Vinton, Iowa

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Vinton, Iowa
City
Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School
Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School
Location of Vinton, Iowa
Location of Vinton, Iowa
Coordinates: 42°9′51″N 92°1′34″W / 42.16417°N 92.02611°W / 42.16417; -92.02611Coordinates: 42°9′51″N 92°1′34″W / 42.16417°N 92.02611°W / 42.16417; -92.02611
CountryUnited States
State Iowa
CountyBenton
Area
[1]
 • Total4.97 sq mi (12.87 km2)
 • Land4.88 sq mi (12.64 km2)
 • Water0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
Elevation
787 ft (240 m)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • Total5,257
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
5,075
 • Density1,039.75/sq mi (401.43/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
52349
Area code(s)319 Exchange: 472
FIPS code19-81210
GNIS feature ID0462580
Websitewww.vintoniowa.net
Courthouse, Vinton, Iowa
Courthouse, Vinton, Iowa

Vinton is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,257 in the 2010 census, an increase from 5,102 in 2000.[4][5] It is also part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. Vinton is the county seat of Benton County.[6]

History[]

Vinton was founded in 1849.[7] It was named for Hon. , a state legislator.[8] The first railroad line was extended to Vinton in 1869, and it was incorporated as a city that same year.[9]

Geography[]

Vinton's longitude and latitude coordinates
in decimal form are 42.164144, -92.026077.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.83 square miles (12.51 km2), of which 4.74 square miles (12.28 km2) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) is water.[11]

Vinton is located on U.S. Route 218 and the Cedar River, which has flooded parts of the city, most recently in 2008. The town's extensive tree cover was damaged by a derecho (straight line windstorm) on July 11, 2011.

Climate[]

This region experiences significant seasonal temperature fluctuations, going from warm summers to very cold winters. There is precipitation year-round, and snowfall occurs in almost all years. Most summer rainfall occurs during thunderstorms and a very occasional tropical system. Vinton averages 32.7 inches of precipitation annually. May and June are the wettest months; January and February, the driest. This area is classified as humid because it is not dry enough to be classified as semi-arid or arid.[12]

hideClimate data for Vinton, Iowa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −2
(28) 		1
(33) 		8
(46) 		17
(62) 		22
(72) 		27
(81) 		29
(85) 		28
(83) 		24
(76) 		18
(64) 		8
(47) 		0
(32) 		15
(59)
Average low °C (°F) −12
(10) 		−9
(15) 		−3
(26) 		3
(38) 		9
(49) 		14
(58) 		17
(62) 		16
(60) 		11
(51) 		5
(41) 		−2
(28) 		−9
(16) 		3
(38)
Average precipitation days 5 5 7 9 10 9 8 8 7 6 5 6 85
Source: Weatherbase [13]

Demographics[]

Vinton
population history
YearPop.±%
18702,460—    
18802,906+18.1%
18902,865−1.4%
19003,499+22.1%
19103,336−4.7%
19203,381+1.3%
19303,372−0.3%
19404,163+23.5%
19504,307+3.5%
19604,781+11.0%
19704,845+1.3%
19805,040+4.0%
19905,103+1.2%
20005,102−0.0%
20105,257+3.0%
20204,938−6.1%
Iowa Data Center[5]
Source: U.S. Decennial Census[14]

2010 census[]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 5,257 people, 2,187 households, and 1,397 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,109.1 inhabitants per square mile (428.2/km2). There were 2,299 housing units at an average density of 485.0 per square mile (187.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.8% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 2,187 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census[]

As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 5,102 people, 2,116 households, and 1,390 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,187.7 people per square mile (458.1/km2). There were 2,227 housing units at an average density of 518.4 per square mile (200.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.25% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 2,116 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.9% 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 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.

25.0% are under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,114, and the median income for a family was $41,546. Males had a median income of $32,460 versus $19,988 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,808. About 9.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts, culture and recreation[]

Popular culture[]

Movie appearance

Portions of downtown Vinton, along with the Benton County courthouse, were featured in the 1996 John Travolta film Michael. Also seen during the movie's opening credits was Prairie Creek Church, a rural area Christian church located approximately six miles northeast of the city.

Portions of downtown Vinton were used in the movie "The Final Season".

Nathan’s Miles Trail[]

On May 27, 2021, the Nathan's Miles Trail opened and is Iowa's first glow-in-the-dark recreation trail. The 3-mile (4.8 km) walking/biking concrete trail is named after Vinton's longtime trails advocate Nathan Hesson and is located in the southern edge of Vinton near his home connecting the Marvin Lindsey Baseball Complex near the Tilford Elementary School to the Vinton-Shellsburg High School with a trailhead northeast of the school at the corner of 21st Street and Second Avenue. It traverses some of the land formerly with the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School and will connect to the middle school in the future. The trail is open 24 hours and is free. Ambient Glow Technology (AGT) provided 3000 pounds of glow stones which were imbeded into 2 miles (3.2 km) of the trail and resulted in one of the longest glow-in-the-dark recreation trails in the United States. According to Matt Boggess, Director of the Vinton Parks and Recreation Department, with only 15 minutes of bright sunshine, the trail will glow-in-the-dark for up to 15 hours at night alleviating the need and the cost of lighting at night.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Education[]

The Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District operates public schools. The district was established on July 1, 1993, by the merger of the and the .[23]

Vinton is the home of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, Iowa's state educational institution for vision-impaired students.[24]

Residing in the Braille School since 2008 is the North Central Region headquarters for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).[25]

Notable people[]

  • James Lorraine Geddes (1827–1887) A native of Scotland he moved to Vinton before the American Civil War where he joined as a private but rose in rank to Brigadier General and later became Superintendent of the Iowa Institution for the Education of the Blind from 1867 to 1869.[26]
  • Mary E. Holland (1868–1915) A detective and fingerprint expert was born in Vinton.
  • Mary Ingalls (1865–1928) was a student at the Iowa College for the Blind (now the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School) in the early 1880s.[27] The town is often mentioned in connection with the writings of her sister Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie
  • Seaman A. Knapp (1833–1911), whose farming experiments led to the formation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension System, claimed Vinton, Iowa, as his hometown and named Vinton, Louisiana, after it.[28]
  • Bing Miller (1894-1966) was a professional baseball player and coach for the Philadelphia Athletics; his walk-off hit won the final game of the 1929 World Series against the Chicago Cubs.
  • Sally Pederson (1951- ), who was the 45th lieutenant governor of Iowa, graduated from Washington High School in Vinton.
  • Cato Sells (1859–1948) The Commissioner at the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1913 to 1921 was born in Vinton.[29]
  • Buren R. Sherman (1836–1904) who would later become the 12th governor of Iowa, was a resident of Vinton from 1863 to 1866, during which he served as county judge for Benton County. His gravesite is in Vinton, in Evergreen Cemetery.[30]
  • Adeline De Walt Reynolds (1862-1961) was an actress who made her film debut at the age of 79 after an eventful life. She was born and raised near Vinton.
  • Calvin Pearl Titus (September 22, 1879 – May 27, 1966), a soldier of the U.S. Army, was the last American standard-bearer. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Peking of the Boxer Rebellion

Born in Vinton

  • Everett Warner (1877–1963) was an artist born in Vinton who became a leading contributor to US naval camouflage during both World Wars.[31]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  3. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010". United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. Retrieved 2011-06-20.[dead link]
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Data from the 2010 Census". State Data Center of Iowa. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  7. ^ The History of Benton County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c. Western Historical. 1878. p. 327.
  8. ^ History of the Origin of the Place Names in Nine Northwestern States. 1908. p. 11.
  9. ^ "Vinton". County of Benton, IA. Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  12. ^ "Vinton, Iowa Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".
  13. ^ "Weatherbase". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on May 5, 2013.
  14. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  16. ^ Close, Valerie (May 27, 2021). Nathan's Miles Trail is Officially Open. Vinton Today (Vinton, Iowa). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  17. ^ Ambient Glow Technology
  18. ^ Borland, Mike (May 13, 2021). Night Lights: Iowa’s Unique Glow-In-In-The-Dark Trail Nears Completion. WHO Channel 13 (Des Moines, Iowa). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  19. ^ Borland, Mike (May 27, 2021). Watch: Iowa’s first glow-in-the-dark trail officially opens. WHO Channel 13 (Des Moines, Iowa). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  20. ^ Dorsey, Collin (July 23, 2020). Vinton adds splash pad and glow-in-the-dark trail. KWWL Channel 7 (Waterloo, Iowa). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  21. ^ KWWL staff (May 28, 2021). America’s longest glow-in-the-dark trail now open in Vinton. KWWL Channel 7 (Waterloo, Iowa). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  22. ^ The Gazette staff (May 25, 2021). New Vinton trail that glows in the dark to be dedicated Thursday: Trail is named for late city council member. The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  23. ^ "REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66" (PDF). Iowa Department of Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  24. ^ "Statewide System for Vision Services". Iowa Braille School. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  25. ^ "AmeriCorps". US Government. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  26. ^ "James L. Geddes Papers". Iowa State University. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  27. ^ "Vinton School for the Blind - Mary Ingalls Era 1877-1889". Laura's Prairie House. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  28. ^ "Vinton, Louisiana: Founded by famous ag innovator". Advocate. Baton Rouge. 2013-02-18. p. 6D.
  29. ^ Gue, Benjamin F. (1903). History of Iowa from the earliest times to the beginning of the twentieth century Volume IV. New York City: The Century History Company. p. 238. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  30. ^ "Iowa Governor Buren Robinson Sherman". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  31. ^ Behrems, Roy R. "evertt warner (1877-1963) Ship Camouflage Artist". Bobolink Books. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2011.

External links[]


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