Strawberry Point, Iowa

Strawberry Point, Iowa
City
Location of Strawberry Point, Iowa
Coordinates: 42°40′45″N 91°32′13″W / 42.67917°N 91.53694°W / 42.67917; -91.53694Coordinates: 42°40′45″N 91°32′13″W / 42.67917°N 91.53694°W / 42.67917; -91.53694
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Clayton
Area[1]
• Total	2.11 sq mi (5.46 km2)
• Land	2.11 sq mi (5.46 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,220 ft (372 m)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	1,279
• Estimate (2012[3])	1,252
• Density	606.2/sq mi (234.1/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	52076
Area code(s)	563
FIPS code	19-75855
GNIS feature ID	0462032
Website	Strawberry Point Portal

Strawberry Point is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,279 at the 2010 census, down from 1,386 at the 2000 census. Strawberry Point is home to the world's largest strawberry (made of fiberglass). Backbone State Park, Iowa's oldest state park, is located a few miles from the town.

Geography

Strawberry Point's longitude and latitude coordinates
in decimal form are 42.679195, -91.536891.^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.11 square miles (5.46 km²), all of it land.^[1]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 1,279 people, 559 households, and 348 families residing in the city. The population density was 606.2 inhabitants per square mile (234.1 /km²). There were 622 housing units at an average density of 294.8 per square mile (113.8 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.7% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 559 households of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.79.

The median age in the city was 45.2 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 1,386 people, 531 households, and 347 families residing in the city. The population density was 677.7 people per square mile (261.0/km²). There were 560 housing units at an average density of 273.8 per square mile (105.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.21% White, 0.07% Native American, 0.07% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 531 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,766, and the median income for a family was $45,268. Males had a median income of $30,300 versus $21,289 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,400. About 4.6% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Strawberry Days

Strawberry Days is the annual celebration held the first weekend of June. Former President Jimmy Carter is a regular visitor for Strawberry Days.

Naming the Town

The following information is from strawberrypt.com (strawberrypt.com/ourtown), a site managed by the Strawberry Point Economic Development Office.^[6]

The name "Strawberry Point" goes back to the days of 1841, when Iowa was still a territory. It was in 1841 that the "Old Mission Road" was laid out from Dubuque to Fort Atkinson in Winneshiek County, in what was called the Neutral Ground. The Neutral Ground had been established on July 30, 1830 as a means of protecting the Winnebago Indians from the hostile Sec and Fox tribes ... Fort Atkinson was established literally to protect Indians from Indians.

In July 1830 the chiefs of all Indian tribes in this area were called into a conference in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Presiding over the meeting was General William Clark and his advisors, a group of prominent traders who were all knowledgeable in the rigid protocol of Indian etiquette. As a result of this gathering between the Sac and Fox tribes, a strip of land forty miles wide and running from the Red Cedar River to the Mississippi was ceded to the United States government. The government agreed to pay the Indians $3,000.00 annually for ten years; it also agreed to help the Indians promote agriculture, to supply them with blacksmiths and farm implements, and to furnish schools for the Indian children. Joseph Street was appointed Indian agent.

This forty mile-wide strip of land was designated as "Neutral Ground"—it would serve as a barrier between the Winnebagos and the hostile tribes. This strip included the Northern parts of Clayton and Fayette counties, and the Southern parts of Allamakee and Winneshiek counties. The army established the "Old Mission Road" as a military wagon road when it began moving the Winnebago Indians from Green Bay, Wisconsin, to the safety of Fort Atkinson. One of the commissioners named by the Iowa Territory to lay out this military wagon road was James Hewitt, an Indian trader who came to Clayton County from Dubuque in 1841. He had settled in the St. Sebald area as the first white settler.

As the army moved 2,900 Winnebagos from Wisconsin to their new home in the present Winneshiek County, they made camp near a spring a mile west of the town of Strawberry Point. The spring was located in a point of timber abundant with wild strawberries. Each mile of the "Old Mission Road" was marked with a stake, and the one at this campsite was inscribed "Strawberry Point." Mission Street, which runs East and West through the town today, was part of the Old Mission Road. This point of timber with its spring became a popular stopping place for Eastern emigrants on their way to Northern Iowa and Minnesota to settle claims.

In 1849 the Winnebagos sold their land and were moved to Minnesota. Fort Atkinson, having served its purpose, was abandoned. The land was then opened for settlement and the boundary lines of Clayton, Fayette, Allamakee, and Winneshiek counties were made permanent. During the preceding 11 years there had still been wars between the Indian tribes, and more than forty Winnebagos had been killed by the hostile Sac and Fox tribes. When the Winnebagos were moved to Minnesota they were the last of the Indian tribes to leave the area.

The population of Clayton county in 1840 was 275; by 1850 the number had swelled to 3,875 as settlers from the East started buying claims for $1.25 an acre. Many of the first immigrants were from New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Between 1847 and 1853 about twenty families established claims a long "Old Mission Road" in this area. A post office was established in Strawberry Point in 1851 as well as blacksmith shops and stores. Saw mills were established in the areas where the Three Crosses Ranch/EWALU Stone Center and EWALU Bible Camp are located today.

The town of Strawberry Point was laid out in 1853 by W. H. and D. M. Stearns. The first recorded plot was listed to E. B. Gardner on December 16, 1854 in the area of the lagoon in back of the Lutheran Home. The Steams brothers had chosen the name "Franklin" for the town they had plotted, in remembrance of their former home in New York state, the town of Franklinville. When application for a post office, using the name Franklin, was made it was discovered that a previous application had come for the same name from Lee county. The application was then changed to read Strawberry Point and the name was adopted. For a while, in the 1870s, the town was referred to by some as "Endfield" ... the name given to the station established by the Davenport and St. Paul railroad in 1872. The railroad had named their station Endfield, because they didn't think the name Strawberry Point was "appropriate". In 1875 the State Legislature was prevailed upon to pass a law requiring the name of the railroad station to correspond with the original town, and so the settlement became permanently "Strawberry Point."^[6]

In popular culture, Strawberry Point has become well known for producing many high quality Accountants.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Strawberry Point, Iowa.

• Official City Website
• City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Strawberry Point

v t e Municipalities and communities of Clayton County, Iowa, United States County seat: Elkader Cities Clayton Edgewood‡ Elkader Farmersburg Garber Garnavillo Guttenberg Luana Marquette McGregor Millville Monona North Buena Vista Osterdock Postville‡ St. Olaf Strawberry Point Volga Townships Boardman Buena Vista Cass Clayton Cox Creek Elk Farmersburg Garnavillo Giard Grand Meadow Highland Jefferson Lodomillo Mallory Marion Mendon Millville Monona Read Sperry Volga Wagner Unincorporated communities Beulah Ceres Clayton Center Communia Eckards Elkport Fairview Froelich Giard Gunder Hardin Highland Littleport McGregor Heights Mederville Motor Osborne Saint Sebald Thomasville Turkey River Updegraff Watson Wood Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties