Spencer, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spencer
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Location of Spencer, Iowa
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| County | Clay |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.11 sq mi (28.77 km2) |
| • Land | 10.95 sq mi (28.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,312 ft (400 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,325 |
| • Density | 1,034.53/sq mi (399.43/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
51301, 51343
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| Area code(s) | 712 |
| FIPS code | 19-74280 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0465608 |
Spencer is a city in Iowa, United States. It is the main city of Clay County. Spencer is located where the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers meet. In 2020, about 11,325 people lived there.
Spencer is famous for hosting the Clay County Fair. This big event happens every September and brings in over 300,000 visitors!
The city was also home to a special library cat named Dewey Readmore Books. Dewey became famous worldwide before he passed away in 2006. His story is told in the book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.
Contents
History of Spencer
Early Days and Founding
Clay County was created in 1851. At first, it had no local government. Official business was done far away in Sergeant's Bluff. In 1859, a group chose "Section 20 of Spencer Township" as the county seat. This spot was near the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers.
A small group of people who bought land planned a town there. But no one lived there yet. Most people in Clay County lived in Peterson Township. Peterson was chosen as the county seat instead, and a courthouse was built there. The planned town site remained empty for many years and was called "Spencer Grove."
First Settlers Arrive
The first settlers came to Spencer Grove in May 1866. Many were Civil War veterans from Wisconsin. They were claiming land under the Homestead Act. More settlers joined them later that summer.
On September 20, 1866, Spencer Grove Township was officially formed. This meant people could vote locally instead of traveling far to Peterson. In October 1866, Romanzo Coates became the first school superintendent. He started the first school in his cabin. His wife was the first teacher.
Changing the Name to Spencer
In 1868, the US Postal Service wanted to open a post office in Spencer Grove. But there was already another "Spencer Grove" in Iowa. So, the residents decided to drop "Grove" from the name. From then on, the town was simply called "Spencer." Romanzo Coates also became the town's first postmaster. His cabin served as the first post office.
Growth and Development
In 1869, Garrett Marcellus opened a mill on the Little Sioux River. This was Spencer's first real business. Soon, more businesses followed. These included a general store, a wagon shop, a butcher shop, and a blacksmith.
The official plan for the Town of Spencer was filed on May 8, 1871. This date marks the official founding of Spencer, Iowa. More businesses, like a hotel and a hardware store, opened that year.
By this time, Spencer had more people than Peterson. People voted to move the county seat to Spencer. The vote passed, and in October 1871, Spencer became the new county seat. Residents built a two-story building on Main Street to be the courthouse.
In 1878, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul Railway built a train line to Spencer. Train service began on September 15. Telegraph service also came with the railroad.
Spencer officially became the Town of Spencer on March 26, 1880. It had a mayor and a board of trustees. On March 21, 1892, it became the City of Spencer, with a mayor and a city council. The railroad helped Spencer grow as a trading center for farmers.
The Great Fire of 1931
In 1931, a large fire destroyed over 100 buildings in Spencer. It started from a dropped sparkler. Because of this fire and another one in 1936, Iowa banned most fireworks until 2017. Today, Spencer still does not allow fireworks to be sold or used in the city, except with a special permit.
2024 Flooding Event
On June 22, 2024, Spencer experienced a huge flood. Both the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers overflowed because of heavy rain. Much of the city was underwater, and many homes lost power for almost a month.
The floods damaged over 2,500 homes and businesses. At least 1,000 homes were beyond repair, leaving many people without a place to live. One person died. The flooding was part of a larger storm system that brought a lot of rain to northwest Iowa and nearby states. Clay County received about 14 inches of rain that week.
On June 24, President Joe Biden approved federal help for flood victims in Clay County and other areas. Firefighters rescued at least 383 people from the floodwaters. Many people were even rescued from their rooftops by helicopter. Workers from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) began helping homeowners on June 30.
Geography and Climate
Spencer is located at 43.145318 degrees north latitude and 95.147209 degrees west longitude.
The city covers a total area of about 11.18 square miles (28.96 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.
Weather in Spencer
Spencer has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. Here's a quick look at the average temperatures and rainfall:
| Climate data for Spencer 1 N, Iowa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1895−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) |
67 (19) |
87 (31) |
95 (35) |
109 (43) |
106 (41) |
113 (45) |
111 (44) |
102 (39) |
95 (35) |
80 (27) |
67 (19) |
113 (45) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 25.1 (−3.8) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
43.0 (6.1) |
57.7 (14.3) |
69.9 (21.1) |
80.3 (26.8) |
83.7 (28.7) |
81.0 (27.2) |
74.6 (23.7) |
60.2 (15.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
56.6 (13.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.1 (−8.8) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
33.3 (0.7) |
46.3 (7.9) |
58.6 (14.8) |
69.3 (20.7) |
72.7 (22.6) |
70.0 (21.1) |
62.4 (16.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
33.8 (1.0) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
46.1 (7.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 7.0 (−13.9) |
11.4 (−11.4) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
34.9 (1.6) |
47.4 (8.6) |
58.3 (14.6) |
61.8 (16.6) |
59.0 (15.0) |
50.2 (10.1) |
37.3 (2.9) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
35.6 (2.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) |
−36 (−38) |
−28 (−33) |
0 (−18) |
20 (−7) |
30 (−1) |
40 (4) |
34 (1) |
21 (−6) |
−8 (−22) |
−17 (−27) |
−30 (−34) |
−38 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.72 (18) |
0.79 (20) |
1.66 (42) |
3.49 (89) |
4.19 (106) |
4.60 (117) |
3.74 (95) |
3.77 (96) |
3.29 (84) |
2.35 (60) |
1.41 (36) |
0.98 (25) |
30.99 (787) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.8 (25) |
8.9 (23) |
5.9 (15) |
3.0 (7.6) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
5.3 (13) |
9.6 (24) |
43.3 (110) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6.3 | 5.9 | 7.5 | 10.7 | 12.7 | 11.5 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 101.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.5 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 23.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population and People
Spencer's population has grown steadily over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 824 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,813 | 120.0% | |
| 1900 | 3,095 | 70.7% | |
| 1910 | 3,005 | −2.9% | |
| 1920 | 4,599 | 53.0% | |
| 1930 | 5,019 | 9.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,599 | 31.5% | |
| 1950 | 7,446 | 12.8% | |
| 1960 | 8,864 | 19.0% | |
| 1970 | 10,278 | 16.0% | |
| 1980 | 11,726 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 11,066 | −5.6% | |
| 2000 | 11,317 | 2.3% | |
| 2010 | 11,233 | −0.7% | |
| 2020 | 11,325 | 0.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Spencer's Population in 2020
In 2020, Spencer had 11,325 people living there. There were 5,066 households. About 25.9% of these households had children under 18.
Most people in Spencer are White (91.7%). Other groups include Black or African American (0.8%), Native American (0.4%), and Asian (0.8%). About 5.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age in Spencer was 41.9 years old. About 24.7% of residents were under 20. About 22.5% were 65 or older. The city has slightly more females (52.0%) than males (48.0%).
Arts and Culture
Spencer's downtown area is recognized as historic. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. This shows how important it was as a trading center.
The city also has a special "Cultural District." This means Spencer supports arts and culture. For example, an old middle school building is being turned into a place for seniors and housing. The historic auditorium will also be restored.
You can enjoy many cultural spots in Spencer:
- The Spencer Community Theater
- The Parker House Museum
- Clay County Heritage
- Various public art displays
Arts on Grand is a group that helps local artists. They have a gallery, exhibits, classes, and tours. The Curiel-Reynolds School of Visual Arts (CRVA) moved to Spencer in 2007.
The library cat Dewey Readmore Books lived at Spencer's Public Library from 1988 until 2006. His story is famous and is told in books. You can even see images of Dewey in art around town, like in a community mosaic project.
Radio Stations
Spencer has several local radio stations:
Education
The Spencer Community School District runs the public schools in Spencer.
Transportation
Roads for Travel
U.S. Routes 18 and 71 both pass through Spencer for about 3 miles.
Air Travel
The Spencer Municipal Airport is located about 3 miles northwest of the city center. An airline called Great Lakes Airlines used to have its main office there. They offered direct flights to many places. Now, the airline has moved.
Leading Edge Aviation is a company at the airport. They offer plane rentals, charters, and flight lessons.
Notable People from Spencer
Many interesting people have come from Spencer:
- Alice Cook Fuller – an educator, writer, and school superintendent.
- Michelle D. Johnson – a Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force. She was also the 19th Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
- Connie Kunzmann – a professional basketball player.
- Vicki Myron – co-author of the book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.
- Roger Neumann – a jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, and music teacher.
- Robin Thede – an actress and comedian, known for The Rundown and A Black Lady Sketch Show.
- Richard L. Tierney – an author and poet.
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See also
In Spanish: Spencer (Iowa) para niños
