Pella is a city in Marion County

Marion County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 33,309 in the county, with a population density of . There were 13,914 housing units, of which 12,723 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 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation

Pella (company)

Pella Corporation is a privately held window and door manufacturing company with manufacturing operations across the United States, whose products for residential and commercial construction are sold across North America and in other select countries. The company was founded in 1925...

 and Vermeer Manufacturing Company

Vermeer Company

Vermeer Corporation is a family-owned company that manufactures agricultural, environmental and construction equipment and is headquartered in Pella, Iowa. It was founded in Pella in 1948 by Gary Vermeer as Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...

.
Pella was founded in 1847 when eight hundred Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

 immigrants led by Dominee (Minister) Hendrik (Henry) P. Scholte settled the area. The name "Pella" is a reference to Pella

Pella, Jordan

Pella is a village and the site of ancient ruins in northwestern Jordan. It is half an hour by car from Irbid, in the north of the country....

 in the Perea, where the Christians of Jerusalem had found refuge during the Roman-Jewish war of 70

Siege of Jerusalem (70)

The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in...

; the name was selected because Dominee and the rest were also seeking religious freedom.