Sheldon, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheldon, Iowa
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| Motto(s):
Families Come First
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Location of Sheldon, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Counties | O'Brien, Sioux |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.75 sq mi (12.29 km2) |
| • Land | 4.75 sq mi (12.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,427 ft (435 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,512 |
| • Density | 1,161.64/sq mi (448.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
51201
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| Area code(s) | 712 |
| FIPS code | 19-72390 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0461558 |
Sheldon is a city in O'Brien and Sioux counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, along the Floyd River. The population was 5,512 at the time of the 2020 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.
Contents
History and culture
Sheldon had its start in the year 1873 by the building of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad through that territory. It was named for Israel Sheldon, a railroad promoter. It was early a strategic location on the rail for businesses from as far away as Minneapolis and Omaha.
Today, the city is at the crossroads of Iowa Highway 60 and U.S. Highway 18. The city's first financial institution, the Sheldon State Bank, closed in 1903. In 1961, the city made headlines when it was revealed that Burnice Geiger had embezzled more than two million dollars from the Sheldon National Bank, operated by her father. Geiger worked there as a cashier and was the bank's largest stockholder. She was sentenced to fifteen years in prison in the same year, but paroled in 1966. Today, the city is most known for its annual display of marigolds and the moniker of its local schools' athletic teams - the Orabs. The name stands for the school colors orange and black. Sheldon High School also hosts the Sheldon High School Summer Theatre program. Sheldon is the home of Northwest Iowa Community College and the Carnegie Library, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
In popular culture
Sheldon was mentioned on page 13 of the Tim O'Brien book If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home: "Together we watched trombones and crepe-paper floats move down mainstreet. The bands and floats represented Sheldon, Tyler, Sibley, Jackson, and a dozen other neighboring towns".
Ken Snyder, pastor of the Parkview Assembly of God in Sheldon, self-released a record album entitled Ken: By Request Only in the 1970s. The record jacket—featuring Snyder in outdated hair and clothes—has made the LP popular on websites that highlight unusual-looking album covers.
Sheldon resident Phil Staples was heavily featured in the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
Geography
Sheldon is located at 43°10′52″N 95°50′53″W / 43.18111°N 95.84806°W (43.181180, -95.848123).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.50 square miles (11.65 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 730 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,478 | 102.5% | |
| 1900 | 2,282 | 54.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,941 | 28.9% | |
| 1920 | 3,488 | 18.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,820 | 9.5% | |
| 1940 | 3,768 | −1.4% | |
| 1950 | 4,001 | 6.2% | |
| 1960 | 4,251 | 6.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,535 | 6.7% | |
| 1980 | 5,003 | 10.3% | |
| 1990 | 4,937 | −1.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,914 | −0.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,188 | 5.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,512 | 6.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 5,188 people, 2,213 households, and 1,300 families living in the city. The population density was 1,152.9 inhabitants per square mile (445.1/km2). There were 2,365 housing units at an average density of 525.6 per square mile (202.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.7% White, 0.6% African American, 1.1% Asian, 3.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5%.
Of the 2,213 households 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.3% were non-families. 35.0% of households were one person and 17.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age was 39.4 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.
Education
Sheldon is served by the Sheldon Community School District, which include Sheldon High School. There are two private schools, both of which offer preschool services through the eighth grade, the Sheldon Christian School and the St. Patrick's Catholic School.
Sheldon is also home to Northwest Iowa Community College, a two-year associate degree community college.
Notable people
- William D. Boies, lawyer and politician
- Tom Brands (born 1968) gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games, head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa
- Terry Brands (born 1968) bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Olympic Games
- Eugene Burdick (1918–1965) writer
- A.G. Kruger (born 1979) competitor at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games
- Dennis Marion Schnurr (born 1948) Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ohio
- Michael J. Streit (born 1950) former Iowa Supreme Court justice
- George Kelly (1905–1967) American educational and existentialist psychologist.
See also
In Spanish: Sheldon (Iowa) para niños
