Laurens is a city in
Pocahontas County, Iowa
Pocahontas County is a county located in Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 7,078, making it the state's ninth-least populous county. The county seat is Pocahontas. The county was formed in 1851.
This county was name ...
, United States. Its population was 1,264 at the
2020 census.
History
Laurens 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 in honor of
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
and
John Laurens
John Laurens (October 28, 1754 – August 27, 1782) was an American soldier and statesman from Province of South Carolina, South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recr ...
, father and son, two French Huguenots who became residents of
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, and were loyal to the Colonies during the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
.
Geography
Laurens is located at (42.847105, -94.849542).
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.
Demographics
2010 census
At the
2010 census there were 1,258 people in 571 households, including 332 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 677 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makup of the city was 97.5% White, 0.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4%.
Of the 571 households 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.8% of households were one person and 16.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.80.
The median age was 45.6 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.6% were from 25 to 44; 29.5% were from 45 to 64; and 21.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
2000 census
At the
2000 census there were 1,476 people in 656 households, including 400 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 711 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makup of the city was 98.68% White, 0.14% Native American, 0.41% Asian, and 0.75% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population were Hispanic
.01% Brazilian .02 Frenchor Latino of any race.
Of the 656 households 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.9% of households were one person and 22.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84.
24.0% are under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median household income was $33,188 and the median family income was $43,661. Males had a median income of $31,063 versus $19,716 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,711. About 4.8% of families and 7.4% 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 7.0% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Laurens is home to the
Laurens–Marathon Community School District
Laurens–Marathon Community School District is a rural state school, public school district headquartered in Laurens, Iowa, also serving Marathon, Iowa, Marathon. The district occupies sections of Buena Vista County, Iowa, Buena Vista, Clay Co ...
. It was a part of the
Laurens Community School District Laurens may refer to:
Places
United States
* Laurens County, Georgia
* Laurens, Iowa, a city
* Laurens (town), New York
* Laurens (village), New York
* Laurens, South Carolina, a city
* Laurens County, South Carolina
* Fort Laurens, an Am ...
until its consolidation into Laurens–Marathon on July 1, 1976. All grades are located in one building in Laurens. In 2000 the enrollment was 423 for all grades, and there were about 40 full-time teaching staff. High school students from Laurens–Marathon have attended Pocahontas Area High School since 2017.
In popular culture
Laurens was the home of
Alvin Straight, a 73-year-old man famous for travelling on a
lawnmower
A lawn mower (also known as a mower, grass cutter or lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the design of the mower, but g ...
. His story was made into the film ''
The Straight Story
''The Straight Story'' is a 1999 biographical road drama film directed by David Lynch. It was edited and produced by Mary Sweeney, Lynch's longtime partner and collaborator, who also co-wrote the script with John E. Roach. It is based on the tru ...
'' (1999), directed by
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
and starring
Richard Farnsworth
Richard William Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 – October 6, 2000) was an American actor and stuntman. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award: in 1978 for Best Supporting Actor for ''Comes a Horseman,'' and in 2000 for Best Actor in '' T ...
(who received an Oscar-nomination for his performance) and
Sissy Spacek
Mary Elizabeth Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for four Briti ...
. It was filmed partly in Laurens. "Laurens, Iowa" is also the title of an instrumental song in its soundtrack.
Sister city
Laurens, France, became a
sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
to Laurens, Iowa, during the preparations for the 2007
quasquicentennial
An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saint ...
(125th anniversary).
Notable people
*
Jesse Schmidt
Jesse Schmidt (born June 23, 1983) is a former arena football wide receiver.
Schmidt was a standout member of the Buena Vista University football team where he set records for catches in a single game (11), most catches in a career (132), most ...
, record breaking
wide receiver for the
Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers are a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). They play their home games at Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, Iowa) ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
*
Alvin Straight, a 73-year-old man famous for travelling 240 miles on a
lawnmower
A lawn mower (also known as a mower, grass cutter or lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the design of the mower, but g ...
; his story was made into the film ''
The Straight Story
''The Straight Story'' is a 1999 biographical road drama film directed by David Lynch. It was edited and produced by Mary Sweeney, Lynch's longtime partner and collaborator, who also co-wrote the script with John E. Roach. It is based on the tru ...
''
*Becky Stoner,
Miss Iowa USA
The Miss Iowa USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Iowa in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since 2008.
While Iowa has not been greatly successful ...
1969
*
Fred C. Gilchrist
Fred Cramer Gilchrist (June 2, 1868 – March 10, 1950) was a seven-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa, from 1931 to 1945.
Born in California, Pennsylvania, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Gilchrist moved with his parents to ...
, member of the Iowa House of Representatives for one term, in 1902–1904. He also served as president of the board of education of Laurens from 1905 to 1928. Returning to legislative service, he served the Iowa Senate from 1923 to 1931. He served seven terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa from 1933–44.
*
Adrian Lynch
Adrian Ryan Lynch (February 9, 1897 – March 16, 1934) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in five games, three of which were starts, for the St. Louis Browns in .
External links
*
1897 births
1934 deaths
Notre Dame Fighting ...
, a pitcher for the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
of the American Baseball League. He broke into the big leagues on August 4, 1920, but played in only five games. His record was 2–0 with a 5.24 ERA.
References
External links
Laurens–Marathon SchoolUnofficial Laurens websiteComprehensive Statistical Data and more about Laurens
{{authority control
Cities in Iowa
Cities in Pocahontas County, Iowa