Cass County, Iowa
Encyclopedia
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,956 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,591 housing units, of which 5,980 were occupied.2000 census
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,684 people, 6,120 households, and 4,094 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 26 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.84% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.21% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.12% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.14% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.31% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.34% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 6,120 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.90% 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 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,922, and the median income for a family was $40,564. Males had a median income of $29,736 versus $20,108 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $17,067. About 7.20% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.
History
Cass County is named in honor of Lewis CassLewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
, a Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the presidency in 1848
United States presidential election, 1848
The United States presidential election of 1848 was an open race. President James K. Polk, having achieved all of his major objectives in one term and suffering from declining health that would take his life less than four months after leaving office, kept his promise not to seek re-election.The...
. The county was established within its present boundaries in 1851 and originated in 1853. Religious persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
was responsible for bringing the first people of European ancestry
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
to Cass County. The Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
, fleeing from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, were the earliest settlers, and established a community at Indiantown in 1846.
At Indiantown, two of the three commissioners selected to locate a county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
were chosen. The site they chose was one mile (1.6 km) from Indiantown and named Lewis
Lewis, Iowa
Lewis is a city in Cass County, Iowa, United States, along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 438 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lewis is located at ....
. Most of the people and businesses in Indian Town moved to Lewis shortly after it was laid out. In 1856 a frame courthouse was built, and eight years later a small stone building was completed for the county treasurer's office. In 1857 there was an attempt to relocate the county seat to Grove City; it was unsuccessful. On October 20, 1869, after a due canvass of the vote on the re-location of the county seat, the Board declared the city of Atlantic
Atlantic, Iowa
Atlantic is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 7,112 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 7,257 population in the 2000 census. -History:...
the county seat and ordered the county officers to that place.
In 1872 the first courthouse built in Atlantic was completed. Until it was completed county offices were held in various empty buildings. Ten years later the county built its second courthouse at Atlantic. The $65,000 building was destroyed by a fire in 1932. The fire started in the clock tower and gutted all of the second floor. Most of the county records and equipment were saved.
The present, fourth, courthouse was completed in 1934. While it was being built, county offices were located in the Atlantic Motors building, where an attempted robbery of the treasurer's safe took place. The robbers were interrupted and escaped, but without any money. The final cost of the fourth courthouse was $130,000: $65,000 came from a county bond issue, $46,500 from insurance and the remaining was covered by a Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
federal grant. The concrete and brick building is three stories high. It was dedicated on December 26, 1934, with the main speaker being the Governor of Iowa, Clyde L. Herring. The Board of Supervisors approved a new jail addition, which was dedicated in 1984.
Notable people
- Edwin PerkinsEdwin PerkinsEdwin Elijah Perkins , born in Lewis, Iowa, U.S., invented the powder drink mix Kool-Aid in 1927 in Hastings, Nebraska after his family had moved there from Iowa in 1893....
, inventor of Kool-AidKool-AidKool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack... - Ed PodolakEd PodolakEdward Joseph Podolak is a former professional American football player. He played quarterback and halfback at the University of Iowa before being selected by the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 1969 Common Draft.During a nine-year career from 1969 to 1977,...
, a former quarterback for Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... - Earl CaddockEarl CaddockEarl Caddock was a professional wrestler who was active in the early portion of the twentieth century. As the first man to bill himself as "The Man of 1,000 Holds" , Caddock was one of professional wrestling's biggest stars between the years of 1915 and 1922.-Early life:Earl Caddock was born...
, a champion amateur and pro wrestler of the 1910s and early 1920s.
Cities and towns
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Townships
Cass County is divided into sixteen townshipsTownship (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
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Edna Township, Cass County, Iowa Edna Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 140.-Geography:Edna Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements... Franklin Township, Cass County, Iowa Franklin Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 397.-Geography:Franklin Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Wiota. According to the USGS, it contains three cemeteries: Franklin Lutheran, Norway... Grant Township, Cass County, Iowa Grant Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,273.-Geography:Grant Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Anita. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery, Evergreen.-External links:* *... Grove Township, Cass County, Iowa Grove Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 7,608.-Geography:Grove Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Atlantic. According to the USGS, it contains two cemeteries: Atlantic and Southlawn Memorial... |
Lincoln Township, Cass County, Iowa Lincoln Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 185.-Geography:Lincoln Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery, Lincoln Center.-External links:* *... Massena Township, Cass County, Iowa Massena Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 608.-Geography:Massena Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Massena. According to the USGS, it contains two cemeteries: Massena and Saint... Noble Township, Cass County, Iowa Noble Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 367.-Geography:Noble Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the USGS, it contains four cemeteries: Newlons Grove, Noble Center, Saint Johns... Pleasant Township, Cass County, Iowa Pleasant Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,301.-Geography:Pleasant Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Griswold. According to the USGS, it contains two cemeteries: Lowman and Pleasant... |
Pymosa Township, Cass County, Iowa Pymosa Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 318.-Geography:Pymosa Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery, Lorah.-External links:* *... Union Township, Cass County, Iowa Union Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 495.-Geography:Union Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Cumberland. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery, Greenwood.-External links:* *... Victoria Township, Cass County, Iowa Victoria Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 173.-Geography:Victoria Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery, Victoria.-External links:* *... Washington Township, Cass County, Iowa Washington Township is one of sixteen townships in Cass County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 310.-Geography:Washington Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements.-External links:* *... |
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, IowaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, IowaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Cass County, Iowa.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Cass County, Iowa, United States...
- The Cass County Courthouse ArticleCass County Courthouse (Iowa)The Cass County Courthouse in Atlantic, Iowa, United States was built in 1934. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission. It was the first courthouse in Iowa built with funding from the Public...