Clarion, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Clarion is a city in and the county seat
of Wright County
, Iowa
, United States
. The population was 2,968 at the 2000 census
.
Clarion is the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H
Clubs of America, conceived of in 1907 by the local school superintendent, O.H. Benson.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,968 people, 1,255 households, and 786 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,081.6 people per square mile (418.2/km²). There were 1,355 housing units at an average density of 493.8 per square mile (190.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.67% White, 0.20% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 5.53% from other races
, and 0.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.80% of the population.
There were 1,255 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,026, and the median income for a family was $47,083. Males had a median income of $28,281 versus $23,077 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,431. About 5.3% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
factory that manufactures egg cartons out of recycled paper. The project added 80 new jobs to the community. There is a 12000 sq ft (1,114.8 m²). speculative building available. The industrial park features a new paved access road, sewer and water on site, railroad on site, and is conveniently located just 2 blocks south of Highway 3.
Hagie Manufacturing is located on Central Avenue. The company, incorporated by Ray Hagie, is responsible for designing and building the first high clearance sprayer
. Today, the Clarion company boasts of manufacturing the fastest self-propelled sprayers in the world. The sprayers also feature 120 feet (36.6 m) long booms, the new standard in the industry. Just in the last three years the company has more than doubled sales and the number of employees, currently at 260. They are expanding with a 75000 sq ft (6,967.7 m²). addition being built to the north to allow for another assembly line. The expansion will add 60 more jobs and is anticipated to be complete by January 1, 2008.
Some of the other industrial companies in Clarion include EDS, Monsanto Company, Team Effort, Sports Graphics, Stronghold, Wright County Egg
, and North Central Cooperative.
The 4-H Schoolhouse Museum is another attraction located on Highway 3 in Gazebo Park. The restored Rock Island Depot is home to the Clarion Partnership for Growth (Chamber and Development Commission).
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Clarion's downtown includes several businesses of various types.http://www.clarion-iowa.com/zope/clarion/business/catlist
In 1981 Clarion and Goldfield began a whole grade sharing agreement that included sharing the high school, this was expanded to include the middle school in 1986. The two districts passed a consolidation (99% and 89% approval) to merge the two districts into the Clarion-Goldfield Community School District.
Clarion-Goldfield High School was built in 1969. A new weight room was built in 2003 by the Clarion-Goldfield Sports Boosters. In 2004 an addition and renovation project was completed building an addition to the north and a new art room, pottery room, business room, 2 computer labs, wrestling room, 4 locker rooms, and geothermal heating and cooling to north northwest half of the facility. In 2007 another project was completed that included a south addition and extensive renovations to create new and renovated facilities for a library media center, ICN room, computer lab, chemistry/physics lab, renovated biology lab, 7 new classrooms, expanded and renovated offices, new main entrance, and a hallway/entrance to the east. The project included extensive renovations and new geothermal heating and cooling to the southeastern portion of the building. A wind turbine was built on the northeast corner of the property in 2007. Plans for the future include a 650 seat auditorium addition.
The Clarion-Goldfield Elementary and Middle School complex began with a 3 story high school building built in 1913, located on what is now the circle drive. In 1937, the 2 story elementary school was built as it stands today. In the late 1950s a building project was completed that included a northwest addition to the elementary school, an east addition to the elementary school, and what is now the middle school was built as a north addition to the high school that also connected the two facilities. The high school was moved to the new building in NE Clarion in 1971. The facility then became a P/K-8 facility. In 1993 the 1913 portion of the building was demolished, the middle school was capped and a new front entrance built. An addition was built to the north of the elementary school including a multipurpose room (gymnasium/cafeteria), library media center, ICN room, 2 computer labs, and additional classrooms. The 1937 elementary school and east addition was extensively renovated at this time. In 2002 a north addition was built to the middle school, adding 4 additional classrooms. In 2007 an extensive renovation project was completed to the middle school and northwest elementary addition that also included a small addition to the southwest, near the front entrance. In 2003 a new playground was completed.
Clarion-Goldfield is a Class 2A school in the North Central Conference that includes Algona, Bishop Garrigan, Clarion-Goldfield, Clear Lake, Eagle Grove, Hampton-Dumont, Humboldt, Iowa Falls-Alden, St. Edmond, and Webster City. School colors are red and black and the mascot is the Cowboys/Cowgirls. The school song is sung to the tune of Illinois Loyalty
.
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....
of Wright County
Wright County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,968 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Clarion is the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
Clubs of America, conceived of in 1907 by the local school superintendent, O.H. Benson.
Geography
Clarion is located at 42°43′52"N 93°43′52"W (42.731112, -93.731095).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
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 2,968 people, 1,255 households, and 786 families residing in the city. 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 1,081.6 people per square mile (418.2/km²). There were 1,355 housing units at an average density of 493.8 per square mile (190.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.67% White, 0.20% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 5.53% 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 0.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.80% of the population.
There were 1,255 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% 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, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,026, and the median income for a family was $47,083. Males had a median income of $28,281 versus $23,077 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 city was $18,431. About 5.3% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Housing
The city offers a wide array of housing. The city is in the process of annexing over 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land into the city limits to be used for housing developments. There is currently a Southpointe Housing Subdivision that has a couple lots remaining for new housing in a newly developed area of Clarion.Industry
Clarion has seen industrial expansion creating additional jobs. The development of the Clarion Industrial Park has led to the opening of a new factory, Clarion Packaging LLC, that has built a 114000 sq ft (10,590.9 m²). egg cartonEgg carton
An egg carton is a carton designed for carrying and transporting whole eggs. These cartons have a dimpled form in which each dimple accommodates an individual egg and isolates that egg from eggs in adjacent dimples...
factory that manufactures egg cartons out of recycled paper. The project added 80 new jobs to the community. There is a 12000 sq ft (1,114.8 m²). speculative building available. The industrial park features a new paved access road, sewer and water on site, railroad on site, and is conveniently located just 2 blocks south of Highway 3.
Hagie Manufacturing is located on Central Avenue. The company, incorporated by Ray Hagie, is responsible for designing and building the first high clearance sprayer
Sprayer
A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid.In agriculture, a sprayer is a piece of equipment that spray nozzles to apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers to agricultural crops...
. Today, the Clarion company boasts of manufacturing the fastest self-propelled sprayers in the world. The sprayers also feature 120 feet (36.6 m) long booms, the new standard in the industry. Just in the last three years the company has more than doubled sales and the number of employees, currently at 260. They are expanding with a 75000 sq ft (6,967.7 m²). addition being built to the north to allow for another assembly line. The expansion will add 60 more jobs and is anticipated to be complete by January 1, 2008.
Some of the other industrial companies in Clarion include EDS, Monsanto Company, Team Effort, Sports Graphics, Stronghold, Wright County Egg
Wright County Egg
Wright County Egg , based in Galt, Iowa, is one of the top ten egg producers in the United States, with a flock of more than 15 million chickens...
, and North Central Cooperative.
Tourism/historical sites
Heartland Museum is located on the western edge of Clarion on Highway 3. Features include the large agriculture hall with lots of antique farm equipment, balcony level farm toy displays, and displays from other communities in Wright County. One of the newest exhibits is the Early Farming display. The museum is home to Alvina Sellers' Iowa Hat Lady collection of over 6,000 hats. Alvina was from Clarion and gave 5,636 programs including an appearance in the David Letterman Show. The Artist Teddy Bear Museum was completed in 2005 to accommodate the fourth Teddy Bear Reunion in the Heartland in Clarion. The celebration has been held every 5 years since 1990. Another feature of the museum is the period streetscapes that recreate businesses in Clarion from years gone by. The Wright County Historical Library in the museum is a history and research library of information all about Wright County located in the 1920s-1930s streetscape. The Heartland Museum also has a newly renovated community room available for rent and is home to the Clarion Historical Society and Clarion Arts Council.The 4-H Schoolhouse Museum is another attraction located on Highway 3 in Gazebo Park. The restored Rock Island Depot is home to the Clarion Partnership for Growth (Chamber and Development Commission).
Commerce
Clarion's downtown features several buildings built in the 1800s. The center of the business district is the Wright County CourthouseWright County Courthouse (Iowa)
The Wright County Courthouse in Clarion, Iowa, United States was built in 1892. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Clarion's downtown includes several businesses of various types.http://www.clarion-iowa.com/zope/clarion/business/catlist
Education
The Clarion-Goldfield and Dows Community School Districts are in a 10 year whole grade sharing agreement, begun in 2005. The agreement maintains separate P/K-5 elementary schools in Clarion and Dows. Grades 6-12 are combined at Clarion. The districts have an enrollment of over 1,000 students. The Clarion-Goldfield School District covers 254 square miles (657.9 km²) in Wright, Humboldt, and Hanccok counties. The Dows School District covers 101 square miles (261.6 km²) in Wright and Franklin counties.In 1981 Clarion and Goldfield began a whole grade sharing agreement that included sharing the high school, this was expanded to include the middle school in 1986. The two districts passed a consolidation (99% and 89% approval) to merge the two districts into the Clarion-Goldfield Community School District.
Clarion-Goldfield High School was built in 1969. A new weight room was built in 2003 by the Clarion-Goldfield Sports Boosters. In 2004 an addition and renovation project was completed building an addition to the north and a new art room, pottery room, business room, 2 computer labs, wrestling room, 4 locker rooms, and geothermal heating and cooling to north northwest half of the facility. In 2007 another project was completed that included a south addition and extensive renovations to create new and renovated facilities for a library media center, ICN room, computer lab, chemistry/physics lab, renovated biology lab, 7 new classrooms, expanded and renovated offices, new main entrance, and a hallway/entrance to the east. The project included extensive renovations and new geothermal heating and cooling to the southeastern portion of the building. A wind turbine was built on the northeast corner of the property in 2007. Plans for the future include a 650 seat auditorium addition.
The Clarion-Goldfield Elementary and Middle School complex began with a 3 story high school building built in 1913, located on what is now the circle drive. In 1937, the 2 story elementary school was built as it stands today. In the late 1950s a building project was completed that included a northwest addition to the elementary school, an east addition to the elementary school, and what is now the middle school was built as a north addition to the high school that also connected the two facilities. The high school was moved to the new building in NE Clarion in 1971. The facility then became a P/K-8 facility. In 1993 the 1913 portion of the building was demolished, the middle school was capped and a new front entrance built. An addition was built to the north of the elementary school including a multipurpose room (gymnasium/cafeteria), library media center, ICN room, 2 computer labs, and additional classrooms. The 1937 elementary school and east addition was extensively renovated at this time. In 2002 a north addition was built to the middle school, adding 4 additional classrooms. In 2007 an extensive renovation project was completed to the middle school and northwest elementary addition that also included a small addition to the southwest, near the front entrance. In 2003 a new playground was completed.
Clarion-Goldfield is a Class 2A school in the North Central Conference that includes Algona, Bishop Garrigan, Clarion-Goldfield, Clear Lake, Eagle Grove, Hampton-Dumont, Humboldt, Iowa Falls-Alden, St. Edmond, and Webster City. School colors are red and black and the mascot is the Cowboys/Cowgirls. The school song is sung to the tune of Illinois Loyalty
Illinois Loyalty
Illinois Loyalty is the main school song of the University of Illinois.First performed March 3, 1906, 'Illinois Loyalty' is one of the oldest songs of its kind in the United States...
.