Story City is a city in

Story County, Iowa Story County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 98,537, making it the ninth-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Nevada, Iowa, Nevada; t ...

. It is located within the

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary medici ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

which envelops the entirety of Story County and combined with the

Boone, Iowa Boone ( ) is a city in Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, Des Moines Township, and county seat of Boone County, Iowa, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encom ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area makes up the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

. The population was 3,352 in the 2020 census, a slight increase from 3,228 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 ...

History

Story City was known as Fairview throughout much of its early history. The named changed in 1881 when the town established a post office and discovered that the Fairview name was already in use for another town. Story City was renamed after Supreme Court Justice

Joseph Story Joseph Story (September 18, 1779 – September 10, 1845) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1812 to 1845. He is most remembered for his opinions in ''Martin v. Hunter's Lessee'' and ''United States ...

. The boundaries of "Old Fairview" are outlined by signs during

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

n Days, and is approximately in the northeast corner of current Story City with the southern boundary being Broad Street. Story City was laid out including Fairview in 1878, and officially incorporated in 1881. The railroad arrived in 1878 and connected the city to Ames by the narrow-gauge Des Moines & Minnesota and to Des Moines via the

Chicago and North Western Railroad The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

in Ames. The city has deep historic and cultural ties to the

n countries of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, and mostly

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. A large contingent of the city's current population is descended from a major immigration of people from Nordic countries in the 1840s through 1860s. It is evident in the large number of

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

churches in the community with ministers historically delivering sermons in different languages (Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian) respective of the makeup of their congregations.

Geography

Story City's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 42.1872062, -93.5957713. 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 which is 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 3,431 people, 1,472 households, and 895 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 1,586 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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% Native American, 0.4%

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 ...

, 1.3% 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 0.7% 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 3.1% of the population. There were 1,472 households, of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 44.4 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 23% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,228 people, 1,321 households, and 816 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,377 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.76%

, 0.28%

, 0.19% Native American, 0.37%

, 0.12% from

, and 0.28% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.43% of the population. There were 1,321 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were

living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.97. 23.5% are under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $41,275, and the median income for a family was $51,493. Males had a median income of $33,500 versus $21,161 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 $20,345. About 3.9% of families and 6.4% 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 3.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

About Story City

Story City is located in central Iowa on

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

, 45 minutes north of

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

and 10 minutes north of

Ames Ames may refer to: Places United States * Ames, Arkansas, a place in Arkansas * Ames, Colorado * Ames, Illinois * Ames, Indiana * Ames, Iowa, the most populous city bearing this name * Ames, Kansas * Ames, Nebraska * Ames, New York * Ames, Ok ...

which is home to

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

. Industrial parks, shopping malls, and several restaurants are located on the interstate, with a historic downtown located less than two miles west of I-35. Bethany Life Communities, American Packaging, Eby, and Innovative Lighting are major employers in Story City. The Story Theatre/Grand Opera House is the oldest continuously operating theater in the Midwest and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to showing movies, the theater features productions by Story City's Judge Story's Theatrical Troupe during Scandinavian Days in the summer and the annual Yulefest Celebration in the winter. Story City is home to a 1913 Herschell-Spillman antique carousel. It is open at noon daily from

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

. The Story City Park is situated along the banks of the

Skunk River The Skunk River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. Geography The Skunk River rises in two branches, the South Skunk ( long) and the North Skunk ( long).U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography ...

, one of Iowa's recreational water trails. It is the starting point for the Skunk River Canoe Trail. City Park is home to a historic swinging bridge, constructed in 1936 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

program; it was damaged by ice in March 2019. The Skunk River Greenbelt Trail system begins just south of Story City, immediately off Interstate 35 on County Road E-18. Story City has a nine-hole River Bend Golf Course featuring 2,980 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 37. The course rating is 34.3 and it has a slope rating of 117 on bluegrass. Designed by Charles Calhoun, the River Bend golf course opened in 1971. Story City is located at the western boundary of the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.

Arts and culture

Story City features an annual Scandinavian Days celebration. The event began in 1965, occurs in the first week of June, and features live music with a

beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...

, rides, and games. Participants find themselves in an immersion of Nordic culture in the form of food and arts. An annual storytelling festival, STORY! Celebrating the Art of Storytelling, is also held each September. ''Area churches include the following'': Immanuel Lutheran Church ( LCMC), St. Petri Lutheran Church ( ELCA), Harvest Evangelical Free Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Church of Christ, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, St. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church (Located 7 miles southwest of Story City). Riverside Bible Camp is located 2 miles north of Story City. The Nordic traditions of the community are evident in some of ethnic foods of the area. Popular and frequently served food items around Story City include: *

Kumla Kumla is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Kumla Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with a population of 21,640 as of 2018. Geography Kumla is situated roughly 15 kilometres south of neighbouring city Örebro, and is connected t ...

, potato dumpling made from finely cut potatoes mixed with flour, and typically served with boiled ham, ham broth, and plenty of butter. *

Lutefisk ''Lutefisk'' (Norwegian, in Northern and parts of Central Norway, in Southern Norway; sv, lutfisk ; fi, lipeäkala ; literally "lye fish") is dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling and burbot are also used). It is made from aged stockfi ...

Kringle Kringle (, ) is a Northern European pastry, a variety of pretzel. Pretzels were introduced by Roman Catholic monks in the 13th century in Denmark, and from there they spread throughout Scandinavia and evolved into several kinds of sweet, salty ...

Lefse Lefse () is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with flour, can include riced potatoes, and includes butter, and milk, cream, or lard. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to prepare lefse, including a p ...

Krumkake (, meaning 'curved cake'; plural ) is a Norwegian waffle cookie made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream. A special decorative two-sided iron griddle similar to a waffle iron is traditionally used to bake the thin round cakes, similar to ...

* Rosettes

Education

The Roland–Story Community School District operates public schools. The district was established on July 1, 1969, with the merger of the

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

and Story City school districts. Story City is the home of the Roland–Story Senior High School. Roland–Story High School's athletic teams are known as

Norsemen The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language. The language belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages and is the pre ...

and participate in Heart of Iowa conference and

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 ...

level 2A sports.

Media

Print media
Story City Herald
- weekly newspaper Digital media
The Rocket
- digital media and streaming audio Radio: KHOI KHJJ

Notable people

*The band

Radio Moscow Radio Moscow ( rus, Pадио Москва, r=Radio Moskva), also known as Radio Moscow World Service, was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics until 1993. It was reorganized with a new name ...

was formed in the city. * Rich Olive, former Iowa State Senator *

Lars Pearson Lars Pearson (born 1973, in Iowa) is an American writer, high school teacher, editor, and journalist. He is the owner/publisher of Mad Norwegian Press, a publishing company specializing in reference guides to television shows including ''Buffy th ...

, publisher / editor-in-chief,

Mad Norwegian Press Mad Norwegian Press is an American publisher of science-fiction guides and novels. The company has worked with authors such as Harlan Ellison, Peter David, Diana Gabaldon, Tanya Huff, Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear, Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGu ...

(2011 Hugo Award winner) * Marlene Perez, author *

Hank Severeid Henry Levai Severeid (June 1, 1891 – December 17, 1968) was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1926, most notably as a member of the St. Louis Browns where, he was kn ...

(1891–1968)

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), ...

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

* Chris Taylor (1950–1979) bronze medal winner for

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

in the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

Popular culture

Bill Willingham William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series ''Elementals (Comico Comics), Elementals'' and ''Fables (comics), Fables''. Career William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. ...

's 2012 graphic novel Fable: Werewolves of the Heartland is set entirely in Story City.

References

External links

City government websiteMuseums of Story City
* {{authority control Cities in Story County, Iowa Cities in Iowa Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Iowa