Sheldon is a city in O'Brien and

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 ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

, along the

Floyd River The Floyd River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 30, 2011 in northwestern Iowa in the United States. It enters the ...

. The population was 5,512 at the time of the 2020 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.

History and culture

Sheldon got its start in the year 1873, following construction of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad through that territory. It was named for Israel Sheldon, a railroad promoter. It was a strategic location on the rail for businesses from as far away as

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

and Omaha, after the addition of the intersection with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway in 1878. The growth in infrastructure has continued. Today, the city lies at the crossroads of

Iowa Highway 60 Iowa Highway 60 (Iowa 60) is a north–south state highway in northwest Iowa. The highway runs at a southwest-to-northeast angle. The southern end of Iowa Highway 60 is near Le Mars at a freeway interchange with U.S. Highway 75 and U.S. Hi ...

and

U.S. Route 18 U.S. Route 18 (US 18) is an east–west U.S. highway in the Midwestern United States. The western terminus is in Orin, Wyoming at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus is in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, US 18 run ...

. Eastbound and westbound rail service is provided by IC&E Railroad (since 2008 a subsidiary of

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

), while northbound and southbound service is provided by

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 Pac ...

. The city's first financial institution, the Sheldon State Bank, closed in 1903. In 1961, the city made headlines when it was revealed that Burnice Geiger had embezzled more than two million dollars from the Sheldon National Bank, operated by her father. She was sentenced to fifteen years in prison in the same year, but paroled in 1966. Today, the city is most known for its annual display of marigolds and the moniker of its local schools' athletic teams—the Orabs. The name stands for the school colors orange and black. Sheldon High School also hosts the Sheldon High School Summer Theatre program. Sheldon is the home of

Northwest Iowa Community College Northwest Iowa Community College (NCC) is a public community college in Sheldon, Iowa. It opened in 1966 and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also ...

and the Carnegie Library, which was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1977.

In popular culture

Sheldon was mentioned on page 13 of the Tim O'Brien book ''

If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home ''If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home'' (sometimes printed as ''If I Die In A Combat Zone'' or incorrectly as ''If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Send Me Home'') is an autobiographical account of Tim O'Brien's tour of dut ...

'': "Together we watched trombones and crepe-paper floats move down mainstreet. The bands and floats represented Sheldon, Tyler, Sibley, Jackson, and a dozen other neighboring towns". Ken Snyder, pastor of the Parkview Assembly of God in Sheldon, self-released a record album entitled ''Ken: By Request Only'' in 1976. The record jacket—featuring Snyder in now-outdated hair and clothes—has made the LP popular on websites that highlight unusual-looking album covers.

Geography

Sheldon is located at (43.181180, −95.848123). 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.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 5,188 people, 2,213 households, and 1,300 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,365 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.7% White, 0.6% African American, 1.1% Asian, 3.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5%. Of the 2,213 households 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 35.0% of households were one person and 17.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 39.4 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 4,914 people, 2,006 households, and 1,285 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,126 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.48% White, 0.43% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.81% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56%. Of the 2,006 households 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.2% of households were one person and 13.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96. Age spread: 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males. The median household income was $34,058 and the median family income was $43,346. Males had a median income of $31,026 versus $20,604 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,254. About 3.6% of families and 7.6% 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 8.1% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Sheldon is served by the

Sheldon Community School District Sheldon Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Sheldon, Iowa. The district is mostly in O'Brien County with smaller portions in Sioux, Osceola, and Lyon counties. It serves Sheldon, Archer, Ashton, and M ...

, which include Sheldon High School. There are two private schools, both of which offer preschool services through the eighth grade, the Sheldon Christian School and the St. Patrick's Catholic School. Sheldon is also home to

, a two-year associate degree community college.

Notable people

* William D. Boies, lawyer and politician * Tom Brands (born 1968) gold medalist in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

at the

1996 Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, head wrestling coach at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...

Terry Brands Terry Brands (born April 9, 1968) is an American Olympic wrestler who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, after losing the semi-final match to the Iranian wrestler, Alireza Dabir. While wrestling at the University of Iowa, Brands won ...

(born 1968) bronze medalist in

at the

2000 Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Eugene Burdick Eugene Leonard Burdick (December 12, 1918 – July 26, 1965) was an American political scientist, novelist, and non-fiction writer, co-author of '' The Ugly American'' (1958), ''Fail-Safe'' (1962), and author of '' The 480'' (1965). Early life H ...

(1918–1965) writer *

A.G. Kruger Alfred George Kruger III (born February 18, 1979) is a male hammer thrower from the United States. His personal best is 79.26 metres, achieved in August 2004 in Berea. He finished fourth at the 2006 IAAF World Cup. In addition, he competed at ...

(born 1979) competitor at the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

Olympic Games * Dennis Marion Schnurr (born 1948) Archbishop of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ( la, Archidiœcesis Cincinnatensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese that covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan ...

, Ohio *

Michael J. Streit Michael John Streit (born 1950) is former justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. Education Streit was born and raised in Sheldon, Iowa. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Iowa in 1972, and his Juris Doctor degre ...

(born 1950) former

Iowa Supreme Court The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 ...

justice * George Kelly (1905–1967) American educational and existentialist psychologist.

Media

Sheldon is home to a KIWA (AM) and

KIWA-FM KIWA-FM (105.3) is a commercial radio station serving the Sheldon, Iowa area. The station primarily broadcasts a classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In t ...

. Iowa Information, Inc., publishes ''The Sheldon Mail-Sun'' and ''The N'West Iowa REVIEW''. ''The N'West Iowa REVIEW'' has been named the state's Newspaper of the Year 17 times, and named the best weekly in the United States by the

National Newspaper Association The National Newspaper Association (NNA) is a Pensacola, FL based non-profit newspaper trade association founded in 1885. The organization has over 2,300 members, making it the largest newspaper trade association in the United States. The organiza ...

from 2000 to 2005, and again in 2007.

References

External links

Sheldon, Iowa

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Sheldon
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in O'Brien County, Iowa Cities in Sioux County, Iowa