Russell is a city in
Lucas 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 472 in the
2020 census, a decline from the 559 population 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
Russell was
incorporated as a city on April 25, 1887.
The town was originally settled by German and Irish settlers in the 1850s. By the early 1860s the town of Russell had been made into a farming community and provided a source of food for surrounding communities. After being incorporated, a railway and railroad grain-tower were constructed along the town's edge allowing excess produce to be travelled elsewhere on the frontier.
In 1935, the town suffered a fire on the town square that burned down the eastern side and killed 3 people.
Geography
Russell is located at (40.982388, -93.198642).
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.
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 554 people, 212 households, and 146 families residing 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 250 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%
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 ...
, 0.4%
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 ...
, 2.2%
Native American, and 0.5% from
other 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 2.0% of the population.
There were 212 households, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% 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, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.1% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.10.
The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 29.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 559 people, 239 households, and 144 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 265 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.57%
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 ...
, 0.18%
Native American, 0.36%
Asian, and 0.89% 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 0.36% of the population.
There were 239 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,125, and the median income for a family was $29,688. Males had a median income of $26,094 versus $16,406 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 $13,093. About 16.5% of families and 23.6% 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 42.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
The city is within the
Chariton Community School District, which operates
Chariton High School.
The
Russell Community School District at one time maintained its own K-12 school, with a five-member board of education overseeing operation of the district. Athletic teams were known as the Trojans.
The Russell School District was forced to close in 2008, making it the second time this happened in the state of Iowa; the other was
Hedrick in 1990. The Iowa Board of Education cited the district's financial problems, which left Russell school officials unable to provide students with a first-rate education.
Notable people
*
Rich Arnold
Richard D. Arnold (born February 9, 1945) is an Iowa State Representative from the 72nd District. He was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1994.
Early life and education
Arnold was raised in Russell, Iowa. He obtained his de ...
(born 1945),
Iowa House Representative 1995–current (2011)
*
George McGill
George S. McGill (February 12, 1879May 14, 1963) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1930 to 1939. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
, McGill was the most recent Democrat to represent Kansas ...
(1879–1963),
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and p ...
from
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
1930–39
*
Paul McKinley Iowa Senator 2001–current (2011)
*In the 1970s, author
Richard Bach used to fly through the Midwest in a biplane, landing at various small towns and selling airplane rides. At the beginning of his autobiographical book, "The Bridge Across Forever", Bach lands at Russell, Iowa and sells rides to some of the residents. At the end of the day, he suddenly realizes that he has nothing more to learn from barnstorming and that the rides he has sold earlier that day in Russell are the last rides he will ever sell again.
References
External links
City-DataComprehensive statistical data and more about Russell
{{authority control
Cities in Lucas County, Iowa
Cities in Iowa