Postville, Iowa
Postville, Iowa | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 19-64290 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 0460373 | |
Website | www |
Postville is a village in
History
Postville was platted in 1853.[5] The city was named for Joel Post, a pioneer settler.[6]
In 1987, a group of
Geography
Postville's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 43.085102, -91.569515.[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.11 square miles (5.46 km2), all land.[10]
Climate
Climate data for Postville, Iowa (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) |
66 (19) |
83 (28) |
88 (31) |
105 (41) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
89 (32) |
76 (24) |
64 (18) |
108 (42) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.7 (−3.5) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
43.0 (6.1) |
57.5 (14.2) |
69.4 (20.8) |
79.0 (26.1) |
82.8 (28.2) |
80.8 (27.1) |
74.0 (23.3) |
60.6 (15.9) |
44.7 (7.1) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
56.6 (13.7) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.6 (−8.6) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
32.7 (0.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
58.2 (14.6) |
68.4 (20.2) |
71.9 (22.2) |
69.5 (20.8) |
61.6 (16.4) |
48.8 (9.3) |
35.1 (1.7) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
46.0 (7.8) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.4 (−13.7) |
10.5 (−11.9) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
34.0 (1.1) |
46.9 (8.3) |
57.8 (14.3) |
60.9 (16.1) |
58.2 (14.6) |
49.2 (9.6) |
37.0 (2.8) |
25.5 (−3.6) |
14.0 (−10.0) |
35.3 (1.8) |
Record low °F (°C) | −35 (−37) |
−29 (−34) |
−18 (−28) |
6 (−14) |
20 (−7) |
34 (1) |
39 (4) |
35 (2) |
20 (−7) |
−7 (−22) |
−12 (−24) |
−27 (−33) |
−35 (−37) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.12 (28) |
1.21 (31) |
2.09 (53) |
4.14 (105) |
4.99 (127) |
5.88 (149) |
4.52 (115) |
4.36 (111) |
3.96 (101) |
3.00 (76) |
2.10 (53) |
1.57 (40) |
38.94 (989) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 12.0 (30) |
10.4 (26) |
5.0 (13) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
2.7 (6.9) |
8.0 (20) |
39.8 (101) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.8 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 10.1 | 12.2 | 11.2 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 7.7 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 97.4 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.2 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 4.5 | 19.5 |
Source: |
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1880 | 732 | — |
1890 | 884 | +20.8% |
1900 | 984 | +11.3% |
1910 | 952 | −3.3% |
1920 | 1,039 | +9.1% |
1930 | 1,060 | +2.0% |
1940 | 1,194 | +12.6% |
1950 | 1,343 | +12.5% |
1960 | 1,554 | +15.7% |
1970 | 1,546 | −0.5% |
1980 | 1,475 | −4.6% |
1990 | 1,472 | −0.2% |
2000 | 2,273 | +54.4% |
2010 | 2,227 | −2.0% |
2020 | 2,503 | +12.4% |
Source:"U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 29, 2020. and Iowa Data Center Source: |
2020 census
As of the
2010 census
As of the
There were 744 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.54.
The median age in the city was 30.2 years. 32.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 18.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.
Ethnic groups
In 2017 about one quarter of Postville's population were recent immigrants from Latin America and Somalia; Greg Flakus of Voice of America stated that this was ethnically diverse compared to most Iowa towns, which are almost uniformly non-Hispanic white, even though "Postville is not all that diverse" compared to major American metropolitan areas.[16] The earliest immigrants were from England, Germany, and Scandinavia.[16]
Orthodox Jews established Agriprocessors circa 1987; its founders came from New York City.[16] At its peak, there were about 100 Orthodox Jewish families in Postville. After the 2008 raid, the number declined, and in 2017 there were about 50.[17] Postville has services for Jewish families typically seen in larger communities.[16] It also has a Jewish elementary school and a yeshiva. A Judaic library opened in 2005, but closed after the raid.[17]
The 2008 raid led to the arrests of Hispanics; the resulting lack of labor drew Somalis to Postville from Minnesota and Wisconsin to work in the area kosher factory.[17] Mother Jones said this caused a "cultural shift".[18]
Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America discusses the arrival of the Orthodox Jews.
Economy
Postville's growth was due to the presence of two large meat processing plants, Agriprocessors and Iowa Turkey Products. The Iowa Turkey Products plant burned in December 2003; it was rebuilt in Marshall, Minnesota.
Agriprocessors, a
As of 2017[update], 700 people, more than 30% of the total population, work at Agri Star; about 100 are of Somali origin.[17]
Postville is also the home of a composites factory, Norplex-Micarta, started in 1975.[21] The Norplex factory produces laminated plastics plate, sheet, and profile shapes. As of 2007 it employed between 150 and 200 workers.[22]
Education
Postville Community School District operates public schools.[23] John R. Mott High School is the local high school.
Mesivta of Postville is the area yeshiva.[24]
Notable people
- William McKinley (1879–1964), 44th speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, raised in Postville[25]
- John R. Mott (1865–1955), recipient of the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize, childhood resident of Postville[26]
- Brett Szabo (born 1968), NBA player, childhood resident of Postville[27]
References
- ^ "City of Postville, Iowa - Hometown to the World". Cityofpostville.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Maggie (July 11, 2012). "Postville, Iowa, Is Up for Grabs". Nytimes.com. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ a b "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". census.gov. United states Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Alexander, W. E. (1882). History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, Iowa. Western Publishing Company. pp. 398.
- ^ Ellery M. Hancock (1913). Past and Present of Allamakee County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement. S. J. Clarke publishing Company. pp. 477.
- ^ "Kosher slaughterhouse owners surrounded by scandal." Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2008
- ^ Spencer S. Hsu (May 18, 2008). "Immigration Raid Jars a Small Town". Washington Post.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Postville, IA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census: Postville city, Iowa". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Flakus, Greg (June 2, 2017). "Small Iowa Town Celebrates Its Diversity". Voice of America. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Tapper, Josh (February 3, 2016). "Postville, Iowa's Jewish Community Bounces Back After Immigration Raid". Haaretz. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ Michaels, Samantha (August 24, 2017). "A Federal Judge Put Hundreds of Immigrants Behind Bars While Her Husband Invested in Private Prisons". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- Postville Raid
- ^ "Mayor: Feds turned my town 'topsy turvy'". cnn.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
- ^ "About Norplex-Micarta: history, technology, and capabilities". Norplex-Micarta. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ "CORTERA-NORPLEX OAK INC". Cortera, Inc. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
- ^ "Postville Community School District Map" (PDF). Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Home. Mesivtapostville.org, Retrieved on October 24, 2017.
- ^ Wixon, Richard (1997). "Biographical Sketch of William McMinkey". In Weatherly Sharp, Nancy; Sharp, James Roger (eds.). American Legislative Leaders in the Midwest, 1911-1994. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 171. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ "High School". Postville Community School District. March 3, 2001. Archived from the original on March 3, 2001. Retrieved April 7, 2020. - The link for Mott goes to this page
- ^ "Brett Szabo is Awarded Membership Into Postville's Hall of Fame". Postville Community School District. June 20, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
Books on Postville
- The interaction of long-time Postville residents with newcomers was the subject of a book about the town, Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America, by Stephen G. Bloom, a professor at University of Iowa.
- A more recent book about the community and its experience with diversity before and after the May 2008 federal immigration raid is Postville USA: Surviving Diversity in Small-Town America by Mark Grey, Michele Devlin, and Aaron Goldsmith.
External links
- Official City Website
- City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Postville