Bonaparte is a city in Van Buren County,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States. The population was 359 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe N ...

and contains a number of historical buildings, including a large pottery.

History

The area was established in 1837 by William Meek, and named Meek's Mill. The lots were resurveyed in 1841, and the name was changed to Bonaparte. Another townsite called Napoleon was established across the river, though it was never developed. William Meek was an admirer of the Emperor, and was responsible for both names. The town was incorporated in 1899. The town was flooded during the Flood of 1851. Bonaparte is located along the historic

Mormon Trail The Mormon Trail is the route from Illinois to Utah on which Mormon pioneers (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) traveled from 1846 to 1869. Today, the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails Syst ...

, and there are five sites in or near Bonaparte listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * Aunty Green Hotel * Bonaparte Historic Riverfront District * Bonaparte Pottery Archeological District * Meek's Flour Mill * Des Moines River Locks No. 5 and No. 7 Charles E. Pickett, who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district, was born near Bonaparte.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 359 people, 168 households, and 93 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 959.7 inhabitants per square mile (370.6/km²). There were 195 housing units at an average density of 521.3 per square mile (201.3/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 94.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.6% from other races and 4.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

persons of any race comprised 1.4% of the population. Of the 168 households, 27.4% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.3% were cohabitating couples, 32.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 22.0% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 44.6% of all households were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, 22.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 29.5% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.3% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 and 44; 23.1% were from 45 and 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2010 census

At the 2010

, there were 433 people, 190 households and 117 families living in the city. The

was . There were 212 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.3%

, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population. There were 190 households, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were

living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 37.3 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

At the 2000

, of 2000, there were 458 people, 190 households and 121 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 212 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 100.00%

or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population. There were 190 households, of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were

living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.02. 27.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $28,438 and the median family income was $33,750. Males had a median income of $30,057 and females $19,479. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $12,479. About 16.5% of families and 15.9% 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 ...

, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 20.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by the Van Buren County Community School District. It was previously in the Harmony Community School District, until it merged into Van Buren County CSD on July 1, 2019.

In the news

On October 14, 2006, five Bonaparte natives were murdered in their home. Michael Bentler, 53, his wife Sandra, 47, and their three daughters: Sheena, 17, Shelby, 15 and Shayne, 14, were pronounced dead at the scene. The family's oldest and surviving child, Shawn Michael Bentler, 22, was arrested in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

on unrelated drug charges. The following Sunday afternoon, he was charged with five counts of

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse ...

, in what has been characterized by the media as one of the worst

mass murder Mass murder is the violent crime of murder, killing a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more ...

s in Iowa history. Shawn was found guilty on May 24, 2007. On October 25, 1996, Bonaparte was the location of a supposed birthday party for Laura Van Wyhe, the 21-year-old mother who was found fatally injured hours later in Kahoka, Missouri. "Bonaparte" is the name of the 2021 podcast about the circumstances of her death, and her decades-old unsolved case.

Notable person

* Ida Sedgwick Proper, writer and suffragist

References

External links

Bonaparte webpage
* * https://www.youtube.com/@stoneyriverrelics {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Van Buren County, Iowa