West Bend is a city in Kossuth and Palo Alto (originally) counties in the U.S. state of

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 the ...

. The population was 791 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

West Bend got its start in the early 1880s, following the construction of the

Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway The Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway (BCR&N) was a railroad that operated in the United States from 1876 to 1903. It was formed to take over the operations of the bankrupt Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railway, which was, in ...

through that territory. It was originally called Ives after the president of the railroad, but the townspeople had it changed to West Bend from the bend in the river. West Bend (aka Ives) was the first town in Palo Alto County. A special five cent tax to build a railroad station was promised to the railroad if they would create a stop when the railroad was built. The railroad did that placing the line and the new station in West Bend.

Geography

The village straddles the county line, in the southwest part of Kossuth County and the southeast part of Palo Alto County, in northwestern Iowa. But, it was first in Palo Alto County. 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. West Bend is served by a lightly-used former branch line of the Rock Island Railroad now owned by the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

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 785 people, 360 households, and 213 families living 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 396 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.1%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, and 0.8% 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 1.4% of the population. There were 360 households, of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% 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, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.8% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.71. The median age in the city was 51.6 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 32.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.

2000 census

At the 2000

, there were 834 people, 352 households and 210 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 379 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.40%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.12%

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 ...

, and 0.36% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 352 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were

living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 37.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.4% 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 2.95. Age distribution was 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 30.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median household income was $31,711, and the median family income was $40,455. Males had a median income of $31,083 versus $20,000 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 $18,804. About 4.1% of families and 6.9% 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 7.8% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

West Bend is the site of the

Grotto of the Redemption The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption is a religious shrine in West Bend, Iowa, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. A conglomeration of nine grottos depicting scenes in the life of Jesus, it contains a large collection of minerals a ...

, a series of nine contiguous

grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

s occupying a full city block, constructed of

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...

s, petrifications, and semiprecious

gem A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

Education

West Bend is part of the West Bend–Mallard Community School District, established by the merger of the West Bend and

Mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...

school districts in 1995.

Notable person

Paul Dobberstein Paul Matthias Dobberstein (September 21, 1872 – July 24, 1954) was a German American priest and architect. Dobberstein was born in Rosenfeld, Germany to Francis "Frank" Dobberstein and Julia Froehlich. Father Dobberstein was educated at t ...

German American German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and architect, most famous for constructing the

; resident of West Bend

References

External links

West Bend, Iowa website
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Kossuth County, Iowa Cities in Palo Alto County, Iowa 1880s establishments in Iowa Populated places established in the 1880s