Parnell, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Parnell is a city in Iowa County
Iowa County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 16,355 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,258 housing units, of which 6,677 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 220 at the 2000 census.

History

Parnell, in Fillmore Township, Iowa County, Iowa, was named after Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...

, a noble Irish statesman who had come to the American people to plead the cause of Ireland's land-impoverished peasants.

The Milwaukee Railroad helped to create Parnell. In 1884, the people of the little Irish town of Lytle City moved residences, stores, buildings, and families three miles west to where the railroad was beginning.

The people of Lytle City, who were all members of the Catholic Church, then became residents of Parnell. The town was incorporated on March 24, 1891, with a population of 156.

The early businesses consisted of a hardware store, grocery store, a drug store, a foundry and blacksmith, a newspaper office, hotel, a livery stable, tavern, dry goods store, millinery shop, a photographer, opera house, and a bank.

Catholic church services began in the fall of 1888. St. Joseph's Catholic Church was erected the next year. The Rev. James Davis
James J. Davis (Catholic bishop)
James J. Davis was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1906 to 1926.-Early life and ministry:...

 was its first pastor. This was the largest Catholic Church in the county; and the only church in Parnell until March 16, 1958, when the Parnell Mennonite Church became an organized congregation. The St. Joseph's Cemetery was established in 1892 east of town. Due to deteriorating conditions, the church sadly had to be torn down April 27, 2010.

The Parnell school district was first known as Locust Grove Independent district. The school house was one mile east of town for the first two years. In order to accommodate the pupils in town and in the western part of the district, school was held in a store building in Parnell in the winter of 1888-1889. Birdie Costello and W.J. Naughton were the first teachers. In 1889, a new one-room building was erected; and later in 1899, a four room brick structure was built. The school became a high school in 1899. In 1907, it adopted the eleventh grade course; and in 1915, it was raised to twelfth grade. In 1916, the Parnell Consolidated School was open-ed, becoming Parnell's first public school. The Sisters of Humility were transferred to this school, which until 1955, was one of the few public schools in the state to utilize Roman Catholic nuns as instructors.

Early families of Parnell included the Shuells, Murphys, Hannons, Tiernans, Kellys, McDonalds, Dwyers, Callans, Lawlers, Tourneys, McCunes, Mullinex', Naughtons, Quinns, Sheridans, Mastersons, Ryans, Leahys, Murrins, Coakleys, and Carneys.

In 1985, businesses included Weldon's DX, Shamrock Cafe, Royal Beauty Salon, Parnell Sandwich & Cone Shoppe, Parnell Tavern, Parnell Post Office, Central Midwest Petroleum, Parnell Cycle Shop, and Johnny O's Car Wash.

The St. Michael's Church, Cemetery, Rectory and Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall
St. Michael's Catholic Church (Holbrook, Iowa)
St. Michael’s Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church is located on County Road F 52, east of Parnell, Iowa. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St...

, located four miles to the east in the hamlet of Holbrook was listed on the U.S. 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...

 in 1983.

Geography

Parnell is located at 41°35′1"N 92°0′18"W (41.583477, -92.004930).

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 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 220 people, 91 households, and 52 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,267.8 people per square mile (499.7/km²). There were 103 housing units at an average density of 593.6 per square mile (233.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.

There were 91 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $27,059 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $19,293. About 3.8% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 2.9% of those sixty five or over.

External links

  • City-Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Parnell



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