Greene is a city in

Butler County, Iowa Butler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,334. Its county seat is Allison. The county was organized in 1854 and named for General William O. Butler. History Butler County was f ...

, United States, along the

Shell Rock River The Shell Rock River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the West Fork Cedar River in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa in the United States ...

, and along Butler County's northern border, where Butler and Floyd counties meet. The population was 990 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

The community of Greene was first a postal area called, "Elm Springs" that was established in 1855 three miles southwest of the current town on Coldwater Creek. In 1871, the railroad selected a site on the east side of the Shell Rock River for a train depot and roundhouse, drawing the Elm Springs Post Office and community to that site. In 1871, the postal area name was changed from Elm Springs to Greene in honor of Judge George Greene president of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota railroad who, along with J. W. Traer and others, purchased the land for the new community. Judge Greene gave generously of land and money for the new town. In 1879, the Greene postal area was incorporated as The Town of Greene.

Geography

The city is located along the northern edge of Butler County, with a small portion extending north into Floyd County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The

bisects the town, with the state Highway 14 and County Road 13 bridges connecting the two sections.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,130 people, 510 households, and 320 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 575 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population. There were 510 households, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age in the city was 49.8 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,099 people, 508 households, and 308 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 562 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.36%

, 0.27%

, 0.27% Asian, and 0.09% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population. There were 508 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were

living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.80. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 29.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,063, and the median income for a family was $44,643. Males had a median income of $31,406 versus $21,181 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,891. About 4.3% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is a part of the

North Butler Community School District North Butler Community School District, also referred to as North Butler Schools, is a rural public school district headquartered in Allison, Iowa. The district occupies parts of Butler and Floyd counties, and it serves Greene, Allison, and ...

, which was established on July 1, 2011, as a merger of the

Greene Community School District Greene Community School District was a school district headquartered in Greene, Iowa, USA. The district served sections of Butler and Floyd counties. It began whole grade-sharing with the Allison–Bristow Community School District in 2004, lead ...

and

Allison–Bristow Community School District Allison–Bristow Community School District was a school district headquartered in Allison, Iowa, serving Allison and Bristow. It began whole grade-sharing with the Greene Community School District in 2004, leading to the creation of North Butler ...

, The local high school is

North Butler High School North Butler High School is a rural public high school in Greene, Iowa, United States. It is a part of the North Butler Community School District; it was operated by the Greene Community School District until 2011, when that district merged int ...

Notable people

Thomas Braden Thomas Wardell Braden (February 22, 1917 – April 3, 2009) was an American CIA official, journalist (best remembered as the author of ''Eight Is Enough'', which spawned a television program), and co-host of the CNN show ''Crossfire''. Inte ...

(1917–2009) author of the book ''Eight Is Enough'' that was the basis for the ABC show ''

Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...

'' * Henry Norman Graven (1893–1970)

United States federal judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S ...

from 1944 to 1970 * Frank D. Jackson (1854–1938) 15th Governor of Iowa from 1894 to 1896

References

Clayton F. Thomas, ''Trails to Train Tracks, The History of Elm Springs: A vanished Butler County, Iowa Settlement'', 2015. Available at the State Historical Society of Iowa Libraries, Des Moines and Iowa City. Clayton F. Thomas, ''Glimpses of Greene: Selected Historical Studies, Greene, Iowa''. 2018. Available at the State Historical Society of Iowa Libraries, Des Moines and Iowa City.

External links

Greetings from Greene, Iowa
Portal style website, schools, businesses, recreation, and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Greene
{{authority control Cities in Butler County, Iowa Cities in Floyd County, Iowa Cities in Iowa