Creston is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Union County, Iowa
Union County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,138. The county seat is Creston. Organized at a time of tensions before the Civil War, the county was named in 1853 ...
.
The population was 7,536 at the time of the
2020 Census.
History
![West end old station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/West_end_old_station.jpg)
Creston was originally settled in 1868 as a survey camp for the
Burlington and Missouri Railroad. It was named for the fact that it was on the crest of the railroad line between the Missouri and Mississippi river basins. The area was developed largely for agriculture, with related industries accompanying it. Creston had a flour mill in the early decades of the 20th century. The town was officially established in 1869 and incorporated in 1871.
Creston was chosen as the division point for the railroad, who built machine shops, a roundhouse, and a construction camp in the new town. Railroad employees, including African Americans, were recruited from Chicago and other major cities to work in Creston. The
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...
(CB&Q) opened a new station in Creston in 1899. The three-story, yellow brick
Creston station is in the
French Provincial
''French Provincial'' (french: Souvenirs d’en France) is a 1975 French drama film directed by André Téchiné, starring Jeanne Moreau, Michel Auclair and Marie-France Pisier. The film presents an overview of French life and politics though th ...
style, with a red-tiled
mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The ...
.
Creston's economy and population were affected during the mid-20th century by a reduction in passenger train service and decline in railroad employment. The old machine shop building was destroyed by a tornado in 1946 and the remainder of the roundhouse burned down in 1981. The CB&Q station served passengers for 69 years before being renovated in 1978 to serve as city hall.
The railroad, now
BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
, continues to be a major hauler of grain and coal in the region and uses Creston as a crew change point: Creston-based crews operate trains between Creston and
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
, while crews from
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria. At the 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical ...
and Lincoln stay in Creston before returning home.
Creston is served by
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's daily Chicago–San Francisco Bay Area ''
California Zephyr
The ''California Zephyr'' is a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area (at Emeryville), via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. At , it is Amtrak's longest daily route, and second-longest overall ...
''. Amtrak has used Creston's historic CB&Q station since 2019.
2012 tornado
Creston was hit by an EF2 tornado on April 14, 2012. The tornado caused considerable damage to the hospital, community college, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the high school. The town's tornado sirens did not sound, catching people off guard. Patients at the hospital were transferred to other local hospitals. The college suffered roof and window damage to its dorms and students were transferred to local hotels for the rest of the school semester. Fourteen people suffered minor injuries; there were no deaths. The Greater Regional Medical Center was two weeks from an open house to unveil a major renovation when it was severely damaged by the tornado. One year after the tornado and $10 million in renovations later, the hospital was fully restored.
Geography
Creston is located on
U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34 (US 34) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from north-central Colorado to the western suburbs of Chicago. Through Rocky Mountain National Park it is known as the Trail Ridge Road where it reaches elevation ...
in southwest Iowa, approximately 55 miles (90 km) southwest of
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
and east of
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
McKinley Lake lies within a large, multi-purpose municipal park within the city limits, and three additional recreational lakes are located within seven miles of Creston:
Green Valley State Park
Green Valley State Park is a state park in Union County, Iowa, in the United States. The park is composed of Green Valley Lake and land around it, approximately north of the town of Creston.
Green Valley Lake is an artificial lake, one of ...
, Summit Lake, Twelve Mile Lake and Three Mile Recreation Area.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Creston has a
hot-summer humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
of 2010, there were 7,834 people, 3,378 households, and 1,973 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,773 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.0%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.0%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.6%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.8% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.3% of the population.
There were 3,378 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% 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 2.87.
The median age in the city was 38.8 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, there were 7,597 people, 3,346 households, and 1,974 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 3,598 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.13%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.34%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.22%
Native American, 0.34%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.38% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.58% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.26% of the population.
There were 3,346 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86.
Age spread: 22.6% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,831, and the median income for a family was $41,003. Males had a median income of $27,580 versus $20,172 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,411. About 7.0% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Creston is served by the
Creston Community School District
Creston Community School District is a public school district headquartered in Creston, Iowa.
The district is in sections of Adams and Union counties, with a very small section in Ringgold County. It serves Creston and Prescott.
, it had a ...
:
* Creston High School
* Creston Middle School
* Creston Elementary School
Private Schools in Creston include:
* St. Malachy School (K-8) of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines
The Diocese of Des Moines ( la, Diœcesis Desmoinensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the southwestern quarter of the U.S. state of Iowa. It is a suffragan see in the ecclesiastical province of ...
* Mayflower Heritage Christian Academy (K-8)
Colleges
*
Southwestern Community College
*
Buena Vista University
Buena Vista University is a private university in Storm Lake, Iowa. Founded in 1891 as Buena Vista College, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The university's campus is situated on the shores of Storm Lake, a natural lake.
At i ...
– Creston Campus
Notable people
*
Harry Archer, Broadway composer and bandleader
*
William Bell, tubist
*
Julee Cruise
Julee Ann Cruise (December 1, 1956 – June 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress, known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She released fo ...
, actor and singer
*
Walter Cunningham
Ronnie Walter Cunningham (born March 16, 1932) is a retired American astronaut. In 1968, he was a lunar module pilot on the Apollo 7 mission. He was NASA's third civilian astronaut (after Neil Armstrong and Elliot See), and has also been a ...
(born 1932)
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
on the
Apollo 7
Apollo 7 (October 1122, 1968) was the first crewed flight in NASA's Apollo program, and saw the resumption of human spaceflight by the agency after the fire that killed the three Apollo 1 astronauts during a launch rehearsal test on Ja ...
mission
*
Sherry Edmundson Fry
Sherry Edmundson Fry (September 29, 1879 – June 9, 1966) was an American sculptor, who also played a prominent role in U.S. Army camouflage during World War I.
Early years
Fry was born in Creston, Iowa. After completing high school, he enrolle ...
, sculptor and co-founder of the American Army
Camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
Corps
*
Dick Wick Hall
Dick Wickenburg "Dick Wick" Hall (born DeForest Hall, March 20, 1877 – April 28, 1926) was an American humorist. As co-founder and initial resident of Salome, Arizona he began publishing ''The Salome Sun'', a newsletter containing tall tales a ...
, writer and humorist
*
Jerry Harrington,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player
*
Bob Hawk
Bob Hawk (December 15, 1907 - July 4, 1989) was an American radio quizmaster and comic whose early work in radio set the standard for the "man in the street” interviews.
Early years
Born in Creston, Iowa, Hawk began his career by reading po ...
, radio personality
*
Jerome C. Hunsaker (1886–1984), designer of
flying boat
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
s and
airship
An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.
In early ...
s
*
James M. McCoy
James Mark McCoy (July 30, 1930 – July 13, 2022) was the sixth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, serving from 1979 to 1981.
Early life
McCoy was born in Creston, Iowa, on July 30, 1930, and graduated from Maur Hill High School, Atchis ...
, 6th
Chief Master Sergeant of the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
.
*
Edward E. Miller
Edward Edwin Miller (July 22, 1880 – August 1, 1946) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Illinois.
Biography
Born in Creston, Iowa, Miller attended the common schools. He moved to East St. Louis, St. Clair ...
,
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
*
Frosty Peters
Forrest Ingram "Frosty" Peters (April 22, 1904 – April 17, 1980) was an American football player who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Providence Steam Roller, Portsmouth Spartans, Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago ...
, American football player
*
Frank Phillips, founder of the
Phillips Petroleum Company
Phillips Petroleum Company was an American oil company incorporated in 1917 that expanded into petroleum refining, marketing and transportation, natural gas gathering and the chemicals sectors. It was Phillips Petroleum that first found oil in the ...
*
John Robinson (born 1954), one of the most recorded drummers in history
*
Ray Sorensen, member of the
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...
*
Phyllis Thede
Phyllis Thede (born February 23, 1954) is an American politician, representing the 93rd District in the Iowa House of Representatives as a member of the Iowa Democratic Party. With a background in community education and unions, she was first ele ...
(born 1954), lived here as a child; since 2009 she has served as an Iowa state representative
*
Marcia Wallace
Marcia Karen Wallace (November 1, 1942 – October 25, 2013) was an American actress and comedian, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies. She is best known for her roles as receptionist Carol Kester on the 1970s sitc ...
(1942–2013), actress
*
Kiersten Warren
Kiersten Nicolla Dale Warren is an American actress. Her best known roles include Alex Tabor on '' Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' and Nora Huntington on ''Desperate Housewives''.
Life and career
Warren is the mother of actress Misti Tra ...
, actress
References
External links
Creston City WebsiteCreston Iowa Information
{{authority control
Cities in Iowa
Cities in Union County, Iowa
County seats in Iowa
Populated places established in 1868
1868 establishments in Iowa