WATERLOO, IOWA

'Waterloo' is the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,747. It is the larger of two principal cities, by population, and belongs to the Cedar Falls-Waterloo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

Geography and Climate

Transportation

Metropolitan area

Climate

Demographics

Government

Library

Education

Television

Tourism

Notable natives

External links

History

Waterloo was first settled in 1845 when George and Mary Hanna and their children arrived on the east bank of the Red Cedar River (now just called the Cedar River). They were followed by the Virden and Mullan families in 1846. Evidence of these earliest families can still be found in Waterloo (Mullan Avenue and Virden Creek).
There were two extended periods of rapid growth over the next 115 years. From 1895 to 1915, the population increased from 8,490 to 33,097 a 290% increase. From 1925 to 1960, population increased from 36,771 to 71,755. The 1895 to 1915 period was a time of the rapid growth in manufacturing, rail transportation and wholesale operations. It was during this period that the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Company moved to Waterloo and was shortly after Rath Packing Company had relocated from Dubuque. Another major employer Waterloo throughout the first 2/3 of the 20th century was the Illinois Central Railroad.
Although located in the Midwest, which is historically and predominantly white, Waterloo and its industries have attracted a diverse population that often reflects national trends. African-Americans were first drawn to Waterloo because of the many entry-level jobs that were then available in meatpacking and other industries located in the city. In the 1990's, Bosnian war refugees were resettled in Waterloo by the federal government, and during the same decade a new IBP packing plant attracted hundreds of Hispanics.
This diversity of races has generally worked well, but Waterloo has experienced its share of racial tension and hostility. Early on, African-Americans settled on only the "East" side (geographically and more accurately north-northeast, but the term has become locally fixed), while Caucasians populated both the "East" and the "West" sides. Through the 1970s and 1980s the "East" side stagnated and the "West" side prospered, leaving a racially divided city. This clear division of the city magnified the awareness of differences and the need for fairness.
Waterloo was one of the very few communities to have two Carnegie-endowed libraries: one on the East side and one on the West.
The clear division of the city also contributed to the natural but sometimes fractious competition between East High School and West High School. Then, when Central High School was built, its location on the "West" (and it was truly on the west side of the city) aggravated the perception of racism within the city. In time, however, the racial tension become more a matter of economics as the East side experienced an enduring upswing in poor Caucasians and major business, including Rath, closed leaving hundreds of people unemployed.
Waterloo is home of the Waterloo Blackhawks, a team in the United States Hockey League which plays in Young Arena. It is also the home of the Waterloo Bucks, a summer collegiate league baseball team which plays in the Northwoods League. The team plays at Riverfront Stadium.
Waterloo was originally known as "'Prairie Rapids Crossing'". The town was built on top of a Native American village. The town is now named after Waterloo, Belgium. The city's primary waterway is the Cedar River.

Geography and Climate

Waterloo is located at (42.492436, -92.346161).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 160.6 km² (62.0 mi²). 157.3 km² (60.7 mi²) of it is land and 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it (2.06%) is water.

Transportation

Waterloo is located at the north end of Interstate 380. U.S. Highways 20, 63, and 218 and Iowa Highways 21, 57, 58, and 281 also run through the metropolitan area. The Avenue of the Saints runs through Waterloo.
Northwest Airlines provides non-stop air service to and from Minneapolis/St. Paul from the Waterloo Regional Airport.
Waterloo is served by a moderately extensive metropolitan bus system (MET). MET serves most areas of Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Most routes meet at the central bus station in downtown Waterloo. The system operates Monday - Saturday. During the week the earliest bus is at 5:45am from downtown Waterloo and the last bus arriving downtown at 6:40pm. Service is more limited on Saturdays. http://www.mettransit.org/
Waterloo is served by one daily intercity bus arrival and departure to Chicago and Des Moines. Service is provided by Burlington Trailways. http://www.burlingtontrailways.com/
There are currently three taxi operators in Waterloo and Cedar Falls. The newest entrant to the market is First Call Taxi (319.233.TAXI). The other two firms are Metro Taxi (319.234.TAXI) and Yellow.

Metropolitan area

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Black Hawk, Bremer, and Grundy counties. The area had a 2000 census population of 163,706 and a 2006 estimated population of 162,263.
^[1]
Waterloo is next to Cedar Falls, home to the University of Northern Iowa. Small suburbs include Evansdale, Hudson and Elk Run Heights.
The largest employers in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls MSA, according to the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance, as of October 2006 include (in order): John Deere, Covenant Medical Center, Tyson Fresh Meats, the University of Northern Iowa, Allen Hospital, Waterloo Community Schools, Omega Cabinets and Bertch Cabinets. The complete list can be found at: http://www.cvedc.com/index_facts.html

Climate

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	65	66	87	100	94	103	105	105	98	95	80	67
Norm High °F	25.8	31.9	45	59.7	72.2	81.7	85	82.8	75.3	62.5	45	30.7
Norm Low °F	6.3	13.2	24.9	35.8	48.1	58.1	62.2	59.5	49.8	37.8	25.1	12.5
Rec Low °F	-33	-31	-34	-4	22	38	42	38	22	11	-17	-29
Precip (in)	0.84	1.05	2.13	3.23	4.15	4.82	4.2	4.08	2.95	2.49	2.1	1.11
''Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]''

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 68,747 people, 28,169 households, and 17,746 families residing in the city. The population density was 437.0/km² (1,131.9/mi²). There were 29,499 housing units at an average density of 187.5/km² (485.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.61% White, 13.86% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population.
There were 28,169 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,092, and the median income for a family was $42,731. Males had a median income of $31,491 versus $22,569 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,558. About 10.0% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Waterloo is administered by a seven-member city council and a mayor. One council member is elected from each of Waterloo's five wards, and two are elected at-large. The current mayor is Timothy J. Hurley, his predecessor was John Rooff.

Library

Waterloo has one central public library, the Waterloo Public Library , offering video, music, books, self-check out, and access to the Internet. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, 269,000 patron visits resulted in circulation of 442,663 items including 118,053 AV materials. Total holdings included 185,877 books, 7,726 videos, 10,899 audio records and 348 magazine subscriptions. The total collection consisted of 205,149 items. The library’s reference services, supported by 7 Full-time equivalent librarians, answered more than 69,000 questions. Staff and patrons regularly post reviews of books on the blog, Lost in the Stacks. The library’s 43 public access computers provided over 60,000 sessions for patrons wanting to surf the ‘net or create office suite documents.
The Waterloo Public Library is located in a renovated Great Depression era U.S. Post Office building that also served as a Federal Circuit Courthouse. The City of Waterloo acquired the structure in 1979 and with the help of a successful bond referendum performed major renovations which adapted the building to library use. Fortunately, the renovations did not disturb two New Deal funded murals created by Edgar Britton. His art work may be seen on the wall above the Youth Departmentoffice and to the south of the Circulation Services desk.

Education

Hawkeye Community College is located in Waterloo. Neighboring Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa.
One of two public high schools in the city is Waterloo West High School. Its school mascot is the Wahawk, a contraction of Waterloo and Black Hawk (the city and county names), and its colors are old rose and black. Its most famous alumnus is former amateur wrestler and coach Dan Gable. Its current principal is Dr. Gail Moon. The other public high school is Waterloo East High School. Its athletic teams are called the Trojans, and the school colors are orange and black. Mary Meier is the current principal. Waterloo's private high schools include Columbus Catholic High School and Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy.
Waterloo also has a variety of Catholic and public grade schools such as St. Edwards and Orange Elementary School.

Television

Waterloo is part of a TV market along with neighboring cities of Iowa City, Dubuque and Cedar Rapids. Three TV stations are licensed to the city of Waterloo:

★ KWWL - NBC -

★ KWWF - RTN - Channel 22

★ KRIN - PBS - Channel 32
The other TV stations that serve Waterloo are actually licensed to neighboring cities in the market

Tourism

One of the largest attractions in Waterloo, are tours of either the 'John Deere Tractor Assembly Plant' (weekdays 8am, 10am and 1pm )or the 'Engine Works' (weekdays 9:30am and 1pm ). Reservations are required.
The 'Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum' offers a historical perspective on Wrestling from ancient Greece to the present. The institute also serves as a learning facility. http://www.wrestlingmuseum.org/
The 'National Cattle Congress' has been part of Waterloo since 1910. The organization maintains a fairgrounds and ballroom. The annual fair is held in mid-September. Additionally, the organization hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year. http://www.nationalcattlecongress.com
Waterloo is the headquarter of the 'Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area'. The area is an official National Park Service Heritage Area and consists of over 80 sites throughout the northeastern 2/3 of Iowa. http://www.silosandsmokestacks.org
A recent entry that has been drawing national and international attention is 'Galleria de Paco'. The upscale restaurant and bar features a complete reproduction (on the ceiling) of Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. The painting was done by local artist Paco Rosic completely with spraypaint. Dinner reservations are recommended. http://www.paco-rosic.com
The 'Grout Museum District' is a multi-building museum that focuses on telling the story of Waterloo and the surrounding community. A large expansion of the Museum will widen it's focus when the 'Sullivan Iowa Veteran's Museum' open's in late 2008. http://www.groutmuseumdistrict.org
'Downtown Waterloo' hosts numerous festivals and celebrations throughout the course of the year including the bi-weekly Friday'loo (May - September), BBQ'loo (July), My Waterloo Days (June), the 4th Fireworks Festival (July), Tour d'Loo (October) and a new event in 2007, Iowa Irish Festival (August). More information at: http://www.mainstreetwaterloo.org ; http://www.waterloojaycees.org ; http://www.iowairishfest.org .
On Waterloo's south side, near the U.S 20/I-380/U.S. 218 intersection, exists the 'Lost Island Waterpark' which opened in 2001 (http://www.thelostisland.com), and '"The Isle" Hotel and Casino' (http://www.theislewaterloo.com), which opened on June 30th, 2007.
Waterloo is also part of the very large and well developed 'Cedar Trail Network'. Trails along the Cedar River through downtown Waterloo are currently under construction. Complete trail map can be found at: http://www.cedartrailspartnership.org/metro_trail_guide.pdf
Other information can be found at the Waterloo Convention and Visitor's Bureau website: http://www.waterloocvb.org/

Notable natives

★ David Barrett, cornerback for the New York Jets.

★ Horace Boies, Govenor of Iowa 1890-1894.

★ Darrell Dicken, aka Gigabet, internet-famous, successful professional poker player.

★ Gary Forney, singer/songwriter/actor [2].

★ Dan Gable, Olympic champion wrestler and collegiate coach.

★ Lou Henry Hoover, First Lady 1929-1933.

★ MarTay Jenkins, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.

★ J.J. Moses, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.

★ Larry Nemmers, NFL referee.

★ Thunderbolt Patterson, professional wrestler.

★ Don Perkins, running back for the Dallas Cowboys.

★ Alfred C. Richmond, Retired U.S. Coast Guard Commandant.

★ Reggie Roby, punter for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Miami Dolphins.

★ Sean Schemmel, English dub voice of Dragonball Z's Goku.

★ John L. Simmons, director of bargaining for SEIU Local 1000, the largest Union of California state employees .

★ Tracie Spencer, singer.

★ Red Hot Brian Scott/ legally B Hartman, national radio host, Field Of Dreams Movie & commercial actor.

★ Darren Sproles, running back for the San Diego Chargers.

★ The Sullivan brothers, five sons who died together on the USS ''Juneau'' during World War II. Their story was part of the inspiration for the movie Saving Private Ryan, who also hailed from Iowa in the film.

★ Mark Kay, professional stuntman

★ Paco Rosic, nationally recognized aerosol artist [3]

External links

★ Waterloo Public Library

★ Waterloo - Cedar Falls Courier

★ City of Waterloo, Iowa

★ Waterloo Public Library

★ Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

★ KWWL TV-7

★ Waterloo Police Department

★ The Rocket Slide!