Bloomfield, Iowa Explained

Official Name:Bloomfield, Iowa
Settlement Type:City
Nickname:Dirtville
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Davis
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Chris Miller
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:5.96
Area Land Km2:5.89
Area Water Km2:0.07
Area Total Sq Mi:2.30
Area Land Sq Mi:2.27
Area Water Sq Mi:0.03
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:2682
Population Density Km2:455.40
Population Density Sq Mi:1179.42
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation M:268
Coordinates:40.7511°N -92.4169°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:52537-52538
Area Code:641
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:19-07030
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0454700
Website:http://www.cityofbloomfield.org/

Bloomfield is a city in Davis County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,682 at the 2020 census.[2] It is the county seat of Davis County.[3]

History

Bloomfield was incorporated on January 3rd, 1855. On October 12th, 1864 a small group of Confederate soldiers began a raid on the town. The raid would result in the death of three citizens before the soldiers retreated back into Missouri. [4]

Geography

Bloomfield is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, near the Missouri border.
Bloomfield's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 40.751122, -92.417007.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.28sqmi, of which 2.25sqmi is land and 0.03sqmi is water.[6]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bloomfield has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 2,640 people, 1,122 households, and 683 families living in the city. The population density was 1173.3PD/sqmi. There were 1,259 housing units at an average density of 559.6/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.3% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 1,122 households, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the city was 43 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 22.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

2000 census

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 2,601 people, 1,123 households, and 668 families living in the city. The population density was 1145sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,228 housing units at an average density of 540.6sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 98.54% White, 0.12% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.

There were 1,123 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.84.

Age spread: 20.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 26.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,471, and the median income for a family was $44,073. Males had a median income of $25,260 versus $23,686 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,962. About 3.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Davis County Community School District operates local area public schools.[9]

Arts and culture

Annual events

The Davis County Fair is held in July every year at the fairgrounds, west of Bloomfield.

The week-long Davis County Country & Old Time Music Festival is held every September at the fairgrounds.

Bloomfield and Davis County have a large Amish population concentrated in nearby Drakesville.

Davis County Courthouse

The Davis County Courthouse was designed by Thomas J. Tolan & Son, Architects, of Fort Wayne Indiana and is situated on the Bloomfield townsquare. In November 1876, the center of the square was cleared of trees and the following June, Larkworthy & Menke, of Quincy, Illinois, was awarded the contract to supply stone. The bell was made by the Meneely & Kimberly Bell Company of Troy, New York. The clock was made by the Seth Thomas Company and still resides within the clock tower. The building was completed in 1879. A chain surrounding the courthouse was added in 1879 and an iron fence, by the Cleveland Wrought Iron Fence Company, was added in 1881.

On August 27, 1924, Henry "Dare-Devil" Roland, "The Human Fly," attempted to climb the northwest corner of the courthouse. He fell to the ground from about 25 feet, breaking his hip. He was hospitalized in Bloomfield for six weeks, before returning east with his wife and daughter. On June 28, 1932, Roland made a return trip to Bloomfield to remove the blot from his record of successful climbs. This time, in just eleven minutes, he was sitting perched astride the statue of Blind Justice. Roland died October 7, 1937, as a result of a trapeze fall at Ottway, Tennessee.

The Davis County Court House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1974. The courthouse was photographed by Bob Thall as part of the Bicentennial project commissioned by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc. to document more than 1,100 American courthouses. One of the results of this project was the 1978 book Court House, edited by Richard Pare. Thall's photo was part of the project's traveling exhibition and also appeared in The New York Times Book Review, American Heritage and Newsweek magazines.

The Bloomfield Square Historic District, which surrounds the courthouse, was added to the National Register's listings on November 7, 1976.

The Davis County Courthouse Preservation Fund was incorporated in November 2005.

Historic Structures

Infrastructure

Transportation

Bloomfield lies at the junction of U.S. Route 63 and Iowa Highway 2.

Notable people

References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 16, 2022.
  2. Web site: 2020 Census State Redistricting Data . census.gov . United states Census Bureau . 12 August 2021.
  3. Web site: Find a County . 2011-06-07 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . 2011-05-31 .
  4. Web site: Civil War Raid Trail . February 14, 2024 .
  5. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. 2011-04-23. 2011-02-12.
  6. Web site: US Gazetteer files 2010 . . 2012-05-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt . 2012-01-25 .
  7. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2012-05-11.
  8. Web site: U.S. Census website . . 2008-01-31 .
  9. Web site: DAVID COUNTY. Iowa Department of Education. 2020-08-10. October 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201018125625/https://educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/FY20_DAVIS%20COUNTY_0.pdf. dead.
  10. Sculle . Keith A. . 1989 . Review: The National Register of Historic Places, by National Park Service; Preservation Possibilities, by National Park Service; and Frederick: A Historic Preservation Commission at Work, by National Park Service . The Public Historian . 11 . 3 . 92–94 . 10.2307/3378617 . 3378617 . 0272-3433.
  11. Book: Henderson, Rodger C. . Findley, William (1742-1821), member of the U.S. House of Representatives . February 2000 . Oxford University Press . American National Biography Online. 10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0300170 .
  12. Book: Wishard, D. E. . Franklin Water Gardens, D. E. Wishard, manager . 1932 . Franklin Water Gardens . Franklin, Indiana. 10.5962/bhl.title.154604 .

External links