Editing Forest City, Iowa (section)

==History==
Forest City was officially founded in 1855. Formerly known as “Puckerbrush”, Robert Clark the official founder/surveyor deemed it “Forest City” because it was cut right out of the trees. It was then [[plat]]ted in 1856,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_TncUAAAAYAAJ | title=History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa | publisher=Pioneer Publishing Company | year=1917 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_TncUAAAAYAAJ/page/n137 125]}}</ref> and later [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] on June 14, 1878.<ref name=inc>{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/MiscFilings/IncCities.pdf|title=LIST OF INCORPORATED CITIES|publisher=Iowa Secretary of State - Matt Schultz|access-date=2011-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627041140/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/MiscFilings/IncCities.pdf|archive-date=2011-06-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> The population started to grow when immigrants from Sweden and Norway settled in the Forest City area because of the similar topography. Its growth continued as city leaders convinced the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad to come through Forest City. Although the Civil War stunted the area's growth, many immigrants found the city attractive. Later on churches, banks, a college  ([[Waldorf University]]), electricity, and the telephone turned Forest City into an ideal country town. In 1960, investors took over a failing travel trailer factory and created [[Winnebago Industries]], creating what would become one of the largest employers in the region and causing the population to grow. Winnebago's corporate headquarters were later relocated to Eden Prairie, Minnesota causing the population to decline.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} Today, Forest City's population is around 4,200.<ref>“Forest City, IA.” Destination Small Town, Destination Small Town, https://www.destinationsmalltown.com/towns/forest-city-ia.</ref><ref>Lewis, Riley. “Our History.” Forest City, Iowa, Forest City, https://www.cityofforestcity.com/ourhistory.</ref><ref>Walker, Errin. “Forest City History.” Winnebago Co.. IAGENWEB - History, IA Gen Web Project, http://iagenweb.org/winnebago/History/ForestCity.htm.</ref>