Appanoose County, Iowa

Appanoose County, Iowa
Appanoose County Courthouse
Location in the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa's location in the U.S.
Founded	1843
Named for	Chief Appanoose
Seat	Centerville
Largest city	Centerville
Area
• Total	516 sq mi (1,336 km2)
• Land	497 sq mi (1,287 km2)
• Water	19 sq mi (49 km2), 3.7%
Population
• (2010)	12,884
• Density	26/sq mi (10/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.appanoosecounty.net

Appanoose County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,884. Its county seat is Centerville.

The county was once a major coal-mining region. In recent decades, the state has made a mostly-unsuccessful effort to develop manufacturing as an alternate form of employment. A Rubbermaid plant was the county's largest private employer until the company announced, in June 2006, that the plant, located in the Centerville industrial park, would relocate to Winfield, Kansas in October of that year. As a result of the closure and the failure of local officials to recruit new employers to the county, unemployment in Appanoose County has consistently ranked among the highest in the state of Iowa.

History

Chief Appanoose, from A.R. Fulton's Red Men of Iowa 1882.

Appanoose County was formed on February 17, 1843, from open territory. It was named for the Meskwaki Chief Appanoose, who did not engage in war against Black Hawk, advocating peace. The present county seat was formerly called Chaldea, and was later renamed to Senterville in honor of Congressman William Tandy Senter of Tennessee. In April 1848, the courthouse, constructed at the expense of $160, was put into use and served as such until 1857. The second courthouse was opened in 1864, and was burned down to the first floor during an explosive Fourth of July fireworks demonstration. The third courthouse was dedicated on May 21, 1903, and remains in use.

After the death of Appanoose County native Morgan E. Cline, who was born in Exline, Iowa but spent the majority of his life in New Jersey, there has been a small but dedicated effort on the part of some to rename the county to "Cline County" in his honor, due to his establishment of some local businesses, gift shops and ice cream parlors, chiefly, in Exline and Centerville.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 516 square miles (1,340 km²), of which 497 square miles (1,290 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (3.7%) is water. Rathbun Reservoir, created by damming the Chariton River, is its main physical feature.

Major highways

• Iowa Highway 2
• Iowa Highway 5
• Iowa Highway 202

Adjacent counties

• Monroe County (north)
• Wapello County (northeast)
• Lucas County (northwest)
• Davis County (east)
• Schuyler County, Missouri (southeast)
• Putnam County, Missouri (southwest)
• Wayne County (west)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	3,131		—
1860	11,931		281.1%
1870	16,456		37.9%
1880	16,636		1.1%
1890	18,961		14.0%
1900	25,927		36.7%
1910	28,701		10.7%
1920	30,535		6.4%
1930	24,835		−18.7%
1940	24,245		−2.4%
1950	19,683		−18.8%
1960	16,015		−18.6%
1970	15,007		−6.3%
1980	15,511		3.4%
1990	13,743		−11.4%
2000	13,721		−0.2%
2010	12,884		−6.1%
Est. 2014	12,661		−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 12,884 in the county, with a population density of 25.976/sq mi (10.029/km²). There were 6,633 housing units, of which 5,627 were occupied.

2000 census

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Appanoose County

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,721 people, 5,779 households, and 3,802 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 6,697 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.16% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,779 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.10% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 29.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89.

23.70% of the people are under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 20.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,612, and the median income for a family was $35,980. Males had a median income of $27,449 versus $20,452 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,644. About 10.10% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Centerville
• Cincinnati
• Exline
• Moravia
• Moulton
• Mystic
• Numa
• Plano
• Rathbun
• Udell
• Unionville

Townships

Appanoose County is divided into seventeen townships:

• Bellair
• Caldwell
• Chariton
• Douglas
• Franklin
• Independence
• Johns
• Lincoln
• Pleasant
• Sharon
• Taylor
• Udell
• Union
• Vermillion
• Walnut
• Washington
• Wells

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Appanoose County, Iowa
• The Appanoose County Courthouse Article

External links

• County website
• Appanoose Economic Development Corporation