Aredale, Iowa

History

The town of Aredale owes its conception to cheese. The area surrounding the town had seen increasing settlement since the 1860s, and in 1890, the local dairy farmers pooled their resources to create a cheese making factory, which eventually helped the town develop enough to warrant the community its own post office and thus township rights.

The name Aredale is derived from a variation on the Pennsylvania town of Airville from which several Aredale residents had emigrated. The plat was recorded on June 28, 1900 by the Iowa and Minnesota Town Site Company. June 28 later was observed as Field Day by residents, and featured a town celebration and a baseball game visited by hundreds of people from nearby towns.

Soon the town featured a number of competing lumberyards and stockyards, and the Aredale Savings and Loan was constructed in 1901. That same year, the First Methodist Church was organized, and purchased the Coldwater Methodist Church building, which was then moved in town. It was destroyed by fire in 1923 and replaced by a new building.

In 1953, a train wreck destroyed the town depot, and no new one is forthcoming.

In the race for mayor on November 8, 2011, the Butler County, Iowa elections office results showed that a senior at Hampton Dumont High School was elected. Jeremy Minnier, age 18, won with 24 write-in votes. Incumbent Mayor Virgil Homer received eight votes.

In April 2012 Mayor Jeremy Minnier appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Minnier discussed life in the small town and displayed photos. Host Leno and show guest Mel Gibson presented Minnier with a new town sign.

Geography

Aredale is located at 42°50′6″N 93°0′17″W (42.834907, -93.004744).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km²), all of it land.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 74 people, 35 households, and 21 families residing in the city. The population density was 74.7 inhabitants per square mile (28.8/km²). There were 40 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile (15.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 100.0% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 35 households of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 11.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.62.

The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 21.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.7% male and 47.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 89 people, 36 households, and 23 families residing in the city. The population density was 89.0 people per square mile (34.4/km²). There were 42 housing units at an average density of 42.0 per square mile (16.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.88% White, and 1.12% from two or more races.

There were 36 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 27.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 16.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 117.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,579. There were no families and 5.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 14.8% of those over 64.