Villisca is a city in East Township, Montgomery County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,132 at the time of the 2020 census. It is most notable for the unsolved axe murder that took place in the town during the summer of 1912.

History

The settlement was founded under the name "The Forks". Villisca was platted in 1858 by pioneer D. N. Smith. Villisca was incorporated as a town on September 3, 1869.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 1,132 people, 487 households, and 274 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 634.2 inhabitants per square mile (244.9/km²). There were 558 housing units at an average density of 312.6 per square mile (120.7/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 95.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.4% from other races and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 1.6% of the population. Of the 487 households, 27.5% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.2% were cohabitating couples, 33.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 20.5% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 43.7% of all households were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 44.4 years. 24.5% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.1% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 and 44; 24.9% were from 45 and 64; and 24.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 1,252 people, 525 households, and 331 families living in the city. The

was . There were 614 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.4%

, 0.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2%

, 0.6% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population. There were 525 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 22% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,344 people, 576 households, and 347 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 636 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.81%

, 0.07%

, 0.30% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population. There were 576 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,694, and the median income for a family was $34,345. Males had a median income of $28,500 versus $20,292 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,067. About 9.3% of families and 12.9% 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 12.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Villisca axe murders

On the night of June 9, 1912, the Moore family and two young guests were brutally murdered with an axe, and it was the next morning that they were found in their home by a neighbor and Ross Moore, the brother of Josiah Moore. Josiah B. Moore and Sarah Montgomery had been married on December 6, 1899. They had four children: Herman, Katherine, Boyd, and Paul. Joe was a prominent and well-liked businessman. By 1912, the Moore Implement Company (a

John Deere Deere & Company, Trade name, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, Transmission (mechanical device), transmi ...

Company franchise) was a solid competitor with other Villisca area hardware stores, including the Jones Store owned by his former employer, F.F. Jones. Sarah was active in the Presbyterian church and assisted with

Children's Day Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honour of children, whose date of observance varies by country. In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Sin ...

exercises. On the morning of June 10, 1912, Joe (43) and Sara (39), their four children, and two visiting children (Lena and Ina Stillinger), were found bludgeoned to death with the Moores' own axe. Their unsolved murders began a chain of events that split the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

of Villisca, and changed the course of the town's history and the lives of its inhabitants.

Education

It is within the Villisca Community School District. Residents are zoned to Southwest Valley High School, operated by the Corning Community School District, and shared with the Villisca district as part of a grade-sharing agreement.

Notable people

References

External links

City of Villisca
- Official website of the city
Villisca Historical Society website''Villisca Review''''Villisca: Living With a Mystery'' movie website
*
The Olson Linn Museum aka The Villisca Axe Murder House
* {{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Montgomery County, Iowa