Elgin is a city in Fayette County,

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 685 at the time of the 2020 census.

Geography

Elgin is located at (42.955965, -91.636394) at the confluence of Otter Creek with the Turkey River. 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Elgin and the neighboring towns of Clermont and Wadena made up the Valley Community School district. Due to diminishing class sizes and less aid from the state of Iowa, Valley combined services in 2013 with the nearby North Fayette School district, which comprises the towns of West Union, Hawkeye and Fayette and the combined district is now called North Fayette Valley, with the middle school being in Elgin and the high school located in West Union. The school's mascot is now called the Tigerhawks (from a combination of the two schools' mascots, the Tigers and the Hawks, respectively). ElginIowaPopPlot

History

The area had previously been the home of

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...

and

Winnebago Indians The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hoocągra or Winnebago (referred to as ''Hotúŋe'' in the neighboring indigenous Iowa-Otoe language), are a Siouan-speaking Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow ...

. After the 1846 Winnebago Treaty, Indians were forcibly removed from the area by the

US military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

and moved to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

. In the summer of 1848, a flood of white settlers arrived. Matthew Conner built a log cabin and general store and the settlement was first called "Shin Bone Valley." Surveyor M. V. Burdick renamed the town "Elgin" in 1851 in honor of his hometown,

Elgin, Illinois Elgin ( ) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Elgin is located northwest of Chicago, along the Fox River. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 114,797, the seventh-larg ...

. Benjamin Dimond became the postmaster at Elgin in 1852, the

Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota 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 ...

came through in 1872, and the ''Elgin Times'' newspaper was established in 1875. The town subsequently became a major destination for Swiss immigrants.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 683 people, 318 households, and 191 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was . There were 343 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.8%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 318 households, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age in the city was 43.8 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 23.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 676 people, 327 households, and 182 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 349 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.85%

, 0.15% from other races.

or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population. There were 327 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were

living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.4% 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 2.70. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,833, and the median income for a family was $38,571. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $21,979 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 $16,225. About 6.9% of families and 7.8% 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 4.0% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Elgin is a part of the North Fayette Valley Community School District. It was previously a part of the Valley Community School District,Valley
"

Iowa Department of Education The Iowa Department of Education sets the standards for all public institutions of education in Iowa and accredits private as well as public schools Public school may refer to: *State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee s ...

. Retrieved on July 29, 2018. which merged into the North Fayette Valley district on July 1, 2018.REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66
"

. Retrieved on July 29, 2018.

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Fayette County, Iowa