Lone Tree is a city in southeastern Johnson 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. It is part of the

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the ti ...

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 ...

. The population was 1,357 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Lone Tree was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted by John W. Jayne in 1872. Lone Tree derives its name from a giant

elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of Nor ...

that grew nearby in the pioneer era and served as a prairie

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

. This elm stood on a slight hill south of town. Local legend has it that the tree was so large, buffalo grazed under its expansive branches. It escaped prairie fires because of the lack of grass around the tree. The tree succumbed to the Dutch Elm disease of the 1960s, although valiant efforts were made to save it. The wood from the tree was used to make a sign denoting the tree's home on the hill southeast of the city limits. On December 9, 1985, during the 1980s farm crisis, a local farmer, Dale Burr, became distraught over his growing debt. He shot his wife Emily in their home. He then went to Hills Bank & Trust in the neighboring town of

Hills A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

and attempted to cash a check and when rebuffed, returned with a shotgun and killed bank president John Hughes. Next on his list was his neighbor Richard Goody, who had recently won a court settlement against Burr's son. When pulled over by Johnson County sheriffs, Burr shot himself fatally. Burr had left a note beside his wife's body. It said he "couldn't manage his problems anymore.""Farm Crisis Results in Suicide and Murder"
– PBS Iowa, July 1, 2013 The story was captured in Bruce Brown's book ''Lone Tree''.

Geography

Lone Tree is located at (41.485871, -91.426692). 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. Lone Tree is located alongside

Iowa Highway 22 Iowa Highway 22 (Iowa 22) is a west–east state highway that traverses primarily rural areas in east-central Iowa. The highway begins near Thornburg at an intersection with Iowa Highway 21 and ends in southwestern Davenport, at U.S. Highw ...

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 1,300 people, 505 households, and 335 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 539 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.8%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 2.1% 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 4.0% of the population. There were 505 households, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,151 people, 459 households, and 323 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 489 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.96%

, 0.17%

, 0.09% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population. There were 459 households, out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were

living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04. 29.4% are under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,431, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $35,227 versus $25,815 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 $18,990. About 4.5% 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 4.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

City-Data
Comprehensive statistical data and more about Lone Tree
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Johnson County, Iowa Iowa City metropolitan area 1872 establishments in Iowa