Merchants' National Bank, architect Louis Sullivan.

Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,105 at the 2000 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3348x4555, 6834 KB) Louis Sullivan (architect) - Merchants National Bank, Northwest corner of Fourth Avenue & Broad Street, Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa, USA. This photograph is in the public domain, as it is a product of the United States Government. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3348x4555, 6834 KB) Louis Sullivan (architect) - Merchants National Bank, Northwest corner of Fourth Avenue & Broad Street, Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa, USA. This photograph is in the public domain, as it is a product of the United States Government. ... Louis Henri Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, called the father of modernism. He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, and was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. ... Poweshiek County is a county located in the southeastern state of Iowa along Interstate 80, between Des Moines and Iowa City. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  Ranked 26th  - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 199 miles (320 km)  - % water 0. ... Josiah Bushnell Grinnell (born December 22, 1821) was a U.S. Congressman from Iowa, ordained Presbyterian clergyman, founder of Grinnell, Iowa and benefactor of Grinnell College. ... Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States with a strong social justice tradition. ...

History

Grinnell was founded in 1854 by Josiah B. Grinnell. By 1880 Grinnell had a population of around 2000. Located at the junction of two railway lines (east-west line of the Rock Island railway and a north-south line) it became and remains the largest community in Poweshiek County. Grinnell was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Grinnell is also home to Grinnell College, the first college established west of the Mississippi. On June 17, 1882 a tornado destroyed most of the college campus and much of the community and caused a death toll near 100. In 1889 fire destroyed most of the downtown area. In the early 1900's Grinnell was home to one of the pioneer's of modern aviation, Billy Robinson. A photographic history of Billy's aviation accomplishments is available as part of the Iowa Heritage Digital Collections Project. Grinnell was also home to Spaulding Manufacturing. H.W. Spaulding began making carriages and spring wagons in Grinnell, Iowa in 1876. In 1909 the Spaulding Manufacturing Company added automobilies to its production line. Spaulding automobiles were known for their quality construction from rugged materials. Automobile production ceased at the Spaulding factory in 1916 when it could no longer compete with the cheaper Ford automobile. Historical photographs of Spaulding products are also available from the Iowa Heritage Digital Collection. The Spaulding factory site will soon become home to the Spaulding Center for Transportation/Iowa Transportation Museum. Spaulding (Spaulding Manufacturing Company) was a United States automobile manufacturing company which produced automobiles from 1910 to 1916[1]. The company was based in Grinnell, Iowa. ...

The history of Grinnell is nicely covered in the book Grinnell: A century of progress published by the Grinnell Herald-Register in 1954. This book is available at Stewart Library.

A nice collection of articles about the history of Grinnell is available from the Grinnell Room Archives at Stewart Library. There is also an online version Voices from the Past, an oral history project done by Friends of Stewart Library where residents tell of life in Grinnell during the depression and World War II. The library also maintains an obituary database of area residents. It will provide a pdf image of obituaries that have appeared in the local newspapers from the last 1800's to the present.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.0 km² (5.0 mi²). 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.80%) is water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ...

Grinnell is located at 41°44′37″N, 92°43′29″W (41.743750, -92.724742)^GR1. Adapted from Wikipedias IA county maps by Seth Ilys. ...

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 9,105 people, 3,498 households, and 2,067 families residing in the city. The population density was 704.5/km² (1,825.7/mi²). There were 3,725 housing units at an average density of 288.2/km² (746.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.88% White, 1.04% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 3,498 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84. Marriage is an interpersonal relationship with governmental, social, or religious recognition, usually intimate and sexual, and often created as a contract, or through civil process. ...

In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 19.9% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,625, and the median income for a family was $48,991. Males had a median income of $33,956 versus $23,864 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,939. About 8.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Architectural landmarks

Grinnell has several notable architectural landmarks:

• Merchant's National Bank - architect Louis Sullivan. Details and photos at http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/SullivanBank/index.html
• Ricker House - architect Walter Burley Griffin. Details and photos at http://web.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery/rickerhouse/
• See a map of locations and a photo gallery of other significant Grinnell architecture at http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/HistoricArchitecture/index.html
• Additional documents on Grinnell architecture are available in pdf format from the Stewart Library website.

Louis Henri Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, called the father of modernism. He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, and was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. ...

Library

In 1901 Joel Stewart funded the construction of the current Stewart Library. The library has served the community well for over 100 years. Stewart Library provides wonderful programs for children and young adults. The library also serves as an information and technology center for the community by providing computer access and a number of historical and reference resources online.

Plans for a new library for Grinnell began in earnest in 2006 with the passage of a Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) to assist with funding. In addition to the funds raised through the LOST tax, the library committed to raising $3.5 million in public funds through the Next Chapter campaign. Groundbreaking is anticipated for spring of 2008.

Schools

The first school in Grinnell was founded in 1855.^[1]

Schools within the Grinnell-Newburg School District include:

• Fairview Elementary School (K-2nd for the eastern side of town)
• Bailey Park Elementary School (K-2nd for the western side of town)
• Davis School (3rd-4th)
• Grinnell Middle School (5th-8th)
• Grinnell High School (9th-12th)

Additionally, there is one private school, Central Iowa Christian School, which enrolls about 35 students in Kindergarten through eighth grade.

Grinnell Area Churches

A document on the History of some Grinnell churches is available in pdf format from the online collections of Stewart Library.

A list of Grinnell churches and their websites is maintained by the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce.

Influential Former Residents

• Josiah Bushnell Grinnell, town founder and abolitionist to whom Horace Greeley is quoted as having said : "Go West, young man, go West."
• Hallie Flanagan, Federal Theater Project head
• Harry Hopkins, one of FDR's advisors and New Deal architect
• Robert Noyce, inventor and Intel co-founder
• Billy Robinson, pioneer aviator. Read his story as a pdf document from the online collections of Stewart Library. See Billy's Wikipedia entry.
• Thomas R. Cech, Nobel Laureate in chemistry, graduate of Grinnell College
• Benjamin Barber, political theorist, professor at the University of Maryland, and graduate of Grinnell College
• Musician John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats

Josiah Bushnell Grinnell (born December 22, 1821) was a U.S. Congressman from Iowa, ordained Presbyterian clergyman, founder of Grinnell, Iowa and benefactor of Grinnell College. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American editor of a leading newspaper, a founder of the Republican party, reformer and politician. ... Hallie Flanagan (27 August 1889-23 July 1969) was an American theatrical visionary, director, playwright, author, and director of the Federal Theater Project, a part of the Works Progress Administration. ... Scene from Orson Welles Voodoo Macbeth The Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was a project to fund theater performances in the United States during the Great Depression. ... Harry Lloyd Hopkins Harry Lloyd Hopkins (August 17, 1890 – January 29, 1946) was one of Franklin Delano Roosevelts closest advisors. ... FDR may refer to: Franklin Delano Roosevelt - The 32nd President of the United States, Flight data recorder - device used to record aircraft and pilot behavior in order to analyze accidents (usually called black boxes by the news media). ... The New Deal was the title President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to the series of programs he initiated between 1933 and 1938 with the goal of providing relief, recovery, and reform (3 Rs) to the people and economy of the United States during the Great Depression. ... Robert Noyce Robert Noyce (December 12, 1927 – June 3, 1990), nicknamed the Mayor of Silicon Valley, co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel in 1968. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... William C. Billy Robinson (born September 24, 1884, Redfield, South Dakota; died March 11, 1916, near Grinnell, Iowa) was an early American aviator. ... Thomas R. Cech received Nobel Prize in 1989 because he discovered the catalytic properties of RNA with Sidney Altman. ... The Nobel Prizes (pronounced no-BELL or no-bell) are awarded annually to people who have done outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society. ... For other uses, see Chemistry (disambiguation). ... Benjamin R. Barber (b. ... John Darnielle is an American musician, best known as the primary (and often solitary) member of the American lo-fi band The Mountain Goats. ... The Mountain Goats is the name of prolific American singer-songwriter John Darnielles long-running musical project. ...

Downtown Renovations

Downtown renovation plan design for the city of Grinnell

In the spring of 2005, Grinnell embarked upon a renovation project designed to make its downtown area more inviting for residents and tourists. Features of the renovation include: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (582x622, 156 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (582x622, 156 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

• new water mains
• two way streets
• brick crosswalks in the middle of each block
• a median strip at each intersection created with Grinnell's distinctive Jewel Box pattern
• more uniform parking spaces in front of downtown businesses

The second phase of the downtown renovations project will begin in Spring 2007. It will expand the infrastructure upgrades and aesthetic renovations to the southern section of the downtown area to include Commercial Street. A municipal water system is a large system of reservoirs and large-scale piping which supplies fresh water, suitable for human consumption, to houses and other residences. ... This crossing in London was famously featured on the cover of The Beatles album Abbey Road. ... The second proper album of Beth Orton, Central Reservation helped Orton build on the success of her debut Trailer Park. ...

External links

• Maps and aerial photos for 41°44′38″N 92°43′29″W / 41.74375, -92.724742Coordinates: 41°44′38″N 92°43′29″W / 41.74375, -92.724742
  • Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA
• City of Grinnell's webpage which also serves as a portal to many local websites
• Stewart Library, Grinnell, Iowa
• Grinnell Historical Museum
• Grinnell Chamber of Commerce
• Grinnell-Newburg School District

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Poweshiek County, Iowa County seat: Montezuma

Cities

Barnes City | Brooklyn | Deep River | Grinnell | Guernsey | Hartwick | Malcom | Montezuma | Searsboro Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Image File history File links Map_of_Iowa_highlighting_Poweshiek_County. ... Poweshiek County is a county located in the southeastern state of Iowa along Interstate 80, between Des Moines and Iowa City. ... Official language(s) English Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Area  Ranked 26th  - Total 56,272 sq mi (145,743 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 199 miles (320 km)  - % water 0. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Montezuma is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ... Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Barnes City is a city located in Iowa. ... Brooklyn is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ... Deep River is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ... Hartwick is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ... Malcom is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ... Montezuma is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ... Searsboro is a city located in Poweshiek County, Iowa. ...