Fairfield, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Fairfield is a city and the county seat
of Jefferson County
, Iowa
, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census.
. The name was suggested by Nancy Bonnifield, one of the settlers, because it aptly described the fair fields of the area. But also author Susan Welty suggests it was a play of words on her own name (bonny field). By 1840 the town had a population of 110 and grew to 650 in 1847. The town was the site of the first and second Iowa State Fair
.
Fairfield's library was established in 1853, and was the first library in the state of Iowa. It was first housed in a rented room off the city square. The Carnegie
building on the corner of Washington and Court streets became its home in 1893. Then in May 1996, the library moved to its present location on West Adams Street. The library has over 220,000 items and received accreditation from the State Library of Iowa in 2009.
The first fair was held October 25–27, 1854 on 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of land surrounded by a 10 feet (3 m) fence. The total cost to hold the fair was around $320, and public admission was 25 cents per person. It is estimated that between 7,000 and 10,000 fair goers attended this historical event. Parsons College was founded in 1875. In 1893 the Carnegie Library was completed, the first west of the Mississippi. During the time leading up to the Civil War
, Fairfield was a stopping point for the Underground Railroad
. Ultimately, over 1,600 residents of Jefferson County served in the Union Army
.
to the north of the city, and Abundance ecovillage
, an off-the-grid community north of Fairfield. The Fairfield City Council declined petitions for annexation from Cypress Villages. In addition, nearby Maharishi Vedic City, located two miles (3 km) north of Fairfield, began as a subdivision and incorporated
as a city in 2001.
of the American Midwest: around the city is rolling farmland specializing in corn, soybeans, cattle and hogs. Running west-east through the city is U.S. Route 34
; the city of Burlington
is to the east and Ottumwa
to the west. North-South is Iowa Highway 1, leading north to Iowa City
and south to the Missouri
state border.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.21%) is water.
The racial makeup of the city in the 2010 census was 90.3% White American
, 2.2% African American
, 0.2% Native Americans in the United States
, 3.9% Asian American
, 0.0% Native Hawaiians
or Pacific Islander American
, 1.4% other races and 2.2% were from two or more races. Of those 3.6% were Hispanic and Latino Americans
.
of 2000, there were 9,509 people, 4,063 households, and 2,372 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,657.4 people per square mile (639.6/km²). There were 4,463 housing units at an average density of 777.9 per square mile (300.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.35% White, 0.99% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races
, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.64% of the population.
There were 4,063 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,202, and the median income for a family was $46,138. Males had a median income of $34,750 versus $24,830 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,673. About 10.1% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
There are 4,437 total housing units in Fairfield, 33.3% were built before 1939, 20.4% between 1940 and 1959, 12.7 between 1960 and 1969, 9.2 between 1970 and 1979, 15.5 between 1980 and 1989, 4.6 between 1990 and 1994, 2.5 between 1995 and 1998, and 1.8 between 1998 and 1999. The median home value in Fairfield is $73,200.
In 1990, Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad, called the town "one of the state's economic superstars". A 1997 report said the town had a significant number of entrepreneur businesses including a tofu
company, several software firms, a chimney supplies wholesaler, wholefoods grocery store, an oil brokerage, and a telecommunications company. These new companies were reported in 1999 to have "created up to 1,500 jobs in high tech businesses ranging from telecommunications companies to Internet providers to PC-oriented magazines". Later, the town was dubbed "Silicorn Valley" because of the preponderance of new businesses that were Internet and information based.
In 2003 a report by the National Center for Small Communities selected Fairfield as a recipient of the The Grassroots Rural Entrepreneurship Award, saying that the city "has become recognized as one the nation’s most entrepreneurial small towns." The report said that Fairfield had created over 2,000 jobs in the previous 15 years and that new construction averages $10 million per year. That same year it received the Community Vitality Center's Entrepreneurial Community of the Year award. According to City officials, Fairfield received investments of over $200 million in venture capital from approximately 1990 to 2004.
In 2008, the town was the "home of 40 software development
and telecom
companies". According to a 2009 report from the University of Iowa's Community Vitality Center, Fairfield has had more than $250 million invested in 50 companies since 1990. These companies have included various financial services as well as marketing, software development and telecom businesses. This has created 3000 local jobs plus "12,000 jobs globally, and nearly $1 billion in new equity".
In 2009 the Fairfield Entrepreneurs Association celebrated its 20th year. In 2011, the FEA published the Fairifield Edge magazine that contains profiles of over 40 businesses and organizations and describe the entrepreneurial culture of Fairfield and "asset quilting" to support civic and social entrepreneurship. The town has hosted the National Rural Entrepreneurial Gatherings each year beginning in 2003. The event is now called the FRED Conference (Focus on Rural Entrepreneurial Development). Fairfield has been described as a Rural Renaissance City due the power of it entrepreneurial class in an article by Burt Chojnowski in the IEDC Economic Development Journal.
. It has been called a "national magnet" and "the world's largest training center" for practitioners of TM
. Many of its current residents moved there to participate in the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program
inside one of the Maharishi University of Management
's two golden domes. Locally, TM practitioners are sometimes called "roos", slang for gurus, a term they have appropriated, although they also refer to themselves as "meditators". Fairfield natives are sometimes known as "townies".
On the first Friday night of every month, Fairfield hosts the 1st Fridays Art Walk, which attracts more than 2500 visitors and showcases local and national artists in downtown galleries and occasional live, outdoor music.
Maharishi Vedic City
, conceived by the Maharishi and incorporated by a group of his followers in 2001, is located a few miles north of Fairfield. In 2005, the town's Friday Art Walk was named Iowa's Tourism Event of the Year.
In 2006, the town was named one of the "12 Great Places You've Never Heard Of" by Mother Earth News
magazine citing its ayurvedic health spa, high amount of restaurants per capita and 25 art galleries, characterizing it as a "sustainable and cosmopolitan town".That same year, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has designated Fairfield as one of the Iowa Great Places.
Fairfield is home to the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center
(FACC), built in 2007, which includes the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts
. The center is the first theater named after Stephen Sondheim
and the opening was attended by seven Broadway actors connected with Sondheim's plays. In May 2010, the facility became "essentially" city-owned, following a city wide vote.
In 2009, a concert by The Beach Boys
and The Nadas
was held on the Fairfield Middle School grounds, as a benefit for the FACC and the city's Green Sustainability Plan. The concert was sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation
. This was the 40th, and final performance of The Beach Boy's summer tour of 2009.
Fairfield was selected by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to be one of six Iowa Great Places to participate in new program to revitalize the cultural arts in 2010.
houses such as one designed by George Franklin Barber
as well a 1915 house designed by Barry Byrne
, who trained under Frank Lloyd Wright
. A 1930s bank building was designed in the Streamline Moderne
style. Commercial and institutional architecture were influenced by the Louden Industries, including the Louden Foundry. Fairfield is the site of the oldest Carnegie library
in the United States west of Pennsylvania
. The grant effort was spurred by Senator
, James F. Wilson. The Richardsonian Romanesque
work is now operated by Indian Hills Community College
as a satellite campus building, as a new library was built in 1996.
In the late 1990s, some new construction appeared influenced by the Vedic style of architecture
. Many homes and commercial buildings in and around the city are built according to Maharishi Sthapatya Veda
principles, which include a requirement that entrances face due east or due north. Businesses and homeowners have boarded up entrances that face in inauspicious directions (south or west).
Two of the largest landmarks in Fairfield are the twin Golden Domes
on the MUM campus, built in 1980 and 1981, which are centers for the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program
.
Fairfield is governed by a seven-member city council
headed by a mayor
. The current mayor, Ed Malloy, was first elected in 2001. Mayoral terms are two years. City council members serve staggered four-year terms. The council consists of one representative from each of the city's five wards, plus two at-large representatives. As of 2009, city council members are Susan Silvers (at large), Myron Gookin (at large), Ron Adam (Ward 1), John Revolinski (Ward 2), Ray Mottet (Ward 3), Michael Halley (Ward 4), and Daryn Hamilton (Ward 5). Fairfield's City Administrator is Jeff Clawson.
that focuses on reducing energy and protecting resources have been supported by a position created by Iowa State University
extension services and the City of Fairfield.
Fairfield's mayor, Ed Malloy, was named by MSN.com to a nationwide list of 15 "green" mayors. Malloy describes the city's agenda for sustainability as aggressive, and includes a Green Strategic Plan covering everything from conservation, local farms, local food, alternative transportation, and bike paths and trails. The hope, according to Malloy, is that Fairfield will become a model community and a "virtual template" for small cities interested in creating a sustainable city environment. The city received an $80,000 grant from Iowa's Office of Energy Independence to hire a program coordinator, collect data and create a sustainability plan to be completed in 2020.
The town hosts an annual Eco-Fair and has more solar energy homes and green building than any other Iowa town. Fairfield's KRUU-LP
is said to be the only radio station in the USA that uses solar energy for its operations and radio signal.
, Rottweiler
, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Siberian Husky
, Malamute and any other dog weighing over 100 pounds (45.4 kg) as dangerous animals. The ordinance includes a number of special provisions and requirements but has an exception which allows owners to walk listed dogs if the leash is no more than four feet long and the collar includes current vaccinations tags.
nasium. In the 2001-2002 school year, the district added a new transportation building.
Fairfield also has two private schools, Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment
and Cornerstone Primary School. The town is home to Maharishi University of Management
, a private university which moved to Fairfield in 1974 after the closure of Parsons College
.
In 2010, Lincoln Elementary school was closed due to budget cuts. Also, all fifth grade classes were moved to the Fairfield Middle School. The Fairfield school board voted to use the building for Fairfield High School's alternative school
in 2010-11. Fairfield was also home to Fairfield Christian School for a number of years.
Fairfield has several radio stations including KHOE
90.5 FM
, KKFD-FM
95.9, KRUU-LP
100.1 FM and KMCD
1570 AM
.
Television
Fairfield's local television station is called FPAC (Fairfield Public Access).
, approximately 90 miles (144.8 km) to the north. Fairfield has a small airport north of town, which was built in 1967 and renovated in 2006. The Fairfield Municipal Airport is a general use, public airport. It offers 5550 feet (1,691.6 m) of concrete runway. Bus service to Fairfield is provided by Greyhound Lines
affiliates Jefferson Lines
and Burlington Trailways
.
Amtrak carries passengers west-east on the California Zephyr
, with passenger stations in Mount Pleasant
, (25 miles to the east) and Ottumwa
(20 miles to the west). Rail service is by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BSNF) railway.
The Rock Island Line also passed through Fairfield, but closed in the late 1970s. The old steel trestle has been removed from its crossing, and the walking trail that circumnavigates the city uses part of the old roadbed.
Evidence of other long forgotten rail lines can be found in the woods around the city. A section of narrow gauge roadbed can be found cutting its way through Whitham Woods, a park on Fairfield's western edge.
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 Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 16,843 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,594 housing units, of which 6,846 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. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census.
History
The area now known as Jefferson County was first settled in 1836, and became Jefferson County in 1839, with the new town of Fairfield as the county seatCounty 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....
. The name was suggested by Nancy Bonnifield, one of the settlers, because it aptly described the fair fields of the area. But also author Susan Welty suggests it was a play of words on her own name (bonny field). By 1840 the town had a population of 110 and grew to 650 in 1847. The town was the site of the first and second Iowa State Fair
Iowa State Fair
The Iowa State Fair is an annual state fair held in Des Moines, Iowa.The 2011 Iowa State Fair was held August 11–21 and marked 100 years of the butter cow sculpture.-History:...
.
Fairfield's library was established in 1853, and was the first library in the state of Iowa. It was first housed in a rented room off the city square. The Carnegie
Carnegie
Carnegie may refer to:*Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist, for whom many entries on this page are named*Dale Carnegie, motivational speaker and author*David Carnegie , Scottish-Swedish industrialist...
building on the corner of Washington and Court streets became its home in 1893. Then in May 1996, the library moved to its present location on West Adams Street. The library has over 220,000 items and received accreditation from the State Library of Iowa in 2009.
The first fair was held October 25–27, 1854 on 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of land surrounded by a 10 feet (3 m) fence. The total cost to hold the fair was around $320, and public admission was 25 cents per person. It is estimated that between 7,000 and 10,000 fair goers attended this historical event. Parsons College was founded in 1875. In 1893 the Carnegie Library was completed, the first west of the Mississippi. During the time leading up to the Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, Fairfield was a stopping point for the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. Ultimately, over 1,600 residents of Jefferson County served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
Expansion and subdivisions
Subdivisions that border Fairfield include Cypress Villages, a 145 acre (0.5867947 km²) subdivision under development as a "green" community using principles of Maharishi Sthapatya VedaMaharishi Sthapatya Veda
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda is a set of architectural and planning principles assembled by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi based on "ancient Sanskrit texts" Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture is also called "Maharishi Vastu" architecture, "Fortune-Creating" buildings and homes, and "Maharishi Vedic...
to the north of the city, and Abundance ecovillage
Ecovillage
Ecovillages are intentional communities with the goal of becoming more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Some aim for a population of 50–150 individuals. Larger ecovillages of up to 2,000 individuals exist as networks of smaller subcommunities to create an ecovillage model that...
, an off-the-grid community north of Fairfield. The Fairfield City Council declined petitions for annexation from Cypress Villages. In addition, nearby Maharishi Vedic City, located two miles (3 km) north of Fairfield, began as a subdivision and incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a city in 2001.
Geography
Fairfield's geography is typical of the great plainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of the American Midwest: around the city is rolling farmland specializing in corn, soybeans, cattle and hogs. Running west-east through the city is U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 1,122 miles from north-central Colorado to the western suburbs of Chicago. Through Rocky Mountain National Park it is known as the Trail Ridge Road where it reaches 12,183 ft , making it the highest paved through highway in...
; the city of Burlington
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
is to the east and Ottumwa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
to the west. North-South is Iowa Highway 1, leading north to Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
and south to the Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
state border.
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 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.21%) is water.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,464 in the city, with a population density of . There were 4,650 housing units, of which 4,201 were occupied.The racial makeup of the city in the 2010 census was 90.3% White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 2.2% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.2% Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 3.9% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.0% Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
or Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 1.4% other races and 2.2% were from two or more races. Of those 3.6% were Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
.
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 9,509 people, 4,063 households, and 2,372 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 1,657.4 people per square mile (639.6/km²). There were 4,463 housing units at an average density of 777.9 per square mile (300.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.35% White, 0.99% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.73% 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 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.64% of the population.
There were 4,063 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,202, and the median income for a family was $46,138. Males had a median income of $34,750 versus $24,830 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 $19,673. About 10.1% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
There are 4,437 total housing units in Fairfield, 33.3% were built before 1939, 20.4% between 1940 and 1959, 12.7 between 1960 and 1969, 9.2 between 1970 and 1979, 15.5 between 1980 and 1989, 4.6 between 1990 and 1994, 2.5 between 1995 and 1998, and 1.8 between 1998 and 1999. The median home value in Fairfield is $73,200.
Economy
According to an article in the New York Times the town "thrives largely on its abundance of start-up companies". The Agri-Industrial Products company was founded in 1978 and has become the nation's "largest producer" of roadside construction barrels and other plastic products. The town is also home to Creative Edge, a global manufacturer of ceramic tiles.In 1990, Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad, called the town "one of the state's economic superstars". A 1997 report said the town had a significant number of entrepreneur businesses including a tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
company, several software firms, a chimney supplies wholesaler, wholefoods grocery store, an oil brokerage, and a telecommunications company. These new companies were reported in 1999 to have "created up to 1,500 jobs in high tech businesses ranging from telecommunications companies to Internet providers to PC-oriented magazines". Later, the town was dubbed "Silicorn Valley" because of the preponderance of new businesses that were Internet and information based.
In 2003 a report by the National Center for Small Communities selected Fairfield as a recipient of the The Grassroots Rural Entrepreneurship Award, saying that the city "has become recognized as one the nation’s most entrepreneurial small towns." The report said that Fairfield had created over 2,000 jobs in the previous 15 years and that new construction averages $10 million per year. That same year it received the Community Vitality Center's Entrepreneurial Community of the Year award. According to City officials, Fairfield received investments of over $200 million in venture capital from approximately 1990 to 2004.
In 2008, the town was the "home of 40 software development
Software development
Software development is the development of a software product...
and telecom
Telecommunications Service Provider
A telecommunications service provider or TSP is a type of communications service provider that has traditionally provided telephone and similar services...
companies". According to a 2009 report from the University of Iowa's Community Vitality Center, Fairfield has had more than $250 million invested in 50 companies since 1990. These companies have included various financial services as well as marketing, software development and telecom businesses. This has created 3000 local jobs plus "12,000 jobs globally, and nearly $1 billion in new equity".
In 2009 the Fairfield Entrepreneurs Association celebrated its 20th year. In 2011, the FEA published the Fairifield Edge magazine that contains profiles of over 40 businesses and organizations and describe the entrepreneurial culture of Fairfield and "asset quilting" to support civic and social entrepreneurship. The town has hosted the National Rural Entrepreneurial Gatherings each year beginning in 2003. The event is now called the FRED Conference (Focus on Rural Entrepreneurial Development). Fairfield has been described as a Rural Renaissance City due the power of it entrepreneurial class in an article by Burt Chojnowski in the IEDC Economic Development Journal.
Arts and culture
Beginning in 1974 Maharishi University of Management began attracting hundreds of students from around the world. After a world peace conference in 1979, about 800 people moved to Fairfield after being urged to do so by the university's founder. Fairfield has been described as the home of the Transcendental Meditation movementTranscendental Meditation movement
The Transcendental Meditation movement is a world-wide organization, sometimes characterised as a neo-Hindu new religious movement, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s...
. It has been called a "national magnet" and "the world's largest training center" for practitioners of TM
Transcendental Meditation technique
The Transcendental Meditation technique is a specific form of mantra meditation often referred to as Transcendental Meditation. It was introduced in India in 1955 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi...
. Many of its current residents moved there to participate in the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program
TM-Sidhi program
The TM-Sidhi program is a form of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1975. It is based on, and described as a natural extension of the Transcendental Meditation technique...
inside one of the Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management , formerly known as Maharishi International University, is a non-profit, American university, located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the...
's two golden domes. Locally, TM practitioners are sometimes called "roos", slang for gurus, a term they have appropriated, although they also refer to themselves as "meditators". Fairfield natives are sometimes known as "townies".
On the first Friday night of every month, Fairfield hosts the 1st Fridays Art Walk, which attracts more than 2500 visitors and showcases local and national artists in downtown galleries and occasional live, outdoor music.
Maharishi Vedic City
Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa
Maharishi Vedic City is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The city was first incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City" five months later. It was the first city to incorporate in Iowa since 1982...
, conceived by the Maharishi and incorporated by a group of his followers in 2001, is located a few miles north of Fairfield. In 2005, the town's Friday Art Walk was named Iowa's Tourism Event of the Year.
In 2006, the town was named one of the "12 Great Places You've Never Heard Of" by Mother Earth News
Mother Earth News
Mother Earth News is a bi-monthly American magazine that has a circulation of 475,000. It is based in Topeka, Kansas.Approaching environmental problems from a down-to-earth, practical, how-to standpoint, Mother Earth News has, since the magazine’s founding in 1970, been a pioneer in the promotion...
magazine citing its ayurvedic health spa, high amount of restaurants per capita and 25 art galleries, characterizing it as a "sustainable and cosmopolitan town".That same year, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has designated Fairfield as one of the Iowa Great Places.
Fairfield is home to the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center
Fairfield Arts & Convention Center
The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center is a performing arts, convention and meeting, visual arts, and arts education facility, located at Briggs and Main Streets in downtown Fairfield, Iowa...
(FACC), built in 2007, which includes the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts
Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts
The Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, opened December 7-10, 2007, located with the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center in Fairfield, Iowa. The Center opened with 7 notable Broadway stars, including Liz Callaway and Richard Kind, all of whom had something to do with one of the many...
. The center is the first theater named after Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
and the opening was attended by seven Broadway actors connected with Sondheim's plays. In May 2010, the facility became "essentially" city-owned, following a city wide vote.
In 2009, a concert by The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
and The Nadas
The Nadas
The Nadas are a rock/folk quintet based out of Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995 in Ames, Iowa, the band earned early success on the local college scene, eventually becoming the "house" band for People's Bar and Grill. Their initial success resulted in the first of seven albums, titled, "Not A...
was held on the Fairfield Middle School grounds, as a benefit for the FACC and the city's Green Sustainability Plan. The concert was sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation
David Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation For Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace is a global charitable foundation based in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded by film director and Transcendental Meditation practitioner David Lynch in 2005....
. This was the 40th, and final performance of The Beach Boy's summer tour of 2009.
Fairfield was selected by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to be one of six Iowa Great Places to participate in new program to revitalize the cultural arts in 2010.
Landmarks
The early architecture in Fairfield included VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
houses such as one designed by George Franklin Barber
George Franklin Barber
George Franklin Barber was an American architect best known for his residential designs, which he marketed worldwide through a series of mail-order catalogs. One of the most successful domestic architects of the late Victorian period in the United States, Barber's plans were used for houses in...
as well a 1915 house designed by Barry Byrne
Barry Byrne
Francis Barry Byrne was initially a member of the group of architects known as the Prairie School. After the demise of the Prairie School about 1914-16, Byrne continued as a successful architect by developing his own personal style.-Biography:Francis Barry Byrne was born and raised in Chicago...
, who trained under Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
. A 1930s bank building was designed in the Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
style. Commercial and institutional architecture were influenced by the Louden Industries, including the Louden Foundry. Fairfield is the site of the oldest Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
in the United States west of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The grant effort was spurred by 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...
, James F. Wilson. The Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
work is now operated by Indian Hills Community College
Indian Hills Community College
Indian Hills Community College is a two-year public community college, with campuses located in Ottumwa, Iowa and Centerville, Iowa. I.H.C.C. serves both traditional residential students and commuter students.-History:...
as a satellite campus building, as a new library was built in 1996.
In the late 1990s, some new construction appeared influenced by the Vedic style of architecture
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda is a set of architectural and planning principles assembled by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi based on "ancient Sanskrit texts" Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture is also called "Maharishi Vastu" architecture, "Fortune-Creating" buildings and homes, and "Maharishi Vedic...
. Many homes and commercial buildings in and around the city are built according to Maharishi Sthapatya Veda
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda
Maharishi Sthapatya Veda is a set of architectural and planning principles assembled by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi based on "ancient Sanskrit texts" Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture is also called "Maharishi Vastu" architecture, "Fortune-Creating" buildings and homes, and "Maharishi Vedic...
principles, which include a requirement that entrances face due east or due north. Businesses and homeowners have boarded up entrances that face in inauspicious directions (south or west).
Two of the largest landmarks in Fairfield are the twin Golden Domes
Golden Domes
The twin Golden Domes, also called the Maharishi Golden Domes, are used for the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program . Built by followers of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Maharishi University of Management campus in Fairfield, Iowa, the domes are important centers of the Transcendental Meditation...
on the MUM campus, built in 1980 and 1981, which are centers for the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program
TM-Sidhi program
The TM-Sidhi program is a form of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1975. It is based on, and described as a natural extension of the Transcendental Meditation technique...
.
Parks and recreation
The town has 12 public parks and recreation areas consisting over 1,300 acres (over 5.5 km2) and a "master trail plan" underway that includes a 17 miles (27.4 km) trail system. Some of the trail is paved, five miles (8 km) of trail is covered with lime chips while other areas include traditional wooded paths. The trail system connects several areas of interest including the Neff Family Wetlands dike, and the BNSF Trail segment, which crosses a new bridge that joins Walton Lake with Chautauqua Park. The final trail plan includes a "heritage path" leading to historical sites and a water trail that connects the area's river and three lakes.Government
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
headed by a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. The current mayor, Ed Malloy, was first elected in 2001. Mayoral terms are two years. City council members serve staggered four-year terms. The council consists of one representative from each of the city's five wards, plus two at-large representatives. As of 2009, city council members are Susan Silvers (at large), Myron Gookin (at large), Ron Adam (Ward 1), John Revolinski (Ward 2), Ray Mottet (Ward 3), Michael Halley (Ward 4), and Daryn Hamilton (Ward 5). Fairfield's City Administrator is Jeff Clawson.
Sustainability
Fairfield's grassroots efforts to create a sustainable communitySustainable community
Sustainable communities are communities planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living. This may include sustainability aspects relating to reproduction...
that focuses on reducing energy and protecting resources have been supported by a position created by Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
extension services and the City of Fairfield.
Fairfield's mayor, Ed Malloy, was named by MSN.com to a nationwide list of 15 "green" mayors. Malloy describes the city's agenda for sustainability as aggressive, and includes a Green Strategic Plan covering everything from conservation, local farms, local food, alternative transportation, and bike paths and trails. The hope, according to Malloy, is that Fairfield will become a model community and a "virtual template" for small cities interested in creating a sustainable city environment. The city received an $80,000 grant from Iowa's Office of Energy Independence to hire a program coordinator, collect data and create a sustainability plan to be completed in 2020.
The town hosts an annual Eco-Fair and has more solar energy homes and green building than any other Iowa town. Fairfield's KRUU-LP
KRUU-LP
KRUU-LP is a 100-watt non-commercial low-power community radio station operating in Fairfield, Iowa. The station is partially solar powered...
is said to be the only radio station in the USA that uses solar energy for its operations and radio signal.
Dog ordinance
The city has an ordinance that defines several breeds of dogs, including Doberman Pincher, Pit BullPit bull
A Pit bull is any of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group.Many jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,, Miami, Florida, U.S...
, Rottweiler
Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market...
, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Siberian Husky
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
, Malamute and any other dog weighing over 100 pounds (45.4 kg) as dangerous animals. The ordinance includes a number of special provisions and requirements but has an exception which allows owners to walk listed dogs if the leash is no more than four feet long and the collar includes current vaccinations tags.
Education
The Fairfield Community School District is home to nearly 2,500 students, teachers, administrators and staff, with three elementary schools (Pence Elementary, Washington Elementary, and Libertyville Elementary), a middle school, and a 3A high school. The high school has approximately 630 students and 75 staff members. The current high school building was built in 1939 on 23.2 acres (93,887.2 m²). The total cost of the construction was approximately $550,000. In 1984, an addition to the school provided a commons area, new library, new kitchen, a counseling office, and an expansion of the gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium. In the 2001-2002 school year, the district added a new transportation building.
Fairfield also has two private schools, Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment
Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment
Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment is an independent, non-denominational, college preparatory school located in Fairfield, Iowa, USA.The school was founded in 1974, received state accreditation in 1986 and began single-gender classes in 1989...
and Cornerstone Primary School. The town is home to Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management , formerly known as Maharishi International University, is a non-profit, American university, located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the...
, a private university which moved to Fairfield in 1974 after the closure of Parsons College
Parsons College
Parsons College was a private liberal arts college in Fairfield, Iowa. The school, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, was founded in 1875 and closed in 1973....
.
In 2010, Lincoln Elementary school was closed due to budget cuts. Also, all fifth grade classes were moved to the Fairfield Middle School. The Fairfield school board voted to use the building for Fairfield High School's alternative school
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
in 2010-11. Fairfield was also home to Fairfield Christian School for a number of years.
Media
RadioFairfield has several radio stations including KHOE
KHOE
KHOE is the college radio station of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.-Description:The station is described as a "a nonprofit, noncommercial, educational radio station". The station broadcasts a variety, "world radio" format...
90.5 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
, KKFD-FM
KKFD-FM
KKFD-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits music format. Licensed to Fairfield, Iowa, USA, the station is currently owned by Fairfield License Co, LLC....
95.9, KRUU-LP
KRUU-LP
KRUU-LP is a 100-watt non-commercial low-power community radio station operating in Fairfield, Iowa. The station is partially solar powered...
100.1 FM and KMCD
KMCD
KMCD is a commercial radio station serving the Fairfield, Iowa area. The station primarily broadcasts an classic country format. Effective June 1, 2007 the Fairfield Media Group Inc sold the station to GoodRadio.TV LLC. KMCD is licensed to Fairfield License Co, LLC....
1570 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
.
Television
Fairfield's local television station is called FPAC (Fairfield Public Access).
Transportation
The nearest international commercial airport is in Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, approximately 90 miles (144.8 km) to the north. Fairfield has a small airport north of town, which was built in 1967 and renovated in 2006. The Fairfield Municipal Airport is a general use, public airport. It offers 5550 feet (1,691.6 m) of concrete runway. Bus service to Fairfield is provided by Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
affiliates Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines is a regional intercity bus company operating in United States. The company's name originates in the Jefferson Highway, a north-south route in the early National Auto Trail system which once ran from Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, south to New Orleans, Louisiana. The service to...
and Burlington Trailways
Burlington Trailways
Burlington Trailways is an inter-city bus company based in West Burlington, Iowa.Burlington Trailways was founded in 1929 as the Burlington Transportation Company, a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad...
.
Amtrak carries passengers west-east on the California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
, with passenger stations in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Mount Pleasant is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Iowa, in the United States. The population was 8,668 in the 2010 census, a decline from 8,751 in the 2000 census. It was founded in 1835 by pioneer Presley Saunders.- History :...
, (25 miles to the east) and Ottumwa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
(20 miles to the west). Rail service is by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BSNF) railway.
The Rock Island Line also passed through Fairfield, but closed in the late 1970s. The old steel trestle has been removed from its crossing, and the walking trail that circumnavigates the city uses part of the old roadbed.
Evidence of other long forgotten rail lines can be found in the woods around the city. A section of narrow gauge roadbed can be found cutting its way through Whitham Woods, a park on Fairfield's western edge.
Notable people
- Richard BeymerRichard BeymerGeorge Richard Beymer, Jr. is an American actor known for playing Tony in the 1961 film version of West Side Story and Ben Horne on the 1990 television series Twin Peaks.-Life and career:...
(born 1938) actor - Buddy BiancalanaBuddy BiancalanaRoland Americo "Buddy" Biancalana is a retired Major League Baseball shortstop.Biancalana played for two teams in his career: the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros . He attended Redwood High School in Larkspur and was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 1978 June Regular Phase...
(born 1960) former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Greg Brown, folk musician
- Ron CochranRon CochranRon Cochran was a television news journalist for ABC and CBS. He served as the anchor of the ABC Evening News from 1962 to 1965. In November 1963, he served as the network's principal anchor for the around-the-clock coverage of the Kennedy assassination...
(1912–1994) television journalist - Flavia ColganFlavia ColganFlavia Monteiro Colgan is a Democratic strategist, who is an active political contributor on MSNBC and serves as a special correspondent for Extra. She resides in Los Angeles.-Family:...
, political contributor on MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada... - Joe CrailJoe CrailJoe Crail was a United States Representative from California. He was born in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa. He attended the public schools and graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa in 1898....
, (1877–1938) former California House of Representatives member - Walter DayWalter DayWalter Aldro Day, Jr. is the founder of Twin Galaxies, an international organization based in Fairfield, Iowa, that tracks high score statistics for the worldwide electronic video gaming hobby...
(born 1949) founder of Twin GalaxiesTwin GalaxiesTwin Galaxies is an American organization that tracks video game world records and conducts a program of electronic-gaming promotions. It operates the Twin Galaxies website and publishes the Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, with the Arcade Volume released on June... - Ashley DeansAshley DeansAshley Deans is Professor of Consciousness-Based Education at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa and Executive Director of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment...
, head of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment - Dave DespainDave DespainDave Despain is an American motor sports journalist. He is the host of WindTunnel with Dave Despain on Speed Channel, and formerly the host of Inside Nextel Cup, until the latter underwent a format change at the beginning of the 2008 NASCAR Season.-Early life and career:A native of Fairfield,...
(born 1946) auto racing commentator on SPEED - Ben Foster, actor
- Jon FosterJon FosterJon Foster is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the 2004 film The Door in the Floor, the 2006 horror movie, Stay Alive, and co-starring opposite Jenna Elfman in the CBS comedy Accidentally on Purpose.-Personal life:Foster was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of...
, actor - John HagelinJohn HagelinJohn Samuel Hagelin is an American particle physicist, three-time candidate of the Natural Law Party for President of the United States , and the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement for the US....
(born 1954) quantum physicist, three-time United States Presidential candidate - Milo HamiltonMilo HamiltonLeland Milo Hamilton is an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams since 1953...
, baseball announcer - Harry HarlowHarry HarlowHarry Frederick Harlow was an American psychologist best known for his maternal-separation and social isolation experiments on rhesus monkeys, which demonstrated the importance of care-giving and companionship in social and cognitive development...
, psychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college... - Claire HoffmanClaire HoffmanClaire Denise Hoffman is an American journalist, author, and Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of California, Riverside....
(born 1977) journalist - John JacksonJohn Jackson (sport shooter)John E. Jackson was an American sport shooter who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.In 1912 he won the gold medal as member of the American team in the team military rifle competition and the bronze medal in the 600 metre free rifle event...
(1885–1971) gold and bronze medal winner during the 1912 Summer Olympics1912 Summer OlympicsThe 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports... - Mitch KaporMitch KaporMitchell David Kapor is the founder of Lotus Development Corporation and the designer of Lotus 1-2-3. He is also a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and was the first chair of the Mozilla Foundation...
(born 1950) founder of Electronic Frontier FoundationElectronic Frontier FoundationThe Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
and was the first chair of the Mozilla FoundationMozilla FoundationThe Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists to support and provide leadership for the open source Mozilla project. The organization sets the policies that govern development, operates key infrastructure and controls trademarks and other intellectual property... - Hugh J. KnerrHugh J. KnerrHugh Johnston Knerr was a Major General in the United States Air Force.-Biography:Knerr was born on May 30, 1887 in Fairfield, Iowa. He passed away on October 26, 1971 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.-Career:...
(1887–1971) Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of... - Bob KrauseBob Krause (politician)Robert A. Krause was a candidate for United States Senate from Iowa in the 2010 United States Senate election in Iowa. He lost the Democratic party primaty to Roxanne Conlin who later lost in the Senate election against Charles Grassley. He is a member of the Democratic party.He was first elected...
, Iowa state representative - Richard L. LawsonRichard L. LawsonRichard Laverne Lawson is a former General and former deputy commander in chief, Headquarters United States European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.-Early life:...
, 4 Star General, US Army Korean & Vietnam Wars - F. Dickinson LettsF. Dickinson LettsFred Dickinson Letts was a three-term Republican U.S. Representative from eastern Iowa, and a thirty-year federal trial court judge in the District of Columbia.-Life and work:...
, federal judge - Pamela LevyPamela LevyPamela Levy was an Israeli artist.Pamela Levy was born in Fairfield, Iowa. She completed a B.A. at the University of Northern Iowa .In 1976 she immigrated to Israel where she started exhibiting her work in solo shows soon after...
, painter - Moses A. McCoidMoses A. McCoidMoses Ayers McCoid was a Union Army officer in the American Civil War and a three-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 1st congressional district in southeastern Iowa....
, U.S. Representative from Iowa - Bevan MorrisBevan MorrisBevan G. Morris is the president of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, President of the Global Country of World Peace, President of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, Prime Minister of the United States Peace Government, President of the Maharishi World Peace...
(born 1949) president of Maharishi University of Management - David Orme-JohnsonDavid Orme-JohnsonDavid W. Orme-Johnson is a former professor of psychology at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. He is the author of over 100 papers investigating the effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique....
(born 1941) TM researcher - Claude R. PorterClaude R. PorterClaude R. Porter was a member of the Iowa General Assembly, United States Attorney, and perennial Democratic runner-up to Republican victors in three races for Iowa governor and six races for U.S. senator. In an era in which Republicans in Iowa won so often that Senator Jonathan P...
, member of the Iowa General AssemblyIowa General AssemblyThe Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
, United States AttorneyUnited States AttorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands... - David RosenboomDavid RosenboomDavid Rosenboom is an American composer and a pioneer in the use of neurofeedback, cross-cultural collaborations and compositional algorithms...
, (born 1947) composer - Mary RuthsdotterMary RuthsdotterMary Ruthsdotter was a feminist activist who co-founded the National Women's History Project, for which she produced curriculum guides, teacher training programs and videos on women’s history...
(1944–2010) feminist activist - Chad SetterstromChad SetterstromChad Aaron Setterstrom is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2003. He played college football at Northern Iowa....
, National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player - Hays B. WhiteHays B. WhiteHays Baxter White was a U.S. Representative from Kansas.Born near Fairfield, Iowa, White attended the rural schools of his native county.He engaged in agricultural pursuits....
(1855–1930) Kansas state politician and lawmaker 1888–1918 then 5 term US RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
1919–1929 - Robert Williamson SteeleRobert Williamson SteeleRobert Williamson Steele was Governor of the extralegal Territory of Jefferson, which existed in the western United States of America from 1859 to 1861, when it was replaced by the Territory of Colorado.-Early life:...
, Governor of the Territory of Jefferson - James F. Wilson, United States Senator
External links
- Fairfield First!
- Official Fairfield City Website
- Fairfield Chamber of Commerce
- FRED Conference
- The Fairfield Voice
- Fairfield Sustainability Projects
- The Fairfield Ledger
- Fairfield Community School District
- Fairfield Radio
- Go Green Strategic Plan 2020
- Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment
- Maharishi University of Management
- City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Fairfield, Iowa