Greenfield, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Greenfield is a city in Greenfield Township
, Adair County, Iowa
, United States
. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Adair County. The current courthouse
, which sits in the middle of the Greenfield Square, was built in 1891 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Greenfield is home to the Iowa Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,129 people, 937 households, and 580 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,172.6 people per square mile (451.7/km²). There were 999 housing units at an average density of 550.2 per square mile (211.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.20% White, 0.05% African American, 0.38% Asian, 0.19% from other races
, and 0.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 937 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,869, and the median income for a family was $42,872. Males had a median income of $29,792 versus $22,091 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,444. About 7.7% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
was combined with the Bridgewater
-Fontanelle
school district in 2000, to form Nodaway Valley Community School District
. The district's only high school
, Nodaway Valley High School
, and one of the district's two elementary schools, Nodaway Valley East Elementary, are in Greenfield.
satirical comedy film Cold Turkey
, starring Dick Van Dyke
. The movie involved a town that accepted a challenge to quit smoking for 30 days. Greenfield also rose to the challenge and went "Cold Turkey" with 166 of its citizens signing Stop Smoking pledges. Portions of the 2009
thriller Peacock
were filmed in Greenfield and other towns in Adair County.
In its early years, the Opera House hosted traveling theatrical troupes, medicine shows, musical productions and local theatre. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In 1996 the EE Warren Opera House Association was formed to save and restore the building and its integrity. The Association has made numerous structural and aesthetic improvements to the interior and exterior of the building. The Association recently acquired the adjacent Hetherington Building and Taylor Building. The mission of the Association is to create a cultural center which will promote all forms of the arts. There will be retail and dining space to enhance the visitor's experience and the facility aims to support live theatre performances, concerts, art exhibits and many more entertaining events.
Despite the shadow of the Great War (WW I) local boosters were yet able to capitalize a 32-room state-of-the-art lodge at a cost of $65,000. Regional architect William Gordon designed the Classical Revival (Commercial) style building, to be constructed starting in 1919. It was completed and furnished by 1920. A gala Grand Opening was featured June 3, 1920 with William Don Carlos and George Musmaker toastmasters of the evening.
The original “Greenfield Hotel Company” of April 8, 1919, was founded by local business owners and town boosters as a community improvement project, more than as a profit-making enterprise, as such. The company, an Iowa corporation, owned the hotel until July 12, 1951. Lawyer George Musmaker, president, and banker Jay Howe, secretary-treasurer, were two of the company’s primary leaders during those first 32 years. Individuals and families owned and operated the business after that.
A food service establishment has been featured as a major element of the hotel’s operation. The lodging element was dated and dwindling in significance by the 1970s. When ADCO Enterprises, LC purchased the hotel property in March 2010, the Old Hotel Restaurant & Lounge (John Galanakis and family) was flourishing on the first floor space. It now continues to be associated with Hotel Greenfield but is relocated into the former Adair County Free Press building, joined to the west of the original hotel. It was acquired in 2010 in order to secure additional hotel development space. Two hotel suites are located on its second floor, along with laundry and housekeeping facilities.
The Free press building is 19th century Commercial in style with Romanesque features on its façade. It was erected in 1903 by Edwin J. Sidey and his father John S. Sidey, founders of the Adair County Democrat in 1889, later the Adair County Free Press. Edwin’s son Kenneth (1895–1976) and grandson Edwin J. Sidey (1925–2008) succeeded as publishers and editors. Well known White House reporter forTime/Life and author Hugh Sidey (1927–2005), brother of Edwin J., was also closely associated over time with the family’s journalism and photojournalism legacies. Publisher/Editor Linda E. Sidey, widow of Edwin J., relocated the newspaper business and its associated photo gallery to 141 Public Square in December 2010.
ADCO Enterprises, LC is owned primarily by Adair County area investors. It was founded with the support of the Community Development Corporation of Greenfield. Architect Dan Tindall of Grinnell was employed as redevelopment project manager. Tindall is also co-owner of the award-winning vintage Blackhawk Hotel at Cedar Falls, Iowa.
(1941-45) is located near Greenfield in Adair County in Section 1, Orient Township. It is now home to the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center, a popular tour site. Wallace founded seed corn company Pioneer Hi-Bred in 1926 and was an editor of Wallace’s Farmer magazine. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Wallace to be US Secretary of Agriculture (1933-41) at the depth of the Great Depression. He also served as US Secretary of Commerce (1946-46); and later ran unsuccessfully for President on the Progressive Party ticket in 1948. Wallace was a key figure in assisting Roosevelt to formulate “New Deal” economic recovery policies and in helping the US prepare to join the Allies in defeating Japan and Germany in World War II. He was named the “Most Influential Iowan of the 20th Century” in 1999 by the Des Moines Register.
Greenfield Township, Adair County, Iowa
Greenfield Township is one of seventeen townships in Adair County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2212.-Geography:Greenfield Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Greenfield. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery,...
, Adair County, 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 2,129 at the 2000 census. It is the 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....
of Adair County. The current courthouse
Adair County Courthouse (Iowa)
The Adair County Courthouse, located in Greenfield, Iowa, was built from 1891-1892. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource...
, which sits in the middle of the Greenfield Square, was built in 1891 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Greenfield is home to the Iowa Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame.
Geography
Greenfield is located at 41°18′20"N 94°27′31"W (41.305491, -94.458726).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 1.8 square miles (4.7 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 2,129 people, 937 households, and 580 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 1,172.6 people per square mile (451.7/km²). There were 999 housing units at an average density of 550.2 per square mile (211.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.20% White, 0.05% African American, 0.38% Asian, 0.19% 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 0.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 937 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,869, and the median income for a family was $42,872. Males had a median income of $29,792 versus $22,091 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 $19,444. About 7.7% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Greenfield's school districtSchool district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
was combined with the Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Iowa
Bridgewater is a city in Jackson Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 178 at the 2000 census. Bridgewater was founded in 1885.-Geography:Bridgewater is located at...
-Fontanelle
Fontanelle, Iowa
Fontanelle is a city in Summerset Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fontanelle is located at ....
school district in 2000, to form Nodaway Valley Community School District
Nodaway Valley Community School District
Nodaway Valley Community School District is a school district in Adair County, southwest Iowa. It was formed on July 1, 2000 by the consolidation of the districts of Greenfield and Bridgewater-Fontanelle....
. The district's only high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Nodaway Valley High School
Nodaway Valley High School
Nodaway Valley High School is rural high school in Greenfield, Adair County Iowa, United States. It is part of the Nodaway Valley Community School District.In 2005 it had 295 students and 26 teachers...
, and one of the district's two elementary schools, Nodaway Valley East Elementary, are in Greenfield.
Filming location
Greenfield was the primary location for the filming of the 19711971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
satirical comedy film Cold Turkey
Cold Turkey (film)
Cold Turkey is a 1971 satirical comedy film. It stars Dick Van Dyke plus a long list of comedic actors, several of whom are well known to North American television audiences...
, starring Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
. The movie involved a town that accepted a challenge to quit smoking for 30 days. Greenfield also rose to the challenge and went "Cold Turkey" with 166 of its citizens signing Stop Smoking pledges. Portions of the 2009
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
thriller Peacock
Peacock (2009 film)
Peacock is a 2010 American direct-to-video psychological thriller directed by Michael Lander, written by Lander and Ryan Roy, and starring Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page and Susan Sarandon...
were filmed in Greenfield and other towns in Adair County.
E.E. Warren Opera House
The three story structure with decorative turret was built in 1896 by E.E. Warren and his wife, Eva. Edward Earnest Warren was born in New London, Iowa on March 31, 1862. In 1884 Edward married Eva Mary Viers from Fontanelle, Iowa. Eva was born in Washington, Iowa in 1863. The Warrens built their new store and opera house in 1896, in company with John J. Hetherington. Mr Hetherington was born in Pennsylvania in 1842. The idea of a building containing both a store and opera house was first announced in Greenfield in 1895. The building site was formerly occupied by the original courthouse which had burned down. The building's store conducted its Grand Opening on December 1, 1896. The storefront windows had been curtained until the opening ceremony. At 7:30pm the curtains were raised and the crowd rushed the door, breaking it from the force. A string quintet provided live music for visitors. Upstairs the Opera House was awaiting its chairs. Mr Warren finally had his own store building. In 1913 the business became titled "Warren Dry Goods Company". Eva worked as the company's bookkeeper. Mr Hetherington was simultaneously building his new store along side the EE Warren Opera House.In its early years, the Opera House hosted traveling theatrical troupes, medicine shows, musical productions and local theatre. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In 1996 the EE Warren Opera House Association was formed to save and restore the building and its integrity. The Association has made numerous structural and aesthetic improvements to the interior and exterior of the building. The Association recently acquired the adjacent Hetherington Building and Taylor Building. The mission of the Association is to create a cultural center which will promote all forms of the arts. There will be retail and dining space to enhance the visitor's experience and the facility aims to support live theatre performances, concerts, art exhibits and many more entertaining events.
Hotel Greenfield
Hotel Greenfield, operated by ADCO Enterprises, LC, dates to 1920, the city’s fourth hotel and the third at 110 East Iowa Street, proceeded at this site by The Wilson Hotel and later the Commercial Hotel. It is the largest commercial building in the central business district. Many early hotel patrons traveled to town by the C, B & Q freight-passenger train and were shuttled from the south Greenfield depot. Others arrived by automobile via Iowa’s developing highway system.Despite the shadow of the Great War (WW I) local boosters were yet able to capitalize a 32-room state-of-the-art lodge at a cost of $65,000. Regional architect William Gordon designed the Classical Revival (Commercial) style building, to be constructed starting in 1919. It was completed and furnished by 1920. A gala Grand Opening was featured June 3, 1920 with William Don Carlos and George Musmaker toastmasters of the evening.
The original “Greenfield Hotel Company” of April 8, 1919, was founded by local business owners and town boosters as a community improvement project, more than as a profit-making enterprise, as such. The company, an Iowa corporation, owned the hotel until July 12, 1951. Lawyer George Musmaker, president, and banker Jay Howe, secretary-treasurer, were two of the company’s primary leaders during those first 32 years. Individuals and families owned and operated the business after that.
A food service establishment has been featured as a major element of the hotel’s operation. The lodging element was dated and dwindling in significance by the 1970s. When ADCO Enterprises, LC purchased the hotel property in March 2010, the Old Hotel Restaurant & Lounge (John Galanakis and family) was flourishing on the first floor space. It now continues to be associated with Hotel Greenfield but is relocated into the former Adair County Free Press building, joined to the west of the original hotel. It was acquired in 2010 in order to secure additional hotel development space. Two hotel suites are located on its second floor, along with laundry and housekeeping facilities.
The Free press building is 19th century Commercial in style with Romanesque features on its façade. It was erected in 1903 by Edwin J. Sidey and his father John S. Sidey, founders of the Adair County Democrat in 1889, later the Adair County Free Press. Edwin’s son Kenneth (1895–1976) and grandson Edwin J. Sidey (1925–2008) succeeded as publishers and editors. Well known White House reporter forTime/Life and author Hugh Sidey (1927–2005), brother of Edwin J., was also closely associated over time with the family’s journalism and photojournalism legacies. Publisher/Editor Linda E. Sidey, widow of Edwin J., relocated the newspaper business and its associated photo gallery to 141 Public Square in December 2010.
ADCO Enterprises, LC is owned primarily by Adair County area investors. It was founded with the support of the Community Development Corporation of Greenfield. Architect Dan Tindall of Grinnell was employed as redevelopment project manager. Tindall is also co-owner of the award-winning vintage Blackhawk Hotel at Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Freedom Rock
The Freedom Rock is a large boulder that marks the entrance to an old rock quarry. Beginning in 1999, Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II has painted the rock every Memorial Day with different patriotic images and sayings in support of the United States military.U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace
The 1888 birthplace of US Vice President Henry A. WallaceHenry A. Wallace
Henry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
(1941-45) is located near Greenfield in Adair County in Section 1, Orient Township. It is now home to the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center, a popular tour site. Wallace founded seed corn company Pioneer Hi-Bred in 1926 and was an editor of Wallace’s Farmer magazine. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Wallace to be US Secretary of Agriculture (1933-41) at the depth of the Great Depression. He also served as US Secretary of Commerce (1946-46); and later ran unsuccessfully for President on the Progressive Party ticket in 1948. Wallace was a key figure in assisting Roosevelt to formulate “New Deal” economic recovery policies and in helping the US prepare to join the Allies in defeating Japan and Germany in World War II. He was named the “Most Influential Iowan of the 20th Century” in 1999 by the Des Moines Register.
External links
- Official City Website
- Iowa Aviation Museum
- Hotel Greenfield
- The Warren Cultural Center
- The Freedom Rock
- The Blackhawk Hotel
- City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Greenfield