Long Grove, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Long Grove is a city in Scott County
Scott County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 165,224 in the county, with a population density of . There were 71,835 housing units, of which 66,765 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, Iowa, United States. The population was 597 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Long Grove is located at 41°41′49"N 90°35′6"W (41.696806, −90.584974).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.

Education

Long Grove is part of the North Scott School District. Elementary-aged students from the city and adjoining nearby areas attend Alan Shepard Elementary. Junior high and high school students attend the North Scott Junior High and North Scott High School located in Eldridge
Eldridge, Iowa
Eldridge is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,651 at the 2010 census; Eldridge is a part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area and is considered a suburb.-History:...

.

Culture

The town's annual celebration represents Long Grove's claim to fame: The Strawberry Festival. Held the second Sunday each June, the day kicks off at 9 am with the Strawberry Stampede – youth fun/competitive fitness footraces followed by a parade at 11:15 am. Area strawberry farmers sell strawberries, there are games for children, a children's Strawberry Pageant, Trivia Contest, Raffle, Strawberry Cooking Contest, petting zoo, pony rides, wagon rides, and a variety of entertainment groups throughout the day. Community organizations provide a wide variety of food choices. Strawberry shortcake
Shortcake
Shortcake is a sweet biscuit .Shortcake is typically made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, and then the butter is cut in and mixed until the mixture resembles cornmeal...

, ice cream, kettle corn and other foods are available throughout the day. The Long Grove Strawberry Festival is an excellent example of small town Americana, a taste of days gone by.

Another attraction is the Alexander Brownlie Sod House
Alexander Brownlie House
The Alexander Brownlie House, is located in Long Grove, Iowa. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.- Alexander W. Brownlie :...

, on the city's north side. The sod house
Sod house
The sod house or "soddy" was a corollary to the log cabin during frontier settlement of Canada and the United States. The prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone; however, sod from thickly-rooted prairie grass was abundant...

 was built by the Brownlie Brothers dates from Iowa's prairie days of the 1830s. The house, which is open for tours, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

Located approximately six miles north and east of Long Grove is the Dan Nagle Walnut Grove Pioneer Village
Walnut Grove Pioneer Village
The Dan Nagle Walnut Grove Pioneer Village is an open air museum located at the north edge of Scott County Park, Scott County, Iowa. The village is a re-creation of an 1860s Scott County cross-roads settlement and stage coach, is made up of 18 historic buildings including an old church, a bank, a...

, at the north edge of Scott County Park. The village, a re-creation of an 1860s Scott County cross-roads settlement and stage coach, is made up of 18 historic buildings including an old church, a bank, a train depot and boardwalk of shops. Numerous events are scheduled throughout the year.

Scott County Park is a 1280 acres (5 km²) county park that offers numerous amenities and camping facilities.

Organizations include the Lion Grove Lions Club, the Long Grove Civic League, the Long Grove Sportsman's Club and the Cub Scouts
Scouting in Iowa
Scouting in Iowa has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Recent history :...

.

Government

Long Grove has a mayor-council form of government, and meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at city hall. The city also has fire and police protection.

Also representing city interests are:
  • A park board, which has raised funds for new playground equipment and beautifying the city's parks
  • Plan and Zone Commission, which meets on the third Monday of each month.

History

Long Grove gets its name from the long, narrow strip of timber, which stretched from Walnut Grove (northeast of where Scott County Park now lies) to Allens Grove, several miles to the northwest.

Alexander and James Brownlie came to the area in August 1838, having followed the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 to the mouth of the Wapsipinicon River
Wapsipinicon River
The Wapsipinicon River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. It drains a rural farming region of rolling hills and bluffs north of Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. The initial vowel rhymes with "pop".It rises in Mower County, Minnesota...

, then west along its banks. The two purchased a nearby timber ridge from a man named coats, settling the claim for $160 plus timberland and all the prairie they wished to own. The first log cabin was built shortly thereafter, in a cluster of trees at the east edge of the timber, just south of the original townsite.

A stage road, from Davenport to DeWitt and Dubuque passed through the village and a blacksmith shop and harness shop once lined the streets.

In the late 1860s, the railroad was extended from Davenport to Long Grove. The town, which had not been platted, was finally platted in the 1890s, though on a very loose basis.

A major incident in the city's history took place in December 1921, with the robbery of the Stockman's Savings Bank. Stories varied on what happened, but what is known for sure is that the two suspects were killed by a posse immediately after they attempted to hold up the bank.

The city remained a quiet farming community for many years, but has seen growth in the past 35 years. Along with the opening of Alan Shepard Elementary School, many new homes have been built on all four sides of the city.

Churches

Churches located in or near Long Grove are:
  • Long Grove Christian Church.
  • St. Ann's Catholic Church, two miles (3 km) north of the city limits.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 597 people, 205 households, and 175 families residing in the city. The population density was 707.2 people per square mile (274.4/km²). There were 208 housing units at an average density of 246.4 per square mile (95.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.66% White, and 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 205 households out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.5% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $65,250, and the median income for a family was $68,125. Males had a median income of $44,821 versus $30,156 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,041. About 1.3% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

External links

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