Albia, Iowa

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Albia is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, in southern Iowa, United States.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 3,721 at the 2020 census.<ref name=cen2020>Template:Cite web</ref>

The city of Albia is known for its historic square and city-wide Victorian Architecture. Albia is also known for the annual "Restoration" days celebration which commemorates the refurbishment of the square and the town which began in the mid-1960s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:AlbiaMines.png

Map of the Albia area from 1908, showing the railroads, mining camps and coal mines (shown in red).

Albia was incorporated as a town in 1856.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The town was named after Albia, New York, the former home of an early settler.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Main Street, Albia, IA, 1890

Main Street, 1890

On Feb. 14, 1893, there was a coal mine explosion in the Chicago and Iowa mine, about 2.5 miles west of Albia. This room and pillar mine had opened around 1877. By the time of the explosion, mining extended more than 1,000 yards from the hoisting shaft, and the mine employed 60 miners and 20 other men. One miner was killed outright and seven died later of their injuries, after a "shot" (gunpowder charge used to bring down the coal) ignited a dust explosion in the mine. This was one of only two major mine disasters in Iowa between 1888 and 1913.<ref>Albert H. Fay, Coal-Mine Fatalities in the United States 1870–1914, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, Washington DC, 1916, page 190.</ref><ref>Sixth Biennial Report of the State Mine Inspectors to the Governor of the State of Iowa for the Two Years Ending June 30, 1893, Ragsdale, Des Moines, 1893, pages 29–35.</ref>

File:North side of Square, Albia, Iowa (12659450703).jpg

Historical North Side of Square

In the early 20th century, the region around Albia was dotted with coal mining camps and company towns. Of these, Buxton, 9 miles north of Albia, is the most widely studied. It had a large Black population.<ref>David M. Gradwohl and Nancy M. Osborn, Exploring Buried Buxton – Archaeology of an Abandoned Iowa Coal Mining Town with a Large Black Population, University of Iowa Press, 1990.</ref> Other former coal camps in the area include Hiteman, Bluff Creek, Lockman, Coalfield, Hocking, and Hynes.

Main Street, Albia, Iowa

A parade outside Town Square, 1959

The growth in membership in the United Mine Workers union, as shown by the following data, is a useful measure of the importance of mining in the region. In 1902, UMW Locals 692 and 793 in Albia had an aggregate membership of 216. By 1912, UMW Locals 407, 782 and 793 in Albia had an aggregate membership of 338 (about 7.2% of the 1910 population). Miners in Hiteman, 5 miles northwest of town, joined the UMWA in 1898; between 1902 and 1912, membership grew from 450 to 688. Miners in Hynes, 7 miles east, joined the UMWA in 1896; between 1902 and 1912, membership grew from 330 to 543.<ref>Trade Unions in Iowa – Table No. 1, Mine Workers of America, United, Tenth Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the State of Iowa, 1901–1902, Murphy, Des Moines, 1903; page 232.</ref><ref>Tally Sheet, Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Convention of the United Mine Workers of America Jan. 16 – Feb. 2, 1912, Indianapolis; Volume 2, pages 180A-185A.</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">Template:Cite web</ref>

Climate

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

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Demographics

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The population of Albia, Iowa from US census data

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> there were 3,721 people, 1,545 households, and 943 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,151.2 inhabitants per square mile (444.5/km²). There were 1,703 housing units at an average density of 526.9 per square mile (203.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.1% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.

Of the 1,545 households, 32.2% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 7.2% were cohabitating couples, 31.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 19.0% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 39.0% of all households were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 27.5% of the residents were under the age of 20; 6.7% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 and 44; 23.1% were from 45 and 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2010 census

As of the census<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 3,766 people, 1,540 households, and 960 families living in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,763 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 97.5% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 1,540 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the city was 40 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 3,706 people, 1,531 households, and 943 families living in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,708 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 97.92% White, 0.32% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.

There were 1,531 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97.

Age spread: 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,728, and the median income for a family was $41,607. Males had a median income of $33,025 versus $20,933 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,843. About 4.3% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Albia Community School District operates public schools serving the community.<ref>"Albia." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on June 18, 2018.</ref>

Activities

In Albia, there's the "Monroe Aquatic Center", "Washington Park", and the "City Park". The aquatic center has two water slides, low dive, high dive, children's area, basketball hoops above the water, and lockers. The city park includes a basketball court, a baseball field, a tennis court, and a playground with swings.