Bettendorf, Iowa

History

Bettendorf lies in the original Wisconsin Territory, which the United States bought from the Sac and Fox Indians after defeating them in the Black Hawk War. The territory was ceded in the Black Hawk Purchase of 1832. The first European-American settlers established a village they called Lillienthal, after an early tavern and dance hall. The village of Gilbert developed alongside Lillienthal in 1858, honoring Elias Gilbert, who platted the original site. At that time, the residents were predominantly German immigrants and worked as farmers, skilled laborers, and small business owners. The two villages eventually combined to become the town of Gilbert.

Circa 1900, the town gave William and Joseph Bettendorf 70 acres (280,000 m²) of riverfront land on the condition that they move their iron wagon business from Davenport to Gilbert. In 1903, the town of 440 citizens petitioned for incorporation, requesting to change the town's name in honor of the brothers whose factory was a major economic influence in the early development of the city.

In the late 1940s, Aluminum Company of America (A.L.C.O.A.) chose Riverdale, an enclave of Bettendorf, for construction of the world's largest aluminum mill. The huge mill, and the attendant developments from it, created thousands of jobs and greatly increased growth in Bettendorf's population, which has continued to the present day.

The first modern-day riverboat casinos in the United States were launched in Bettendorf on April 1, 1991 by local businessman Bernard Goldstein. He went on to found the Isle of Capri Casinos. Goldstein and his family members also operate Alter Companies, which is a scrap metal, barge and towboat company operating on the river waterfront. The Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center opened by the casino and hotel in 2009. It is owned by the city and operated by the Isle of Capri.

Beginning in 2012, a good portion of downtown Bettendorf's buildings are being torn down to make way for the new I-74 Bridge project, expected to begin construction in 2018.

Geography

Bettendorf is located at 41°33′0″N 90°29′37″W (41.550044, −90.493679).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.36 square miles (57.91 km²), of which, 21.22 square miles (54.96 km²) is land and 1.14 square miles (2.95 km²) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census there were 33,217 people, 13,681 households, and 9,225 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,565.4 inhabitants per square mile (604.4/km²). There were 14,437 housing units at an average density of 680.3 per square mile (262.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.9% White, 2.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.

There were 13,681 households of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% 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 2.97.

The median age in the city was 40.7 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 29.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

Economy

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Government

Bettendorf has a mayor and city council form of government with seven city council members. Two council members are elected at-large, while the other five are elected by each of the city's five wards.

Bettendorf School District

The Bettendorf School District covers most areas of central, northern and western Bettendorf. Elementary students are assigned to one of six elementary schools: named in honor of Neil Armstrong, Herbert Hoover, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Norton, Mark Twain and Grant Wood. The district also has a middle and high school. The Neil Armstrong School, most recently built, is the only one in the district to operate on a "balanced calendar" of year-round, full-time use. A seven-member board of education represents district residents; they meet on the first and third Monday of each month at the Ray Stensvad Administration Center.

Pleasant Valley School District

The Pleasant Valley School District encompasses areas of eastern Bettendorf, as well as the outlying communities of Pleasant Valley, Riverdale and LeClaire. Located inside the city limits are three of the district's 5 elementary schools (Pleasant View, Riverdale Heights, and Hopewell), Pleasant Valley High School and the administrative center. Junior high students are bussed to Pleasant Valley Junior High School, on the outskirts of LeClaire, while LeClaire elementary students go to either Cody or Bridgeview Elementary Schools. Board members are elected from seven director districts, five within Bettendorf's city limits and two others serving LeClaire-area residents. The high school has 1,232 students, the junior high 501 students, and the four combined elementary schools 1,821 students. The total district has 3,454 students.

Both high schools are part of the Mississippi Athletic Conference for sports.

Private schools

Also located within the city limits are Rivermont Collegiate, a nonsectarian, independent, multicultural, college-preparatory school for preschool through 12th-grade students; Lourdes Catholic School, a Roman Catholic school for preschool through 8th-grade students; and Morning Star Academy, a Christian school for preschool through 12th-grade students. Rivermont Collegiate operates in the former mansion of J.W. Bettendorf, namesake of the city.

Post-secondary education

Scott Community College, part of the Eastern Iowa Community College District, is located in Riverdale, but is commonly referred to as being located in Bettendorf. Two private colleges are also located in Bettendorf: Upper Iowa University a private university based in Fayette, Iowa, operates its Quad Cities Center in Bettendorf near the Davenport border; the Quad Cities Campus of Brown Mackie College, a for-profit college based in Salina, Kansas, is located nearby.

Other

The Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley, and North Scott school districts operate a consortium alternative high school, Edison Academy, in downtown Bettendorf. The Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, one of nine such agencies in the state of Iowa, operates a Learning Center in the former Bettendorf High School building in central Bettendorf, offering professional development and continuing education services for educators, as well as driver education and home school testing services for students.

Sports

Notable people