Denison, Iowa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Denison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, along the Boyer River. The population was 7,339 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County^GR6.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 The book on Denison
4 Famous residents
5 Notes and references
6 External links

[edit] Geography

The Boyer River at Denison

Denison is located at 42°1′2″N, 95°21′4″W (42.017187, -95.351124)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.1 km² (6.2 mi²). 16.0 km² (6.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.48%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

Denison is a small town, as of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 7,339 people, 2,674 households, and 1,756 families residing in the city. The population density was 457.8/km² (1,185.5/mi²). There were 2,837 housing units at an average density of 177.0/km² (458.3/mi²). The racial makeup as reported by the Census was 86.92% White, 1.59% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 9.02% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.36% of the population. While this diversity may seem low compared to national demographics, the racial makeup of the town has been changing since the mid-1980's. This change is evident in the local shcools. According to a New York Times article, in 2005 20% of highschool age children identify as a racial minority compared to approximately 50% of kindergarteners.^[1]

There were 2,674 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,187, and the median income for a family was $41,362. Males had a median income of $30,145 versus $20,538 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,391. About 6.1% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] The book on Denison

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dale Maharidge depicts a changing Denison in the early twenty-first century in his book DENISON, IOWA: Searching for the Soul of America Through the Secrets of a Midwest Town. This book features photographs by Maharidge's partner and fellow Pulitzer-winner, Michael Williamson.

[edit] Famous residents

Award-winning actress Donna Reed was born near Denison in 1921. During her career she starred opposite James Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life and with Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity, a role that earned Reed the 1953 "Best Supporting Actress" Academy Award. She also starred on television's The Donna Reed Show. A festival is held in her honor every year which operates to recognize, encourage, and support talent through national, state, and local scholarships, conduct workshops taught by outstanding industry professionals from across the country, and promote stage plays, concerts, and other cultural activities throughout the year. Reed's Eternity Oscar is displayed at the Crawford County Historical Society in Denison, and a local road is named in her honor.

Clarence Chamberlain, an aviation pioneer, was also born and raised in Denison. He was among other things, the second man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean after Charles Lindbergh.