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Fontanelle, Iowa
Location of Fontanelle, Iowa
Location of Fontanelle, Iowa
Country  United States
State  Iowa
County Adair
Township Summerset
Area
 • Total 0.86 sq mi (2.22 km2)
 • Land 0.86 sq mi (2.22 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,348 ft (411 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 676
 • Density 788.80/sq mi (304.72/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
50846
Area code(s) 641
FIPS code 19-28290
GNIS feature ID 2394783

Fontanelle is a city in Summerset Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 676 at the time of the 2020 census.

Fontanelle water tower
Fontanelle's water tower, on 5th Street

History

Fontanelle was platted in 1855, by New York state native James C. Gibbs (1820–1907), who followed the arrival of a transient named Collins. In the summer of that year, Gibbs purchased lots on the northeast of the city square where he constructed a large log cabin. He brought his family there to live. Gibbs ran a hotel out of the log cabin briefly. He died in 1907, aged 86, and is buried with his wife, Phoebe, in Fontanelle Cemetery.

D. M. Valentine purchased lots immediately to the west of Gibbs', thus becoming the second settler.

The city is named for chief Logan Fontanelle of the Omaha tribe, son of the French fur trader Lucien Fontanelle of the American Fur Company and an Omaha tribeswoman.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.96 square miles (2.49 km2), all land.

The local terrain is rolling with a few ravines near the streams. The east branch of the Nodaway River enters Fontanelle in its northwest quadrant.

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1880 563 —    
1890 830 +47.4%
1900 853 +2.8%
1910 789 −7.5%
1920 869 +10.1%
1930 833 −4.1%
1940 797 −4.3%
1950 812 +1.9%
1960 729 −10.2%
1970 752 +3.2%
1980 805 +7.0%
1990 712 −11.6%
2000 692 −2.8%
2010 672 −2.9%
2020 676 +0.6%
Source: and Iowa Data Center
Source:
U.S. Decennial Census
FontanelleIowaPopPlot
The population of Fontanelle, Iowa from US census data

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 672 people, 304 households, and 164 families living in the city. The population density was 700.0 inhabitants per square mile (270.3/km2). There were 336 housing units at an average density of 350.0 per square mile (135.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.7% White, 0.1% from other races, and 0.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 304 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.1% were non-families. 41.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the city was 48.2 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 26.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

Education

Nodaway Valley Community School District serves the community. It was formed on July 1, 2000, by the consolidation of the districts of Greenfield and Bridgewater–Fontanelle. Nodaway Valley High School is the joint high school.

Media

The city's newspaper is The Fontanelle Observer, which now has a page on the website of the Creston News Advertiser. The office of the Observer is on 5th Street.

Defunct newspapers include The Fontanelle Register (established in 1862) and The Fontanelle Reporter (1879).

Churches

There are two churches in Fontanelle: a United Methodist and an Emmanuel Lutheran, established in 1874.

Notable people

  • Clel Baudler, politician
  • Donald D. Clayton, astrophysicist
  • Henry Winfield Haldeman, physician who practiced in the town

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fontanelle (Iowa) para niños

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