Editing Parkersburg, Iowa (section)

==History==
The first known settlers of the Parkersburg area were John Connell and his son William, who built a log cabin in 1857. A railroad company surveyed the area in the early 1860s. A depot was erected in 1865 and two railroads, the [[Illinois Central Railroad|Illinois Central]] and the [[Chicago and North Western Transportation Company|Chicago North Western]], were built through the town. The town was soon platted and recorded and given the name of "Parkersburg" in honor of Pascal P. Parker, a prominent settler and the town's first postmaster. The first major business was a hotel built by Thomas Williams, called The Williams House. Later, it became known as the Commercial House.<ref name="PIhist">{{cite web|url=http://www.parkersburgiowa.info/history.html |title=History |publisher=Parkersburg Iowa |access-date=May 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721231325/http://www.parkersburgiowa.info/history.html |archive-date=July 21, 2011 }}</ref> Parkersburg was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] on December 7, 1874.<ref name="CData">{{cite web|url= http://www.city-data.com/city/Parkersburg-Iowa.html|title=Parkersburg-Iowa|publisher= City-Data|access-date=May 7, 2011}}</ref>

The first "School House" was built in the 1860s. Parkersburg became an independent school district in the spring of 1871. A new school was built in 1872. This building burned beyond repair on October 9, 1893, in the "great fire of Parkersburg", which also destroyed most of the business district. In 1894 a modern, three-story, brick structure was built. In 1930, the school added an auditorium and gymnasium.<ref name="PIhist"/>

The first electric power was furnished by the Parkersburg Electric Light & Power Company, composed of local citizens who built the plant in 1898 at a cost of $10,000. Parkersburg's roads were paved ''circa'' 1920. The first water tower only had a capacity of 40,000 gallons.<ref name="PIhist"/>

===2008 tornado===
{{Main|2008 Parkersburg–New Hartford tornado}}
Seven people died in Parkersburg and two in rural [[New Hartford, Iowa|New Hartford]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=f5tornadoesiniowa |title=EF5/F5 Tornadoes in Iowa |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] |date=2009-05-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211142151/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=f5tornadoesiniowa |archive-date=February 11, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/38556732.html |title=Six Months Later: Parkersburg Tornado Claims Ninth Victim |publisher=[[KCRG-TV|KCRG]] |date=2009-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314154549/http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/38556732.html |archive-date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref> from injuries sustained when a confirmed [[Enhanced Fujita Scale|EF5]] [[tornado]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=dmx&storyid=14909&source=0 |title=Parkersburg Tornado Rated EF5 |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] |date=2008-05-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911205913/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=dmx&storyid=14909&source=0 |archive-date=September 11, 2014 }}</ref> struck the region on May 25, 2008. At least 70 individuals were injured and transported to nearby hospitals. The south side of Parkersburg was completely destroyed and turned into rubble. Over 400 homes were destroyed or damaged, the roof was taken off the high school and destroyed, and the elementary school was damaged as well. The surviving residents were evacuated while the rescue operation was in progress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kwwl.com/global/story.asp?s=8380852|title=Parkersburg residents pulling together following tornado|publisher=[[KWWL (TV)|KWWL]]|date=2008-05-26}}</ref> Today, Parkersburg is considered to be a model of disaster recovery and resiliency in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

The local water utility called the [[National Rural Water Association#Members|Iowa Rural Water Association]] for assistance after the city went on a boiled water notice.  Utility infrastructure was left largely intact, but the tornado and clean-up efforts damaged the connections in numerous homes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rural water technicians restoring water to tornado-ravaged town |year=2008 |publisher=[[National Rural Water Association]] |access-date=2008-09-23 |url=http://nrwa.org/NRWAupdates/2008%2006%20June/Parkerburg%20Tornado.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102180521/http://nrwa.org/NRWAupdates/2008%2006%20June/Parkerburg%20Tornado.htm |archive-date=January 2, 2011 }}</ref>