Waverly, Iowa | |
|---|---|
 Location of Waverly, Iowa | |
  Waverly, Iowa Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:42°43′49″N92°29′20″W / 42.73028°N 92.48889°W /42.73028; -92.48889 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Bremer |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.76 sq mi (30.46 km2) |
| • Land | 11.26 sq mi (29.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.50 sq mi (1.30 km2) |
| Elevation | 892 ft (272 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,394 |
| • Density | 923.0/sq mi (356.39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 50677 |
| Area code | 319 |
| FIPS code | 19-82875 |
| GNIS feature ID | 468955[2] |
| Website | www |
Waverly is a city inBremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,394 at the time of the2020 census.[3] It is thecounty seat of Bremer County[4] and is part of theWaterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. Waverly is situated along theCedar River and is accessible via theAvenue of the Saints for transportation.
The sister city of Waverly is theGerman city ofEisenach, which is famous for theWartburg castle. Waverly is the location ofWartburg College, which is named after the castle.
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The first permanent residents of Waverly were settled there against their will. Because of their alleged assistance given to ChiefBlack Hawk during theBlackhawk War of 1832, theWinnebago were forced to cede their lands east of the Mississippi and to move to Neutral Ground in what is now northeastern Iowa. They were to receive $270,000 ($10,000 per year for 27 years) and were required to surrender several of their tribesmen accused of murdering whites during the war. At that time there were three tribes living in the area, the Ho-Chunk numbering about 500, the Meskwaki numbering about 100 and the Pottawattomi numbering about 50. With Iowa statehood in 1846, the Winnebago were moved again. In an 1845 treaty, the Winnebago exchanged their Iowa lands for the 800,000-acre (3,200 km2) Long Prairie (Crow Wing River) reserve in Minnesota and $190,000. In 1848, a detachment of United States troops fromFort Atkinson, Iowa, came to enforce the removal. All told, between 1840 and 1863, the Winnebagoes were moved five times. They were pushed first to northeastern Iowa, then to Long Prairie, Minnesota, then to Blue Earth, Minnesota, then to Crow Creek, South Dakota. In 1865, after the constant upheaval cost 700 tribal members’ lives, the current Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska was established by the treaties of 1865 and 1874. The tribe lost more than two thirds of this land in the General Allotment Act of 1887. By 1913, only 120,000 acres (490 km2) of cropland, woodland, and pasture remained. The tribe is federally recognized and organized under the 1934Indian Reorganization Act. The Winnebago Tribe established a constitution in 1936 which was amended in 1968.
Frederick Cretzmeyer is credited with being the first European settler in Waverly. Having purchased 160 acres (0.6 km2) in 1852, he built a log hut on the east side of the Cedar River (or what was once called the Red Cedar River). Soon more homes were constructed as other settlers arrived, with some of their later homes built just over the hill behind the old recycling center.
William Patterson Harmon came to Waverly in the spring of 1853 with the idea of establishing a town and a saw mill. He purchased most of what is now Waverly from the United States Government for $1.25 an acre. The area was incorporated as a town on April 25, 1859, according to the Library of the State of Iowa. (A centennial celebration was held in August 1956.)
Two stories exist on how the town was named. The speaker at the ceremony was said to have been a fan ofSir Walter Scott'sWaverley novels and when it came time to name the town (which settlers had wanted to call Harmonville or Harmon) he inadvertently called it Waverly. The myth goes that Jennie Harmon Case later wrote that it was her father who was the speaker and that he made the decision to name the town after the favorite book, instead of the proposed "Harmonville." Coincidentally, Bremer County's name also honors a person eminent in literature. Bremer was named in 1850 byGovernor Hempstead, who was an admirer of the Swedish feminist authorFredrika Bremer.[5]
The first school was started by Charles Ensign in a log cabin in 1854. A stone school house was erected by 1855 and additional schools were built in 1861 and 1868. The first graduating class of the Waverly High School was the class of 1875 with two students. Wartburg College moved to Waverly from Clinton, Iowa, in 1856. The public library was established in 1866.
In 2014, theWaverly East Bremer Avenue Commercial Historic District was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. Among the noted buildings in the listing is the WPA-era post office, which contains amural designed by artistMildred W. Pelzer for theSection of Painting and Sculpture, later called theSection of Fine Arts, of theTreasury Department. The painting, calledA Letter from Home in 1856, depicted a farm family pausing during plowing to read a letter from their former home.[6]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.51 square miles (29.81 km2), of which 11.01 square miles (28.52 km2) is land and 0.50 square miles (1.29 km2) is water.[7]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 2,291 | — |
| 1880 | 2,345 | +2.4% |
| 1890 | 2,346 | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 3,177 | +35.4% |
| 1910 | 3,205 | +0.9% |
| 1920 | 3,352 | +4.6% |
| 1930 | 3,652 | +8.9% |
| 1940 | 4,156 | +13.8% |
| 1950 | 5,124 | +23.3% |
| 1960 | 6,357 | +24.1% |
| 1970 | 7,205 | +13.3% |
| 1980 | 8,444 | +17.2% |
| 1990 | 8,539 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 8,968 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 9,874 | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 10,394 | +5.3% |
| Source:"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau. RetrievedMarch 29, 2020. Source: | ||
As of the 2020 United States census, the population of Waverly, Iowa, was 10,394, an increase from 9,874 recorded in the 2010 census.[9] The racial composition of the city was predominantly White (94.1%), with African Americans making up 1.0%, Asians 1.5%, Hispanics or Latinos 2.0%, and 1.3% identifying as two or more races.[10] The population had a slight female majority, with 51.8% female and 48.2% male. The age distribution included 19.5% under the age of 18, 18.4% between 18 and 24 (a group significantly represented by students at Wartburg College), 22.1% aged 25 to 44, 23.1% aged 45 to 64, and 16.9% aged 65 and older. The city contained 4,274 housing units, of which 95.3% were occupied and 4.7% were vacant.[11] The average household size was 2.34 persons, and family households accounted for 65.5% of the total. The median household income was $70,301, and the poverty rate stood at approximately 7.2%.[12] Educational attainment was high, with 97.1% of residents aged 25 and over having graduated from high school, and 36.8% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.[13]
At the 2010census,[14] there were 9,874 people, 3,546 households and 2,294 families in the city. Thepopulation density was 896.8 per square mile (346.3/km2). There were 3,732 housing units at an average density of 339.0 per square mile (130.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%White, 1.7%African American, 0.1%Native American, 1.2%Asian, 0.3% fromother races, and 1.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 1.3% of the population.
There were 3,546 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% weremarried couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.86.
The median age was 33.1 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.9% were from 25 to 44; 21.5% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.
At the 2000,census,[15] there were 8,968 people, 3,238 households and 2,143 families residing in the city. The population density was 803.4 inhabitants per square mile (310.2/km2). There were 3,394 housing units at an average density of 304.0 per square mile (117.4/km2). The racial makeup was 97.11%White, 1.05%African American, 0.11%Native American, 0.87%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.12% fromother races, and 0.72% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 0.61% of the population.
There were 3,238 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% weremarried couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90.
21.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 20.4% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.
Themedian household income was $39,587 and the median family income was $52,656. Males had a median income of $36,369 and females $22,031. Theper capita income was $18,285. About 2.1% of families and 6.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Wartburg College, maintained by theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a four-yearliberal-arts college in Waverly that opened in 1852. In the 2016–2017 school year, the college had an enrollment of 1,482 students.[16]
TheWaverly-Shell Rock Community School District operates localpublic schools[17] and is made of seven schools including four elementary schools, a middle school (grades 5 through 8), ahigh school, and a residential alternative high school.[18] The district strives "to create a passion for learning that will sustain students for a lifetime".[19] In the 2005–06 school year, the district had 2,020 K-12 students, of whom 1,823 were regular education students and 197 were special education students. Thirty-four of the special education students are served in Greenview High School, an alternative high school program. Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High completed building a new auditorium and gymnasium in 2008.
St. Paul's Lutheran School.[20] In the 2010–2011 school year, 139 students were enrolled in K-6 and 87 students in pre-school. More than half of the students come from neighboring congregations and assistance is given to families who demonstrate financial need. The school offers a Gifted and Talented program; a Partners in Education Program, in which students and residents at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community work together; and several unique opportunities in the fine arts.
Major employers in Waverly includeCUNA Mutual Group, Waverly Health Center,Wartburg College,Nestlé Beverage,Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District, Peoples Insurance Agency and the GMT Corporation.[21]
The City of Waverly has amayor council form of government. The city has a professional city administrator who is hired by the city council. There is a seven-member city council: five elected members from wards, two members elected at-large. The mayor is elected by all citizens.[22]
Waverly's police department consists of 16 officers.[23]
The fire department is avolunteer force of 30 to 40 citizens.[24]
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In 1993, Waverly Light & Power Company became the first public power system in the Midwest to own and operate wind generation. The Zond 80 kW turbine was installed on a farm just outside the city. In 1999, two 75 kW turbines were added nearAlta, Iowa. They are part of the 259 turbines on a wind farm near Storm Lake. In 2001, the first turbine was replaced by a 90 kW turbine which has produced 111,000kwh in 15 days. WLP has set a goal known as "20 by 20-20" which means they are striving to generate 20% of its energy with renewable sources by the year 2020. The latest step in reaching that goal is to build a new ISEP energy park in Dallas County.
Waverly Health Center is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Waverly. It provides inpatient care, ambulatory surgery, outpatient services, specialty clinics and emergency room care to area residents. More than 50 health care providers and visiting specialists care for patients there, allowing residents local access to specialized care.[25] Waverly Health Center is accredited by the Joint Commission.[26]
KWAY (AM) andKWAY-FM are located on the south side of Waverly. Studios and transmitters are there.
Waverly may have the highest national per capita concentration of ordainedEvangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) clergy. One estimate in the 1990s suggested Waverly had 37 ordained ELCA clergy, with a population of about 9,000. This estimate was made during the days preceding the ELCA decision regardingCalled to Common Mission. If accurate, this would equal a ratio of one clergy member for every 243 people.
Waverly also has St. John Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with theLutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
Municipalities and communities ofBremer County, Iowa,United States | ||
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| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated community | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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