Hedrick is a city in Keokuk 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 th ...

, United States. The population was 728 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

In 1882, the Burlington and Western Railway a

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

line, and its competitor, the

Iowa Central Railway Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, 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: Wiscon ...

, built competing east–west lines through the area. These crossed the Rock Island tracks here, so it was a natural location for a station and town.David Lotz and Charles Franzen, 'Rails to a County Seat', The Print Shop, Washington Iowa, 1989; pages 37, 47-52. Hedrick was incorporated on April 23, 1883. It was named for General Hedrick. The Burlington and Western was widened to standard gauge in 1902 and merged into the

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 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 ...

a year later. The Minneapolis and St. Louis took over the Iowa Central around the same time, and the Burlington line was abandoned in 1934. By 1991 several businesses in the community's main street closed, and the economy had declined. The school serving the town closed that year. In 2023, the city was struck by an EF-4 rated

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

Geography

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 , all of it land.

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 764 people, 310 households, and 211 families living 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 356 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.3%

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 ...

, 1.2%

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 ...

, and 0.5% 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 1.4% of the population. There were 310 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 832 people, 335 households, and 233 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 371 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.92%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.12% 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 0.84% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.84% of the population. There were 335 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,714, and the median income for a family was $37,917. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $20,476 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 $14,166. About 9.0% of families and 13.5% 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 16.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Few businesses are open in the old historic business district; most businesses open to the public are located along Highway 149.

Arts and culture

Hedrick is notable for its well-preserved brick Main Street and its depot, formerly serving the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (east-west) and the

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At the end ...

(north-south).

Notable person

Neal Edward Smith Neal Edward Smith (March 23, 1920 – November 2, 2021) was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives for the Democratic Party from Iowa from 1959 until 1995, the longest-serving Iowan in the United S ...

, Former U.S. Representative

Education

Hedrick is in the Pekin Community School District, which operates schools in Pekin. The former Hedrick Community School District was involuntarily dissolved by the State of Iowa on July 1, 1991,REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66
" Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on January 14, 2019. due to not meeting state requirements to be a certified school in that state. It was the first school district in Iowa to be closed involuntarily by the state government. Students in Hedrick itself were rezoned to Pekin schools.

References

External links

Hedrick, Iowa

{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Keokuk County, Iowa 1883 establishments in Iowa