Storm Lake, Iowa

Storm Lake is a city in and the county seat of Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 11,269 in the 2020 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. Located along the northern shore of Storm Lake, the city is home to Buena Vista University, King's Pointe Waterpark Resort, the Living Heritage Tree Museum, and the Santa's Castle holiday attraction. It is the principal city of the Storm Lake micropolitan area.

History

Storm Lake's first European settler, Abner Bell, arrived in 1856, and the city was officially incorporated in 1873. Though early settlers found no natives permanently occupying the land, the area around the lake was likely used for fishing and hunting by tribes traveling from the north. Centuries prior to European colonization, the area was home to the Mill Creek indigenous culture. Railroad magnate John Insley Blair platted out land in Storm Lake in the 1870s. During the same decade, the Illinois Central Railroad was constructed through the town.

The city of Storm Lake is named for the lake where it is said a trapper experienced a severe storm. An alternate story claims the lake took its name after two star-crossed lovers from opposed Native American bands paddled out for a secret rendezvous, only to be drowned as a sudden storm blew in.

The 1920s and 1930s saw economic and industrial growth, with the town remaining relatively unaffected by the Great Depression. During the 1940s, a prisoner-of-war camp was temporarily established in Storm Lake. In 1956, the main building of the Buena Vista University campus burned down. The central brick archway was salvaged and remains standing.

In the closing pages of his 1989 book, '' The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America'', author Bill Bryson eulogizes Storm Lake as the final town he visited during his nostalgic trip of the Midwest, "Somebody once told me that Storm Lake was a nice town, so I decided to drive in and have a look. And by golly, it was wonderful. ... Maybe it was the time of year, the mild spring air, the fresh breeze, I don't know, but it seemed just perfect. The little downtown was solid and unpretentious, full of old brick buildings and family-owned stores. Beyond it a whole series of broad, leafy streets, all of them lined with fine Victorian homes, ran down to the lakefront where a park stood along the water's edge. ... The whole town was spotless. Across the street, a boy on a bike slung newspapers onto front porches and I would almost swear that in the distance I saw two guys in 1940's suits cross the street without breaking a stride. And somewhere at an open window, Deanna Durbin sang. Suddenly I didn't want the trip to be over." Bryson recalls buying a newspaper and reading it in a coffeeshop, where a waitress said, "'...how you doin' today?' She sounded as if she really cared. I expect she did. Boy, are midwestern people wonderful."

Storm Lake was a landing place of Hmong and Tai Dam refugees following the Vietnam War. Meat packing jobs have drawn thousands of migrant workers, predominantly from Latin America. Work vouchers and other factors have also drawn immigration from Micronesia. Storm Lake is currently one of ten cities in the mainland United States to host a polling location for Micronesian elections. A 2017 ''New York Times'' profile analyzed the positive effects of immigration on the Storm Lake community. Also that year, journalist Katie Couric interviewed Storm Lake residents for a ''National Geographic'' story on the town's diversity. A 2020 article in Fox News highlighted Storm Lake as an example of the positive economic impacts of immigration on rural communities.

In 2018, lifelong resident and Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaperman, Art Cullen published the book, ''Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope from a Heartland Newspaper''. In a related work that highlights the community, the Cullen family and their newspaper business, '' The Storm Lake Times'', Beth Levison and Jerry Risius produced and directed the 2021 documentary film '' Storm Lake''.

Geography

Storm Lake is located in the northwestern part of the state, along the north shore of its namesake Storm Lake, a glacial lake. It directly borders Lakeside, a smaller community located on the east shore of the lake.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Due to its location, Storm Lake is a popular campaign trail stop during presidential elections, having drawn visits from George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Storm Lake's population was estimated at 11,269, up from 10,600 for the 2010 Census and 10,078 in 2000. Citing steady growth and other sources, city officials suggest that an accurate population count would be 13,000 or more. Storm Lake is considered the most ethnically diverse city in Iowa, with over 60% of the population self identifying as non-white, a dramatic change from 80% identifying as white in the 2000 census (although 21% were of Latin-American origin).

The median home valuation is $142,000, and median rent is $695 per month. Median household income is estimated at just under $49,000. The community has an estimated 250 businesses.

Storm Lake is one of two cities in Iowa where English is not the majority language spoken at home.

Economy

Tyson Foods operates a hog slaughterhouse, meat packing plant, and turkey processing plant in the city. As of 2020, the plant employed over 2,500 workers and accounted for about 3.5% of US pork production. The plant originally opened in 1935 and was purchased by Hygrade Food Products in 1952. In 1982, it was sold to Iowa Beef Processors, which was subsequently acquired by Tyson in 2001.

Arts and culture

* The Living Heritage Tree Museum is located in Storm Lake.
* Santa's Castle, a seasonal display of antique holiday animation, is housed in a former Victorian library.
* The Buena Vista County Historical Society operates a museum.
* A concert bandshell is located in Sunset Park.
* The Witter Gallery features monthly exhibits from both local and non-local artists, and offers free art classes and events.
* The annual Star Spangled Spectacular takes place on Independence Day, and features food vendors, live music shows, games, rides, a fireworks show, and The Parade of Nations, which acknowledges various cultures of the community.
*Historical sites in Storm Lake include the Harker House, the Old Storm Lake High School, and the Cobblestone Inn and Ballroom, which hosted performances by jazz musicians Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

Parks and recreation

* King's Pointe is a 100-room community-owned tourism resort located on the lakefront, with an indoor and oudoor water park, multiple banquet facilities, a minigolf course, and a restaurant.
* The city operates Sunrise Pointe, a nine-hole golf course.
* The city has five beach areas, and a recreation trail linking them.

Education

The Storm Lake Community School District operates five local public schools, including a high school, a middle school, an elementary school, an early elementary school, and an early childhood center. As of the 2023 school year, the Storm Lake Community School District served 2,908 students. Spanish was the most spoken language within the school district, followed by English, Pohnpeian, Karen, and Lao.

St. Mary's Catholic Church operates a private K-12 school system, St. Mary's High School, founded in 1912.

Buena Vista University is located in Storm Lake. As of 2023, the university has 1,959 students on a campus within Storm Lake. The city hosts a satellite campus for Iowa Central Community College, including an industrial training center established in 2021.

Media

The community has a twice-weekly newspaper, the Storm Lake Times Pilot. The publication received the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing for a series on the Iowa agricultural industry. Storm Lake's first newspaper, the Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune, was founded in 1896 and ran for over 125 years before being bought by the Storm Lake Times in 2022. KAYL and KKIA radio serve the community, as well as a university radio station, KBVU. A Spanish-language newspaper, La Presna, also covers the area.

Infrastructure

The Storm Lake Police Department provides law enforcement services to the city. The department employs 21 sworn officers, and two community services officers.

Storm Lake is served by Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, a 54-bed critical access hospital, and United Community Health Center.

The Storm Lake Municipal Airport operates out of the city.

Notable people

* Mary Foley Benson (1905–1992), artist, illustrator, and WWII pilot
* Nate Bjorkgren, basketball coach
* Art Cullen, editor of the ''Storm Lake Times''
* Janet Dailey, romance novelist
* Joe Decker (1947–2003), MLB player
* George B. French, actor
* Edmund B. Gregory, Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army
* Julie Gutz (born 1926), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
* Gene Hackman, Oscar-winning actor, attended Storm Lake High School
* Winton Hoch, Oscar-winning cinematographer
* Marjorie Holmes (1910–2002), author of several novels, most notably '' Two From Galilee''
* Steve King, former US Congressman, born in Storm Lake before moving to Denison.
* Frederic O. MacCartney (1864-1903), Massachusetts socialist politician, graduate of Storm Lake High School
* Ben McCollum, head coach University of Iowa men's basketball
* Reno H. Sales (1876–1969), Chief Geologist of Anaconda Corporation, "father of mining geology"

References

External links

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Cities in Buena Vista County, Iowa
Cities in Iowa
Micropolitan areas of Iowa
County seats in Iowa
Populated places established in 1873