Mystic, Iowa
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Mystic is a city in
Appanoose County Appanoose County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,317. Its county seat is Centerville. History Appanoose County was formed on February 17, 1843, from open territory. It was named for th ...
,
Iowa 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 ...
, United States. The population was 322 at the time of the 2020 census.


History

At the end of the 19th century, "the valley of Walnut Creek was one continuous mining camp, known under different names, Jerome, Diamond, Mystic, Clarkdale, Rathbun and Darby" (later known as Darbyville).H. Foster Bain, Geology of Appanoose County
Iowa Geological Survey Annual Report, 1895
Conway, Des Moines, 1896; page 389.
The present name is derived from Mystic, Connecticut. A. M. Elgin opened the first coal mine in the Mystic area in 1857, about 1.5 miles north of Mystic on Little Walnut Creek. The Mystic coal seam was exposed on the surface there, and drifts were opened and abandoned over the next few decades until the hills were honeycombed with mines. In 1858, Isaac Fuller opened a large mine in Mystic, shipping coal for domestic use in nearby Centerville. In 1887, the
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...
built a line through Mystic, leading to an explosive growth in mining. By 1893, there were 14 mines in Mystic and 2 in Brazil, just to the south. It is noteworthy that the terms ''brass'', ''brazzle'' and ''brazil'' are English dialect terms for
pyrite The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Iron, FeSulfur, S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic Luster (mineralogy), lust ...
or to coal seams with significant pyrite content and that a shale layer not far above the Mystic coal seam in Mystic and Brazil contains significant pyrite. Local Assembly 3335 of the
Knights of Labor Knights of Labor (K of L), officially Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor, was an American labor federation active in the late 19th century, especially the 1880s. It operated in the United States as well in Canada, and had chapters also ...
was based in Brazil and had a membership of 75 in 1884. The miners of Mystic and Brazil joined the
United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...
in 1898. By 1902, Local 201 in Brazil had 220 members and Local 634 in Mystic had 569 members. By 1912, Local 201 had 370 members and Locals 239 and 634 in Mystic had a combined membership of 851. The total
UMWA The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unite ...
membership in 1912 represents about 1/4 of the entire population. In 1914, the Lodwick Brothers Coal Company of Mystic produced over 100,000 tons of coal, ranking among the top 24 coal producers in the state.


Geography

Mystic's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 40.778616, −92.944933. Mystic is located in the valley of Walnut Creek, approximately four miles southwest of its confluence with the
Chariton River The Chariton River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 26, 2011 tributary to the Missouri River in southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri. The river forms in southe ...
. 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

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 425 people, 181 households, and 112 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 210 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.8%
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 ...
, 0.2%
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 ...
, 0.7% 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 0.2% 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 1.9% of the population. There were 181 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% 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 2.93. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 588 people, 236 households, and 159 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 273 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.15%
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 ...
, 0.17% Native American, and 0.68% from two or more races. There were 236 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,568, and the median income for a family was $29,063. Males had a median income of $26,964 versus $18,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,846. About 22.3% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The Centerville Community School District operates area
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
schools.


References


External links


City-Data
Comprehensive statistical data and more about Mystic
{{authority control Cities in Appanoose County, Iowa Cities in Iowa 1857 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1857