Shenandoah, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shenandoah, Iowa
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Downtown Shenandoah Sign
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Location of Shenandoah, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Counties | Page Fremont |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.73 sq mi (9.67 km2) |
| • Land | 3.73 sq mi (9.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,004 ft (306 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,925 |
| • Density | 1,319.31/sq mi (509.44/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
51601-51603
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| Area code(s) | 712 |
| FIPS code | 19-72525 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395872 |
Shenandoah is a city located in Page and Fremont counties in the state of Iowa, United States. In 2020, about 4,925 people lived there.
Shenandoah was once known as the "seed and nursery center of the world." It is home to the Earl May Seed Company. It also has the famous radio station KMA, started by Earl E. May. Many famous performers, like The Everly Brothers and Charlie Haden, began their careers on these early live radio shows.
Contents
History of Shenandoah
Shenandoah was first called Fair Oaks. It was officially planned out in 1870. This happened soon after the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad arrived in the area. The city's name comes from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. People thought the local valley looked similar.
Smallpox Outbreak in 1885
In 1885, Shenandoah faced a smallpox outbreak. Schools, churches, and public meetings had to close. Homes with smallpox cases were put under quarantine. Guards were even placed outside these homes. A special officer, J.C. Wilson, was hired to manage the quarantine. During this time, a local musician named W.F. Strong wrote a piano piece called "Quarantine Polka."
Geography and Climate
Shenandoah is located near Fourmile Creek. This creek flows into the East Nishnabotna River. The city covers about 3.75 square miles (9.67 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.
Shenandoah's Weather
| Climate data for Shenandoah, Iowa (1991–2020, extremes 1918–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69 (21) |
78 (26) |
90 (32) |
94 (34) |
99 (37) |
106 (41) |
112 (44) |
113 (45) |
105 (41) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
73 (23) |
113 (45) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.3 (13.5) |
62.4 (16.9) |
76.1 (24.5) |
85.9 (29.9) |
91.0 (32.8) |
94.3 (34.6) |
96.8 (36.0) |
95.8 (35.4) |
92.9 (33.8) |
87.0 (30.6) |
72.0 (22.2) |
60.0 (15.6) |
98.4 (36.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.4 (0.8) |
38.7 (3.7) |
51.6 (10.9) |
63.7 (17.6) |
73.8 (23.2) |
83.3 (28.5) |
86.9 (30.5) |
85.2 (29.6) |
79.0 (26.1) |
66.3 (19.1) |
50.7 (10.4) |
37.9 (3.3) |
62.5 (16.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.5 (−4.7) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
40.4 (4.7) |
51.8 (11.0) |
63.2 (17.3) |
73.2 (22.9) |
76.8 (24.9) |
74.6 (23.7) |
66.7 (19.3) |
53.9 (12.2) |
40.1 (4.5) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
51.8 (11.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.7 (−10.2) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
39.9 (4.4) |
52.5 (11.4) |
63.1 (17.3) |
66.7 (19.3) |
64.0 (17.8) |
54.5 (12.5) |
41.6 (5.3) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
41.0 (5.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −8.0 (−22.2) |
−1.6 (−18.7) |
8.5 (−13.1) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
37.0 (2.8) |
50.2 (10.1) |
55.4 (13.0) |
52.7 (11.5) |
38.3 (3.5) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
12.5 (−10.8) |
−1.6 (−18.7) |
−11.7 (−24.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−29 (−34) |
−22 (−30) |
8 (−13) |
26 (−3) |
36 (2) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
23 (−5) |
15 (−9) |
−8 (−22) |
−26 (−32) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.92 (23) |
1.21 (31) |
2.06 (52) |
3.34 (85) |
6.16 (156) |
5.53 (140) |
4.36 (111) |
3.77 (96) |
3.02 (77) |
2.84 (72) |
1.76 (45) |
1.40 (36) |
36.37 (924) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.0 (18) |
7.5 (19) |
2.8 (7.1) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.5 (3.8) |
5.8 (15) |
26.4 (67) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.1 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 10.2 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 93.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.3 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 11.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1880 | 1,387 | — |
| 1890 | 2,440 | +75.9% |
| 1900 | 3,573 | +46.4% |
| 1910 | 4,976 | +39.3% |
| 1920 | 5,255 | +5.6% |
| 1930 | 6,502 | +23.7% |
| 1940 | 6,846 | +5.3% |
| 1950 | 6,938 | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 6,567 | −5.3% |
| 1970 | 5,968 | −9.1% |
| 1980 | 6,274 | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 5,572 | −11.2% |
| 2000 | 5,546 | −0.5% |
| 2010 | 5,150 | −7.1% |
| 2020 | 4,925 | −4.4% |
| Source: and Iowa Data Center Source: |
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2020 Population Details
In 2020, Shenandoah had 4,925 people living in 2,241 households. About 23.3% of these households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 44.3 years. About 24.8% of residents were 65 years or older. The population was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. Most residents (91.6%) were White. About 4.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
2010 Population Details
In 2010, the city had 5,150 people living in 2,310 households. The average age was 44.4 years. About 22.4% of residents were under 18. Also, 23% were 65 or older. The population was 46.6% male and 53.4% female. Most residents (96.4%) were White. About 4.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Ancient Discoveries: Tarkio Sloths
Near Shenandoah, along West Tarkio Creek, scientists have found something exciting. They discovered the remains of at least three Jefferson's ground sloths. These are very large, ancient sloths called Megalonyx jeffersonii. The Iowa Museum of Natural History has helped with these important digs.
Sports: Minor League Baseball
Shenandoah has a history with minor league baseball. This is a level of professional baseball below the major leagues. The Shenandoah Pin Rollers were a local team. They played in the Class D Southwest Iowa League in 1903. They also played in the Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas League (MINK) in 1910 and 1911.
Local Media
The Southwest Iowa Herald is the community newspaper for Shenandoah and nearby Clarinda. It is published every Wednesday. This newspaper is the oldest continuously running business in the community. Its website is valleynewstoday.com.
Shenandoah was also a pioneer in radio. The stations KMA AM and KFNF were very popular in the 1920s. They attracted many listeners and visitors from across the Midwest. Today, KMA-FM 99.1 is in the same building as KMA. Both stations often play the same programs.
Education in Shenandoah
- Shenandoah Community School District runs the public schools in the area.
- Iowa Western Community College has a campus in Shenandoah.
Transportation
Jefferson Lines offers bus service in Shenandoah. This bus route connects Kansas City to Sioux Falls.
Famous People from Shenandoah
Many interesting people have connections to Shenandoah:
- Leanna Field Driftmier (1886–1976) was a popular radio host for a long time.
- Chip Duncan (born 1955) is an American filmmaker.
- Everly Brothers (Don and Phil Everly) were famous musicians. They spent their childhood in Shenandoah. They started performing on their father's radio show at KMA.
- Willis Glassgow was an American football player and a lawyer.
- Charlie Haden (1937–2014) was a well-known jazz musician.
- Gary Kellgren (1939–1977) founded The Record Plant, a famous recording studio.
- James Ross Lightfoot (born 1938) was a US Congressman.
- Bernie Masterson (1911–1963) was a former coach for the Chicago Bears football team.
- Derryl McLaren (born 1949) is an Iowa state legislator and politician.
- Michael J. O'Brien (born 1939) is an American politician from Iowa.
- James Pearson (1873–1950) was a radio preacher for KFNF radio.
- Agnes Samuelson (1887–1963) was an important educator.
- Jay Scheib (born 1969) is a theatre director.
- Jessie Field Shambaugh (1881–1971) is known as the founder of 4-H.
- Jessie Young (1900–1987) is often called the first "radio homemaker."
See also
In Spanish: Shenandoah (Iowa) para niños
