Postville, Iowa

Postville, Iowa
City
Motto: Hometown to the World[1][2]
Location of Postville, Iowa
Coordinates: 43°5′6″N 91°34′10″W / 43.08500°N 91.56944°W / 43.08500; -91.56944Coordinates: 43°5′6″N 91°34′10″W / 43.08500°N 91.56944°W / 43.08500; -91.56944
Country	United States
State	Iowa
Counties	Allamakee, Clayton
Township	Post
Settled	June 1843
Incorporated	March 11, 1873
Area[3]
• Total	2.11 sq mi (5.46 km2)
• Land	2.11 sq mi (5.46 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,181 ft (360 m)
Population (2010)[4]
• Total	2,227
• Estimate (2012[5])	2,186
• Density	1,055.5/sq mi (407.5/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	52162
Area code(s)	563
FIPS code	19-64290
GNIS feature ID	0460373
Website	www.cityofpostville.com

Postville is a city in Allamakee and Clayton Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It lies near the junction of four counties and at the intersection of U.S. Routes 18 and 52 and Iowa Highway 51, with airport facilities in the neighboring communities of Waukon, Decorah, Monona, and Prairie du Chien. The population was 2,227 at the 2010 census, down from 2,273 The city is located in the southwestern corner of Allamakee County and the northwestern corner of Clayton County in a quad county or four corner region where four counties meet in the same spot. Winneshiek County is just to the west, and Fayette County is located just to the southwest of Postville.

History

Postville was platted in 1853.^[6] The city was named for Joel Post, a pioneer settler.^[7]

In 1987, a group of Hasidic Jews started a Kosher slaughterhouse^[8] called Agriprocessors, a business which remained in operation until it filed for bankruptcy on November 5, 2008 after a series of complaints of labor law violations and mistreatment of cattle. The facility was raided by the federal government in 2008, resulting in hundreds of arrests of illegal workers.^[9]

Geography

Postville's longitude and latitude coordinates
in decimal form are 43.085102, -91.569515.^[10]

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.^[3]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[4] of 2010, there were 2,227 people, 744 households, and 497 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,055.5 inhabitants per square mile (407.5/km²). There were 902 housing units at an average density of 427.5 per square mile (165.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.0% White, 4.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 14.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.0% of the population.

There were 744 households of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.54.

The median age in the city was 30.2 years. 32.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 18.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 2,273 people, 792 households, and 548 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,093.6 people per square mile (421.9/km²). There were 824 housing units at an average density of 396.5 per square mile (153.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.59% White, 0.62% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 17.03% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.63% of the population. Estimates of the Hasidic population range from 150 (American Jewish Year Book) to more than 300. 30% of Postville's residents were German, 18% Mexican, 10% Norwegian, 6% English, 6% Ukrainian, 5% Russian, 4% Irish, and 2% Swiss.^[13]

There were 792 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.

Age spread: 25.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,667, and the median income for a family was $40,125. Males had a median income of $22,083 versus $16,596 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,264. About 9.4% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Postville's growth during the last 15 years has been due to the presence of two large meat processing plants, Agriprocessors and Iowa Turkey Products. Agriprocessors, the kosher meat plant, is the largest of its type in the world, which as of February 2008 employed about 900 people and purchased $100 million worth of livestock annually. In May 2008, Agriprocessors was the target of a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid.^[14] Subsequently, a criminal complaint was filed against Agriprocessors and its principal for alleged violations of child labor laws.^[15]

Iowa Turkey Products, which burned in December 2003, was another major employer in the community. The plant has since rebuilt in Marshall, Minnesota. Postville is also the home of a plastics factory, Norplex. The Norplex factory produces laminated plastics plate, sheet, and profile shapes and as of 2007 employs between 150 to 200 workers.^[16]

Notable person

Postville was the boyhood home of 1946 Nobel laureate John R. Mott.

References

Books on Postville

• The interaction of long-time Postville residents with newcomers was the subject of a book about the town, Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America, by Stephen G. Bloom, a professor at University of Iowa.
• A more recent book about the community and its experience with diversity before and after the May 2008 federal immigration raid is Postville USA: Surviving Diversity in Small-Town America by Mark Grey, Michele Devlin, and Aaron Goldsmith.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Postville, Iowa.

• Official City Website
• Postville Community Schools
• City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Postville

Municipalities and communities of Allamakee County, Iowa, United States County seat: Waukon Cities Harpers Ferry Lansing New Albin Postville‡ Waterville Waukon Townships Center Fairview Franklin French Creek Hanover Iowa Jefferson Lafayette Lansing Linton Ludlow Makee Paint Creek Post Taylor Union City Union Prairie Waterloo Unincorporated communities Church Dalby Dorchester Egan Eldergrove Elon Ion Ludlow Lycurgus Maud Rossville Thompson Corner Volney Waukon Junction Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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