of Thornton or Sheffield. Due to declining enrollment, a plan is currently being explored to share classes with the neighboring Rockwell-Swaledale school district.

The Meservey school building was built in the 1930's (as a Works Progress Administration project) as a K-12 facility for Meservey High school. In 1965, it became an elementary school for the combined Meservey-Thornton school district. Due to declining enrollments, the building was closed in 1983, when all K-12 classes met in the Thornton facility. In 1988, Meservey-Thornton began whole-grade sharing with Sheffield-Chapin school district. The Meservey school facility was razed sometime around 1993, and the property is now Schoolhouse Park.

[edit] History

Meservey was founded in 1886, shortly after a railroad line was built connecting Mason City and Fort Dodge. It takes its name from the Meservey Brothers who were railroad employees at this time. The western portion of town was originally known as Kausville, and eventually merged into Meservey.