Lamoni, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lamoni, Iowa
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Graceland Administration Building
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Location of Lamoni, Iowa
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 Lamoni, Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Decatur |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.05 sq mi (10.49 km2) |
| • Land | 3.95 sq mi (10.24 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,102 ft (336 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,969 |
| • Density | 498.23/sq mi (192.37/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
50140
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| Area code(s) | 641 |
| FIPS code | 19-42960 |
| GNIS feature ID | 468191 |
Lamoni is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,969 people lived there. Lamoni is known for being the home of Graceland University. This university is connected to the Community of Christ, which is a Christian church that grew out of the Latter Day Saint movement. From 1880 to 1920, Lamoni was the main center for this church before it moved to Independence, Missouri.
The city also has KNSL, a public radio station. It plays programs from Iowa Public Radio, National Public Radio, and music for adults. You can hear it in South Central Iowa and North Central Missouri.
Contents
History of Lamoni
The Lamoni area was first settled between 1834 and 1840. The early settlers thought they were moving to Missouri, which allowed slavery at the time. However, after the Sullivan Line was surveyed in 1846, they found out they were actually in Iowa, where slavery was not allowed.
In 1851, some people who had fled the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 tried to start a community here. They wanted to name it New Buda, after a part of Budapest. But their efforts did not lead to a large settlement.
The Church and Lamoni
In 1870, Joseph Smith III allowed a group called the Order of Enoch to buy over 3,000 acres (about 12 square kilometers) of land. Their goal was to create a community for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church). Joseph Smith III lived in a house called Liberty Hall, which is now a museum.
The city was named after Lamoni, a king mentioned in the Book of Mormon. Lamoni was chosen because it had good farmland and was about 100 miles north of Temple Lot. Temple Lot is an important place in the church's history. Members of the church had been forced to leave Missouri during the 1838 Mormon War.
In 1846, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led by Brigham Young, passed through this area. They stayed near Garden Grove, Iowa, on their way from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Salt Lake Valley.
Growth and Development
Lamoni was officially planned out in 1879, right next to the new tracks of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. By 1900, the city's population had grown to 1,500 people.
In 1880, Joseph Smith III moved to Lamoni, and the RLDS Church headquarters also moved there from Plano, Illinois. In 1895, the church started Graceland University in Lamoni.
After the Smith family moved to Independence in 1916, Liberty Hall was used for different things. It was a home for older people, a farmhouse, a camp for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and a private home before it became a museum.
Hy-Vee's Beginnings
Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg were members of the church. They worked for the church-owned General Supply Company, which had stores in Lamoni. In 1930, they started their own grocery store chain called the Supply Store. This company later became Hy-Vee, named after their last names. Lamoni was the company's main office until 1945, when it moved to Chariton, Iowa.
Geography and Climate
Lamoni is located in the southwest part of Decatur County, Iowa. It is on US Route 69.
The city covers about 3.44 square miles (8.91 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.34 square miles (8.65 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.10 square miles (0.26 square kilometers), is water.
Lamoni's Climate
Lamoni has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.
| Climate data for Lamoni, Iowa (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
91 (33) |
102 (39) |
111 (44) |
110 (43) |
113 (45) |
103 (39) |
94 (34) |
81 (27) |
70 (21) |
113 (45) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) |
38.2 (3.4) |
50.8 (10.4) |
63.0 (17.2) |
73.1 (22.8) |
83.0 (28.3) |
87.2 (30.7) |
85.6 (29.8) |
78.4 (25.8) |
65.2 (18.4) |
50.4 (10.2) |
38.1 (3.4) |
62.2 (16.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.5 (−4.7) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
39.8 (4.3) |
51.2 (10.7) |
62.5 (16.9) |
72.6 (22.6) |
76.7 (24.8) |
74.8 (23.8) |
66.6 (19.2) |
53.8 (12.1) |
40.1 (4.5) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
51.5 (10.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.9 (−10.1) |
17.6 (−8.0) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
39.5 (4.2) |
51.9 (11.1) |
62.2 (16.8) |
66.2 (19.0) |
64.1 (17.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
42.4 (5.8) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
40.9 (4.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −29 (−34) |
−24 (−31) |
−12 (−24) |
7 (−14) |
25 (−4) |
38 (3) |
46 (8) |
40 (4) |
24 (−4) |
−1 (−18) |
−11 (−24) |
−27 (−33) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.12 (28) |
1.65 (42) |
2.50 (64) |
4.25 (108) |
5.86 (149) |
5.41 (137) |
4.80 (122) |
4.52 (115) |
3.78 (96) |
3.27 (83) |
2.25 (57) |
1.62 (41) |
41.03 (1,042) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.3 (19) |
6.3 (16) |
4.7 (12) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
1.9 (4.8) |
4.9 (12) |
26.7 (68) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.6 | 6.9 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 10.1 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 9.3 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 110.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.5 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 13.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical populations | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1900 | 1,540 | — |
| 1910 | 1,541 | +0.1% |
| 1920 | 1,787 | +16.0% |
| 1930 | 1,739 | −2.7% |
| 1940 | 1,567 | −9.9% |
| 1950 | 2,196 | +40.1% |
| 1960 | 2,173 | −1.0% |
| 1970 | 2,540 | +16.9% |
| 1980 | 2,705 | +6.5% |
| 1990 | 2,319 | −14.3% |
| 2000 | 2,444 | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 2,324 | −4.9% |
| 2020 | 1,969 | −15.3% |
| Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: |
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Amish Community
The Lamoni area has a good-sized Amish community. The businesses run by the Amish are closed on Sundays.
2020 Census Information
In 2020, there were 1,969 people living in Lamoni. There were 719 households and 402 families. The city had about 498 people per square mile (192 per square kilometer).
Most of the people in Lamoni were White (84.3%). Other groups included Black or African American (4.2%), Native American (0.7%), Asian (1.4%), and Pacific Islander (1.0%). About 7.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 29.4% of the residents were under 20 years old. The average age in the city was 29.9 years. There were slightly more females (51.7%) than males (48.3%).
2010 Census Information
In 2010, Lamoni had 2,324 people. There were 770 households. The population density was about 724 people per square mile (280 per square kilometer).
Most people were White (88.6%). Other groups included African American (5.7%), Native American (0.6%), Asian (1.1%), and Pacific Islander (0.7%). About 4.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 27.8% of the people were under 20 years old. The average age was 23.5 years.
Education in Lamoni
The Lamoni Community School District runs the public schools in the area. Graceland University is a private university located right in Lamoni.
Transportation
Jefferson Lines offers bus service to Lamoni. This bus route connects cities like Minneapolis and Tulsa.
Notable People
Many interesting people have connections to Lamoni:
- Paul Ballantyne, an actor
- William W. Blair, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Eveline Burgess, a chess champion
- Steven V. Carter, a politician
- David Dancer, a politician
- Caitlyn Jenner, a famous athlete and TV personality
- Floyd M. McDowell, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Jack Parker, an athlete
- Alexander Hale Smith, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Heman C. Smith, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Israel A. Smith, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Joseph Smith III, a leader in the RLDS Church
- W. Wallace Smith, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Wallace B. Smith, a leader in the RLDS Church
- Eddie Watt, a Major League Baseball pitcher
Images for kids
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The old Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy train station in Lamoni.
See also
In Spanish: Lamoni (Iowa) para niños
