| Washington, Iowa | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| The north side of the Washington Square with the Courthouse in the background. | |
| Nickname(s): City of Flowers and Trees | |
| Location of Washington, Iowa | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Washington |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sandra Johnson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.8 sq mi (12.6 km2) |
| • Land | 4.8 sq mi (12.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 761 ft (232 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 7,266 |
| • Density | 1,454.3/sq mi (561.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 52353 |
| Area code(s) | 319 |
| FIPS code | 19-82335 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0462686 |
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Iowa, United States.[1] It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,047 at the 2000 census.
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Washington was the location of the first county hospital built west of the Mississippi River. Founded in 1912 in a basement and originally named Washington County Hospital, it is now named Washington County Hospitals & Clinics (WCHC) as of 1998. The original 3 story building was torn down in the summer of 2006 to build a new hospital, despite some local objections.
For tens of thousands of years the North Americans lived serenely on the prairies and forests of Washington County in harmony with nature. They developed a tribal life style noted for its dignity patience, and family reliance. They had unusual capacity for endurance, strength and bravery as well as native ingenuity that taught them how best to cope with extremes of climate. The recent tribes that left the greatest impact on our county's history were the Souix and Fox, as these Native Americans developed culture, they acquired skills both practical and artistic which they passed on to later generations. Many of the skills adapted by the first European settlers later became part of their culture. A village of 300 Indians, located a mile southwest of Washington, possibly under Chief Poweshiek, thrived until 1840.
Washington is located at (41.299941, -91.689175)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12 km2), all land.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 7,047 people, 2,928 households, and 1,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,454.3 people per square mile (561.0/km²). There were 3,132 housing units at an average density of 646.3 per square mile (249.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.20% White, 0.57% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.72% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.71% of the population.
There were 2,928 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,067, and the median income for a family was $44,497. Males had a median income of $29,961 versus $20,706 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,145. About 5.4% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Washington is governed by a six-member city council headed by a mayor. The mayor and council members are elected for four year terms. The city council consists of four ward counselors and two At-Large members. The current mayor is Sandra Johnson, and the council members are, Karen Wilson-Johnson (At-Large), Merlin Hagie (At-Large), Robert Shepherd (Ward 1), Russ Zieglowsky (Ward 2), Mike Roth (Ward 3), and Fred Stark (Ward 4).[4]
Located at the center of Washington, surrounded by the business district, is a public square. A central park features a unique type of fountain, which was built in 1939 for Washington's Centennial Celebration. In 1995 a group of local citizens refurbished the fountain. Washington was the setting for the 1996 made-for-TV movie and CBS "Hallmark Hall of Fame" special, "Harvest of Fire", starring academy award winning actress, Patty Duke.
The Conger House Museum, is a home built in Washington, Iowa in 1847 features late 1800s period rooms of the Conger family. There are also displays of American Indian artifacts, Washington County history, war memorabilia, medical history and early items manufactured in the county. The grounds contain flower and herb gardens with a gazebo.
Sunset Park is a beautiful expanse of land located just blocks from downtown where rolling meadows and ornate decorated bridges offer the casual walking enthusiast a beautiful peaceful setting for exercise. The park features a large playground exercise area - the Dawn area, where children can run, climb, slide and swing to their hearts content. Playground equipment is placed throughout the park including a featured Rocket Slide. There is a large expanse of land on the north side for field walking and sitting to enjoy sunsets. The park features many pavilions for family gatherings complete with cooking coal/grate amenities, basketball court, skate board facility and dog park. Rounding out the park is the Washington - Steele Family Aquatic Center.
[5]
Worked throughout his 40-year publishing career for Time-Life International, holding several executive positions and retiring in 1984 as group vice-president, secretary, and director of Time Inc. A former member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, he also served as Chair of the Board of Major League Baseball Properties and consultant to the Commissioner of Baseball.
Head football coach Tennessee Tech University and played seven years in the National Football League with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. Hennigan was elected to the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
Brookhart served as president of the National Rifle Association from 1921 to 1925.
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