CASS COUNTY, IOWA

'Cass County' is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of 2000, the population is 14,684. Its county seat is Atlantic.⁶ It was named to honor Lewis Cass, who was the 1848 Democratic nominee for President.

Contents

Geography

Major Highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

History

Notable Natives

Cities and towns

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,463 km² (565 mi²). 1,462 km² (564 mi²) of it is land and 2 km² (1 mi²) of it (0.12%) is water.

Major Highways

★ Interstate 80 ★ U.S. Highway 6 ★ U.S. Highway 71 ★ Iowa Highway 48

★ Iowa Highway 83 ★ Iowa Highway 92 ★ Iowa Highway 148 ★ Iowa Highway 173

Adjacent counties

★ Audubon County (north)

★ Adair County (east)

★ Adams County (southeast)

★ Mongomery County (southwest)

★ Pottawattamie County (west)

★ Shelby County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 14,684 people, 6,120 households, and 4,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 10/km² (26/mi²). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 5/km² (12/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.84% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,120 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,922, and the median income for a family was $40,564. Males had a median income of $29,736 versus $20,108 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,067. About 7.20% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

History

Cass County is named in honor of Lewis Cass, a Michigan senator and an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the presidency in 1848. The county was established within its present boundaries in 1851 and originated in 1853. Religious persecution was responsible for bringing the first people of European ancestory to Cass County. The Mormons, fleeing from Illinois, were the earliest settlers, and established a community at Indiantown in 1846.
At Indiantown, two of the three commissioners selected to locate a county seat were chosen. The site they chose was one mile from Indiantown and named Lewis. Most of the people and businesses in Indian Town moved to Lewis shortly after it was laid out. In 1856 a frame courthouse was built, and eight years later a small stone building was completed for the county treasurer’s office. In 1857 there was an attempt to relocate the county seat to Grove City; it was unsuccessful. On October 20, 1869, after a due canvass of the vote on the re-location of the county seat, the Board declared the city of Atlantic the seat of county government and ordered the county officers to that place.
In 1872 the first courthouse built in Atlantic was completed. Until it was completed county offices were held in various empty buildings. Ten years later the county built its second courthouse at Atlantic. The $65,000 building was destroyed by a fire in 1932. The fire started in the clock tower and gutted all of the second floor. Most of the county records and equipment were saved.
The present, fourth, courthouse was completed in 1934. While it was being built, county offices were located in the Atlantic Motors building, where an attempted robbery of the treasurer’s safe took place. The robbers were interrupted and escaped, but without any money. The final cost of the fourth courthouse was $130,000: $65,000 came from a county bond issue, $46,500 from insurance and the remaining was covered by a Public Works Administration federal grant. The concrete and brick building is three stories high. It was dedicated on December 26, 1934, with the main speaker being the Governor of Iowa, Clyde L. Herring. The Board of Supervisors approved a new jail addition, which was dedicated in 1984.

Notable Natives

★ Edwin Perkins, inventor of Kool-Aid

Cities and towns

★ Anita ★ Atlantic

★ Cumberland ★ Griswold

★ Lewis ★ Marne

★ Massena ★ Wiota