Eagle Grove is a city in Wright County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States. The population was 3,601 at the time of the 2020 census. Eagle Grove is the largest city in Wright County.

History

Eagle Grove was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1881. It was named from the eagle nests seen by early settlers in a nearby Oak tree grove perched above the bank of the Boone River . In 1851 Mr. N. B. Paine moved to Wright County, purchased property and constructed a log cabin that stood directly west of the grove. The nest was over six feet in diameter. The eagles settled in the nest in the spring and summer of 1855-56, However in the spring of 1857 they were shot and killed by a trapper. Thus Eagle Grove was named in honour of these eagles. . On February 2, 1973, a natural gas explosion killed 13 people and leveled the Chatterbox Cafe and the neighboring Coast to Coast hardware store at the southeast corner of Broadway Street and Commerce Avenue.

Geography

Eagle Grove is located near the Boone River. 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 , all land.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 3,583 people, 1,500 households, and 924 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,649 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.8% 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 1.8% 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 ...

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 8.9% of the population. There were 1,500 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 32.4% 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 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 41 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,712 people, 1,511 households, and 994 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,607 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.33%

, 0.16%

, 0.05% Native American, 0.08%

, 1.35% from

, and 1.02% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.05% of the population. There were 1,511 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% 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 2.96. Age spread: 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,505, and the median income for a family was $42,757. Males had a median income of $30,930 versus $19,487 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $20,563. About 2.8% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Eagle Grove is one of the few non-county-seat towns in Iowa to be home of the county fair. The Wright County District Junior Fair is held in early July each summer in Greenwood Park and brings people from the region to Eagle Grove. Recent improvements have been made to the fair grounds as the Wright County Fair continues to expand.

Education

The Eagle Grove Community School District serves children from PreK to 12th grade. The district covers area of

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...

, Humboldt, and

Webster Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta *Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United State ...

counties, and serves the communities of Eagle Grove,

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

, Woolstock, and the surrounding rural areas. There are 836 students in grades K-12. The district has built a new P/K-4 elementary school attached to the middle school after approving a bond referendum.

School sports

Eagle Grove High School is a member of the

Iowa High School Athletic Association The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is the regulating body for male Iowa high school interscholastic athletics and is a full member of the National Federation of State High School Associations. Its female counterpart, the Iowa Girls ...

and competes in an athletic conference called the Top of Iowa Conference. The conference consists of 18 schools that are in 1A & 2A. ----

Notable people

* Robert D. Blue (1898–1989) 30th Governor of

from 1945-49 * Frances Lee, a

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

actress *

Alvin Setzepfandt Alvin Otto Henry Setzepfandt (February 7, 1924 – January 7, 2013) was an American veterinarian and politician. Born in Eagle Grove, Iowa, Setzepfandt graduated from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During World War II, he served ...

, veterinarian and Minnesota politician

References

External links

City websiteEagle Grove Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Wright County, Iowa 1881 establishments in Iowa