Fort Dodge 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,

Webster County, Iowa Webster County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,999. The county seat is Fort Dodge. The county was established in January 1851, one of 43 counties established by a legislative package. This ...

, United States, along the

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Na ...

. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S. Routes 20 and 169.

History

Fort Dodge traces its beginnings to 1850 when E Company of the 6th Infantry were sent from Fort Snelling to erect and garrison a fort at the junction of the

and Lizard Creek. It was originally named Fort Clarke but was renamed Fort Dodge because there was another fort with the same name in Texas. It was named after

Henry Dodge Moses Henry Dodge (October 12, 1782 – June 19, 1867) was a Democratic member to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son, Augustus C. Dodge, served a ...

, a governor of

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

(which had included Iowa until Iowa became a state in 1846). The fort was abandoned by the Army in 1853. The next year William Willams, a civilian storekeeper in Fort Dodge, purchased the land and buildings of the old fort. The town of Fort Dodge was founded in 1869. In 1872 the long and continuing history of

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywal ...

production in Iowa started when George Ringland, Webb Vincent, and Stillman T. Meservey formed the Fort Dodge Plaster Mills to mine, grind, and prepare gypsum for commercial use. The Company constructed the first gypsum mill west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

, at the head of what is now known as Gypsum Creek. Fort Dodge is locally referred to as "Little Chicago" because architects modeled downtown buildings to resemble Chicago in the mid-1900s.

Geography

Fort Dodge is located at (42.506803, −94.180271), on the

. 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 25,206 people, 10,275 households, and 5,850 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 11,215 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.7%

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 o ...

, 5.5%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.4% 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 2.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 5.0% of the population. There were 10,275 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 25,136 people, 10,470 households, and 6,376 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 11,168 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.47%

, 3.79%

, 0.21% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.30% from

, and 1.36% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.94% of the population. There were 10,470 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94. Age spread: 24.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,361, and the median income for a family was $42,555. Males had a median income of $31,253 versus $23,360 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,018. About 7.7% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The major industries of Fort Dodge are biofuels, livestock feed,

and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

mining, can production,

drywall Drywall (also called plasterboard, dry lining, wallboard, sheet rock, gypsum board, buster board, custard board, and gypsum panel) is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, typically extruded between thic ...

manufacturing, trucking, the manufacture of

veterinary Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...

s and

vaccine A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified.

s, and retail. Gypsum rock is processed into drywall and plaster products at several Fort Dodge manufacturing facilities. Drywall was patented by a Fort Dodge resident, and the gypsum used to create the Cardiff Giant hoax of the late 19th century was mined at Fort Dodge. Currently National Gypsum Company,

Georgia Pacific Corporation Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towel dispensers, packaging, building products and r ...

Celotex Celotex Corporation is a defunct American manufacturer of insulation and construction materials. It was the subject of a number of high-profile lawsuits over products containing asbestos in the 1980s, eventually declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy in ...

Corporation (now CertainTeed corporation) and the United States Gypsum Company operate gypsum facilities in and around Fort Dodge. Fort Dodge is the home of Fort Dodge Animal Health (a division of Boehringer Ingelheim), a major producer of

s and

s for

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

use. The company's headquarters were moved from Fort Dodge to

Overland Park, Kansas Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As ...

in 1995. Two of the company's three United States manufacturing plants are located in Fort Dodge. At least three major national trucking companies (primarily flatbed carriers serving the drywall industry) are based in Fort Dodge. The city also serves as a retail center for North-Central Iowa. For most of the 20th century,

meatpacking The meat-packing industry (also spelled meatpacking industry or meat packing industry) handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Poultry is generally ...

was a major industry in Fort Dodge. The last two large meatpacking plants (owned by Iowa Beef Processors and

Hormel Hormel Foods Corporation is an American food processing company founded in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota, by George A. Hormel as George A. Hormel & Company. The company originally focused on the packaging and selling of ham, sausage and other pork ...

) closed during the 1980s, when such companies moved their facilities closer to beef production in western states such as the Dakotas. One of the laboratories of Fort Dodge Animal Health was built on the site of a former Hormel processing plant. The Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, a 1,250-bed medium-security state prison, opened in 1998.

Arts and culture

Historical

The Fort Museum and Frontier Village is located on the southwest edge of Fort Dodge. It is a full-scale recreation of a military outpost on the prairie from the 19th century. It also features a reconstructed village from the same time period. Additionally, The Fort Museum has a replica of the Cardiff Giant, an archaeological hoax sculpted from

mined at Fort Dodge. A "Frontier Days" event is held annually on the Fort Museum grounds. It features a parade, beauty pageant, historical reenactments, a buckskinner camp, and live entertainment. 2014 marked the 40th year of the event.

Art

The Blanden Memorial Art Museum, the first public museum of art in the state of Iowa, is located in the historic Oak Hill district of Fort Dodge. The Blanden opened June 5, 1932. The permanent collection on display includes European and American artists prints, sculptures and paintings. The museum also offers art classes for children and adults.

Music

Fort Dodge maintains several music organizations, including a civic choral society, a city-funded municipal band, regional symphony orchestra, a Christian choral union, and a men's barbershop chorus. In 1896, the famous composer

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

composed a piece entitled, "Impromptu to Grieg Men's Chorus in Fort Dodge, Iowa." Shellabration is an annual rock concert held in late July/early August at the Oleson Park Music Pavilion, featuring nationally touring rock groups. Previous performing bands include

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Lizard Creek Blues Society sponsors an annual blues festival, "Blues Under the Trees," every summer, drawing blues musicians from all over the United States. Fort Dodge Choir Boosters (affiliated with

Fort Dodge Senior High School Fort Dodge Senior High School (commonly abbreviated FDSH) is the only public high school in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The school is located in the north-central part of Fort Dodge between Martin Luther King Drive and North 25th Street. It is a part of ...

) hosts the annual "Fort Dodge Choral Festival," which features high school and college choirs from around the upper Midwest under the direction of a nationally recognized conductor/composer. Fort Dodge Senior High School serves as a host location for the Iowa State Marching Band Festival, State Solo & Small Ensemble Festival, and regional high school jazz band competitions.

Theater

Theater and

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

are historically popular arts activities in Fort Dodge, with the community maintaining three independent theater organizations. Hawkeye Community Theatre puts on six full-length productions a year of varied genre. Comedia Musica Players is a civic musical theater troupe that produces an annual musical each fall. Stage Door Productions provides theater training and performance opportunities for middle school, high school, and college-aged students during the summer. It produces one small-cast (10 or fewer) play per year. The two local high schools and the community college produce a student-cast musical each Spring. The

musical is the longest-running high school musical theater tradition in the United States, first produced in 1927.

Historical structures

File:Oleson Park Music Pavilion.jpg, Oleson Park Music Pavilion File:Wahkonsa Hotel.jpg, Wahkonsa Hotel File:Methodist episcopal Fort dodge iowa.jpg, First United Methodist Church File:Fort dodge iowa ferris wheel.jpg, Abandoned

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

, now located in Eagle Grove, Iowa File:Webster co iowa courthhouse.jpg,

County Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

File:Rosedale_Dairy_Fort_Dodge_Iowa.jpg, Abandoned Rosedale Dairy, once manufacturer of

Eskimo Pie Edy's Pie (formerly known as Eskimo Pie) is an American brand of chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream bar wrapped in foil. It was the first such dessert sold in the United States. It is marketed by Dreyer's, a division of Froneri. In wake of the ...

s File:Ft Dodge ghost sign.jpg, Downtown Ghost sign File:Hawkeye_Theatre.jpg, Hawkeye Theatre

Parks and recreation

Oleson Park has woods and hiking trails. The town's recently restored band shell is located here. Snell-Crawford Park (located at Williams Drive and 12th Avenue North) is a local favorite for weekend recreation. It has a disc golf course, three sand volleyball courts, a jogging/walking/bicycling trail, picnic tables, and grills. Soldier Creek runs through the park. Rosedale Rapids, the city's new multimillion-dollar aquatic center, opened north of the roundabout intersection of 10th Avenue North and North 32nd Street in July 2010. The aquatic center features swimming pools, water slides, and a lazy river. John F. Kennedy Park is the nearest

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...

facility to Fort Dodge. It has a large campground, a lake with a swimming beach, a playground, and hiking trails. Lakeside Municipal Golf Course, an 18-hole course, is located here. The Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park opened to the public on July 6, 2006. The park is located on abandoned gypsum mines. Plans are in place for the park to be expanded to as much as in the future. Fort Dodge is a top tubing destination in the state, offering the swift and clear waters of Lizard Creek, solitude on the

from Fort Dodge to the Dolliver Memorial State Park, and the nearby lake at Brushy Creek. The Fort Dodge Country Club par 71 golf course is one of Iowa's top courses. Woodman Hollow State Preserve lies roughly 7 miles southeast of Fort Dodge. Fort Frenzy opened east of town in late 2013. It features family-friendly activities such as an arcade, bumper boats, bumper cars, mini golf, go karts, laser tag, skating, and bowling.

Education

Fort Dodge is the home to the central campus of

Iowa Central Community College Iowa Central Community College is a public community college in Fort Dodge, Iowa, with satellite campuses in Webster City and Storm Lake. History The college was organized in 1966 on the foundation of three area junior colleges which had been ...

. Fort Dodge is served by the Fort Dodge Community School District. The public school system includes

(9−12), Fort Dodge Middle School (5−8), and several elementary schools. Duncombe Elementary closed briefly in 2015 due to structural issues, and was operating in the former Fair Oaks Middle School. The new building opened in Fall 2018, and serves grades 1–4. Private schools in Fort Dodge include St. Edmond (Preschool−12), Community Christian School (Preschool−8), St Paul Lutheran (Preschool−8), and Harvest Baptist School (K−12). Fort Dodge has been the location of Iowa High School Athletic Association championship events. Currently, the cross country championships are held at John F. Kennedy Park north of the town. Fort Dodge also hosts the Iowa girls' softball championship tournament at Harlan Rogers Park.

Media

;AM radio stations * 540 KWMT (Three Eagles Communications, news/country/farm) 5 kW day/.2 kW night * 1400 KVFD (Three Eagles Communications, news/talk/sports) – 1 kW ;FM radio stations * 88.1

KICB KICB (88.1 FM broadcasting, FM) is a non-commercial radio station that serves the Fort Dodge, Iowa area. The station broadcasts an Alternative Radio, Alternative format. KICB is licensed to Iowa Central Community College. Iowa Central Communit ...

(Iowa Central Community College Broadcasting, "88.1 The Point", alternative rock) – 0.2 kW * 89.5

KLFG KLFG (89.5 FM) is a radio station that serves the Fort Dodge, Iowa area. The station broadcasts a Contemporary Christian music format airing Educational Media Foundation's K-Love network programming. The transmitter and broadcast tower are lo ...

(Family Radio, "Family Radio", Religious) – 17 kW * 91.1 KNSK (Iowa State University/WOI Radio Group, NPR) 100 kW * 92.1 KZLB (Three Eagles Communications, "The Eagle", Classic Rock) – 6 kW * 94.5

KKEZ KKEZ (94.5 MHz, "Mix 94.5") is a commercial FM radio station in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It has a hot adult contemporary radio format and is owned by Alpha Media. The transmitter is off U.S. Route 169 at Avenue G in Fort Dodge. History In 1966, t ...

(Three Eagles Communications, "Mix 94.5", Hot Adult Contemporary) – 100 kW * 96.9

KIAQ KIAQ (96.9 FM) is a commercial radio station that serves the Fort Dodge, Iowa area. The station broadcasts a country music format. KIAQ is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Digity 3E License, LLC. History The station was originally lic ...

(Three Eagles Communications, "Hot Country K97", Country) – 100 kW * 99.7 KXFT (Three Eagles Communications, "Sunny 99.7", Adult Contemporary) – 25 kW * 105.9

KTLB KTLB (105.9 FM) is a radio station that broadcasts from Fort Dodge, Iowa (licensed to Twin Lakes, Iowa). The station broadcasts a classic hits music format as "105.9 The Beach". The station is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Digity 3E L ...

(Three Eagles Communications, "Hippie Radio", Oldies) – 25 kW ;Online radio stations * Fort Dodge Radio (Fort Dodge Radio, "80's With The 70's Best Rock!") ;Broadcast television stations * KTIN 21, local

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

member station,

Iowa PBS Iowa PBS, formerly Iowa Public Television (IPTV), is a network of Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) member stations in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is owned by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, an agency of the state education department which ...

network member. * A commercial TV station, last known as

KVFD-TV KVFD-TV, UHF analog channel 21, was an NBC- affiliated television station licensed to Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States, which operated from November 23, 1953 to May 4, 1977. History Edward J. Breen, a Fort Dodge attorney and former Democratic s ...

, an NBC affiliate, operated on channel 21 from 1953 until 1970 then moved to channel 50. On May 4, 1977, its tower and transmitter were destroyed by a tornado. The owner died before he could rebuild it, and his heirs were not interested in continuing it. KVFD was never rebuilt and the call letters have been returned to the FCC. Fort Dodge is served from the television stations in the Ames-Des Moines metro area. ;Print * '' Fort Dodge Messenger'', daily newspaper

Infrastructure

Surface transportation

U.S. Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

bypasses Fort Dodge to the south, and U.S. 169 skirts the west side of the city; both highways have business routes through town. Iowa Highway 7 has its terminus at the northwest edge of the city. DART (Dodger Area Rapid Transit) maintains six local bus routes that connect to most commercial, medical, and educational locations on weekdays only. Jefferson Bus lines serves Fort Dodge with a link to Williams, where travelers can connect to the expanded Jefferson line.

Airport

The Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD) is located just north of town. It is primarily a general aviation airport.

Health care

Unity Point Hospital, formerly Trinity Regional Medical Center, is Fort Dodge's only hospital.

Sister cities

As of December 13, 2016, Fort Dodge has one sister city: *

Gjakova Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants. Geographicall ...

, Kosovo

Notable people

Lewis Armistead Lewis Addison Armistead (February 18, 1817 – July 5, 1863) was a career United States Army officer who became a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. On July 3, 1863, as part of Pickett's Charge during ...

(February 18, 1817 – July 5, 1863), as part of Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg, he led his brigade to the high-water mark of the Confederacy *

Emil Lewis Holmdahl Emil Lugwig "Lewis" Holmdahl (August 26, 1883 – April 8, 1963) was an American soldier of fortune, infantryman, machine gunner, spy, gun runner, and treasure hunter who fought under Frederick Funston and John J. Pershing in the Spanish� ...

(1883-1963), American infantryman, machine gunner, soldier of fortune, spy, gun runner, and treasure hunter *

Lew Anderson Lewis Burr Anderson (May 7, 1922 – May 14, 2006) was an American actor and musician. He is widely known by TV fans as the third and final actor to portray Clarabell the Clown on ''Howdy Doody'' between 1954 and 1960. He famously spoke C ...

(1922–2006), last Clarabell the Clown on ''

Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell

'' * Samuel Z. Arkoff (1918-2002), B movie producer * Cathie Beck (1955-present), journalist and writer * Suzanne M. Bianchi (1952–2013), sociologist *

Joan Blaine Joan Blaine (April 20, 1900 - April 18, 1949) was an American actress best known for her work in soap operas on old-time radio. Early years Blaine was born April 20, ca. 1900 Cox, Jim (2008). ''This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Bi ...

(1910-1949), actress * Scott Bloomquist(1963-present), race car driver *

Clara Breed Clara Estelle Breed (March 19, 1906 – September 8, 1994) was an American librarian remembered chiefly for her support for Japanese American children during World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, many residents ...

(1906-1994), librarian and activist on behalf of

Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

s during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

* Holm O. Bursum (1867-1963), politician for the state of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

* Cyrus Clay Carpenter (1829–1898), Governor of Iowa *

Nick Collison Nicholas John Collison (born October 26, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is a special assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He spent his entire career with the Seattl ...

(1980-present), professional basketball player *

Gene Elston Robert Gene Elston (March 26, 1922 – September 5, 2015) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) broadcaster, primarily with the Houston Astros. Early life and career A native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Elston was born on March 26, 1922. He started work i ...

(1922-2015), sportscaster and Baseball Hall of Fame honoree * Nate Erdmann (1973-present), professional basketball player * Lou Fiene (1884–1964),

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), ...

pitcher * Gene Ford (1912–1970), Major League Baseball pitcher * Robert Garrison (1960-2019), sculptor * William Greehey (1936-present), businessman and philanthropist born in Fort Dodge and graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 1954. Founder of Valero Energy, Nustar Energy, and the 2001 recipient of the distinguished Horatio Alger Award * Thomas Heggen, author of '' Mister Roberts'', which was made into a Broadway play and a Hollywood film *

Walter Howey Walter Crawford Howey (January 16, 1882 in Fort Dodge, Iowa – March 21, 1954 in Boston) was a Hearst newspaper editor and the model for Walter Burns, the scheming, ruthless managing editor in Hecht and MacArthur's play ''The Front Page''. Ea ...

, journalist and editor * Mary Kelly, artist, social activist, educator and writer *

Corita Kent Corita Kent (November 20, 1918 – September 18, 1986), born Frances Elizabeth Kent and also known as Sister Mary Corita Kent, was an American artist, designer and educator, and former religious sister. Key themes in her work included Christian ...

, artist, social activist and

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

* William S. Kenyon, U.S. senator and federal appeals court judge * Karl King, conductor * Bill Koll (1923–2003),

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

champion, Wrestling Hall of Fame member * Lisa Koll (born 1987),

record holder in

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The ra ...

Mitch Krebs Mitch Krebs was the co-anchor of the 6:00pm and 10:00pm news at KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota until February 1, 2007. He is married to former South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs (R). Biography Mitch Krebs was born in Fort Dodge, ...

news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

* Richard D. McCormick, director of

Wells Fargo & Company Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...

* John M. Peters, lawyer and legislator *

Katie Porter Katherine Moore Porter (born January 3, 1974) is an American politician, law professor, and lawyer who is the U.S. representative from California's 45th congressional district since 2019. She is the first Democrat to be elected to represent the ...

, member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

from

California's 45th congressional district California's 45th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California currently represented by Republican Michelle Steel. It was one of 18 districts that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election while ...

* Daniel Rhodes, ceramic artist and author *

Steve Stark Steve Stark is a television producer and studio executive. He currently is the Chairman & Executive Producer for Toluca Pictures. Early life Steve grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa and attended Northwestern University where he graduated with a bache ...

, television producer, president of production,

MGM Television MGM Television Worldwide Group and Digital (alternatively Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television Group and Digital, commonly known as MGM Television and then-known as MGM/UA Television; common metonym: Lion) is an American television production/dis ...

Brad Steiger Brad Steiger (February 19, 1936 – May 6, 2018) was an American author of fiction and non-fiction works on the paranormal, spirituality, UFOs, true crime and biographies. His books sold well to the public but were widely criticized by academ ...

(1936-2018), writer * Jeff Struecker,

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

chaplain and author *

Bill Tilghman William Matthew Tilghman Jr. (July 4, 1854 – November 1, 1924) was a career lawman, gunfighter, and politician in Kansas and Oklahoma during the late 19th century. Tilghman was a Dodge City city marshal in the early 1880s and played a role in ...

, lawman and

gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

Don Ultang Donald Theodore Ultang (March 23, 1917 – September 18, 2008) was an American photographer, a pioneer in aerial photography and a Pulitzer Prize winner. Ultang was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa and raised in Cedar Rapids. He attended the University o ...

, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer * Betsy Warland, poet and writer * Dale Warland,

choral conductor Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary duties ...

and clinician * Kevin Wickander,

MLB 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

References

External links

Official Fort Dodge City WebsiteGreater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance
(formerly Fort Dodge Chamber of Commerce and Webster County Development Corporation)
Fort Dodge Convention & Visitors Bureau
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Fort Dodge, Iowa {{Authority control Populated places established in 1850 Cities in Iowa Micropolitan areas of Iowa Cities in Webster County, Iowa County seats in Iowa 1850 establishments in Iowa