Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell was founded by settlers from New England who were descended from English Puritans of the 1600s.History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Volume 1, p. 10.The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620–1865, p. 247.{{Citation|title=Grinnells of America | date=December 17, 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpOtI_-itg4|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/JpOtI_-itg4| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-19}}{{cbignore}} Grinnell was founded in 1854 by four men: Josiah B. Grinnell, a Congregationalist from Vermont; Homer Hamlin, a minister; Henry Hamilton, a surveyor; and Dr. Thomas Holyoke.{{Cite web |url=https://www.grinnell.edu/news/jb-grinnell-abolitionist-minister-land-speculator|title = J.B. Grinnell : Abolitionist, minister, land speculator | Grinnell College}} The city was to be named "Stella," but J. B. Grinnell convinced the others to adopt his name, describing it as rare and concise.Hamilton, Henry. "A Chapter in the Early History of Grinnell." Grinnell Herald, 1892. Grinnell was incorporated on April 28, 1865,{{cite web|url= http://www.city-data.com/city/Grinnell-Iowa.html |title= Grinnell, Iowa |publisher= City-Data.com |access-date=August 29, 2012}} and by 1880, Grinnell had a population of around 2,000. Located at the junction of two railway lines (east–west line of the Rock Island Railroad and the north–south Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway), it is the largest community in Poweshiek County.

Grinnell was a stop on the Underground Railroad from its founding.{{cite web

|url= http://www.uiowa.edu/~c019130/student/carrington_sharon/final/background/index.html

|title= Iowa's Underground Railroad

|publisher= The University of Iowa

|access-date= August 29, 2012

|url-status= dead

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130811155127/http://www.uiowa.edu/~c019130/student/carrington_sharon/final/background/index.html

|archive-date= August 11, 2013}}{{cite book

|title=The Negro in typical communities of Iowa

|last=Cools

|first=Gabriel Victor

|url=https://iro.uiowa.edu/discovery/delivery/01IOWA_INST:ResearchRepository/12730628630002771?l#13730789720002771

|publisher=M.A. thesis, University of Iowa

|year=1918

|others=Part II, Chapter 1

|doi=10.17077/etd.y3e9horj|hdl=2027/iau.31858021974641

}} One of the most famous events occurred in February 1859, when abolitionist John Brown, and 12 slaves he was helping escape to freedom, were hosted by J. B. Grinnell and several other community residents. Because of J. B. Grinnell's efforts to help slaves and end slavery, in 2013, the National Park Service included his gravesite at Hazelwood Cemetery on the [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/undergroundrailroad/ntf-listings.htm National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom] listings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/ntf_member/upload/NTF-Listings-fall-2014.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226034129/http://www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/ntf_member/upload/NTF-Listings-fall-2014.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 26, 2015|title=NTS listings fall 2014|website=National Park Service}}

The Mormon Trail ran along the southern edge of Grinnell. The trail was traveled by an estimated 100,000 plus travelers from 1846 to 1869, including some 70,000 Mormons escaping religious persecution. The Pioneer Company of 1846–1847 established the first route; from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City. A stone marker memorializes the Mormon Handcart Trail and the grave of a child who died along the trail near Grinnell.{{Cite web|title=Jasper Co. Iowa IAGenWeb Project|url=http://iagenweb.org/jasper/cemeteries/mormon/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=iagenweb.org}}

Grinnell is home to Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college, which was established in 1846.

Two major events marked the early years of the community. On June 17, 1882,{{cite web|title=Grinnell Stories: Tornado! |first=Daniel|last=Kaiser|date=May 29, 2016 |url=http://grinnellstories.blogspot.com/2016/05/tornado.html}} a violent, estimated, F5 tornado destroyed most of the college campus and much of the community with a death toll of 68, causing up to $1.3 million in total damages (in 1882 USD).{{cite web |last=Grazulis |first=Thomas P. |title=The Most "Important" US Tornadoes by State |url=http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm |access-date=July 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035740/http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}{{cite book |last=Grazulis |first=Thomas P. |author-link=Thomas P. Grazulis |title=Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events |publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films |date=July 1993 |location=St. Johnsbury, VT |isbn=1-879362-03-1 }} In June 1889, fire{{cite web|title=Grinnell, IA Business Section Fire, June 1889 - GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods|website=www.gendisasters.com |url=https://www.gendisasters.com/iowa/11087/grinnell-ia-business-section-fire-june-1889}} destroyed most of the downtown area.{{Cite web |url=http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/PDF-files/Fire%20of%201889.pdf |title=Fire Ravaged Grinnell in 1889 |access-date=2007-04-09 |archive-date=2007-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202062050/http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/PDF-files/Fire%20of%201889.pdf |url-status=dead }}

Grinnell was home to the Spaulding Manufacturing Company. H. W. Spaulding began making carriages and spring wagons in Grinnell in 1876. In 1909, Spaulding Manufacturing added automobiles to its production line. At one time, the factory was the largest employer in the county.{{Cite web |title=Spaulding – Grinnell Local History Resources |url=https://grinnell.lib.ia.us/spaulding/#:~:text=For%20many%20years%20it%20was%20one%20of%20the%20largest%20employers%20in%20the%20area,%20providing%20jobs%20for%20350%20people%20at%20its%20peak. |access-date=2024-12-09 |language=en-US}} Automobile production ceased at the Spaulding factory in 1916 when it could no longer compete with the cheaper Ford automobile.{{Cite web |title=Spaulding – Grinnell Local History Resources |url=https://grinnell.lib.ia.us/spaulding/#:~:text=like%20many%20other%20small%20car%20companies%20of%20the%20time%20they%20could%20not%20compete%20with%20the%20low%20cost%20of%20Henry%20Ford%E2%80%99s%20assembly%20line.%20The%20cars%20were%20only%20made%20from%201909-1916 |access-date=2024-12-09 |language=en-US}} The Spaulding factory site became home to the Spaulding Center for Transportation/Iowa Transportation Museum, as well as a 77 unit loft apartment complex which opened in 2017.{{cite web|url=http://ourgrinnell.com/hubbell-restores-historic-spaulding-manufacturing-company-holds-ribbon-cutting-for-urban-style-lofts/|title=Hubbell Restores Historic Spaulding Manufacturing Company, Holds Ribbon Cutting for Urban-Style Lofts - ourgrinnell}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|5.64|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|5.60|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2012-05-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}

Grinnell has a humid continental climate with hot humid summers, and cold snowy winters. The precipitation averages 38.19 in (970 mm) yearly. Summers are the rainiest times of year, with over two thirds of the precipitation falling between April and September in an average year.{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIA0355?from=36hr_bottomnav_business|title=Grinnell, IA Monthly Weather Forecast - weather.com}}

{{Weather box

|location = Grinnell, Iowa, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 64

|Feb record high F = 74

|Mar record high F = 90

|Apr record high F = 92

|May record high F = 107

|Jun record high F = 105

|Jul record high F = 108

|Aug record high F = 110

|Sep record high F = 101

|Oct record high F = 95

|Nov record high F = 82

|Dec record high F = 69

|year record high =

|Jan avg record high F = 49.5

|Feb avg record high F = 56.6

|Mar avg record high F = 72.0

|Apr avg record high F = 81.5

|May avg record high F = 85.2

|Jun avg record high F = 91.1

|Jul avg record high F = 93.7

|Aug avg record high F = 92.7

|Sep avg record high F = 88.6

|Oct avg record high F = 81.9

|Nov avg record high F = 68.0

|Dec avg record high F = 53.4

|year avg record high F = 95.2

|Jan high F = 28.3

|Feb high F = 33.0

|Mar high F = 46.1

|Apr high F = 59.4

|May high F = 69.9

|Jun high F = 79.5

|Jul high F = 83.3

|Aug high F = 81.2

|Sep high F = 75.2

|Oct high F = 62.3

|Nov high F = 46.8

|Dec high F = 34.0

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 19.3

|Feb mean F = 23.3

|Mar mean F = 35.4

|Apr mean F = 47.3

|May mean F = 58.5

|Jun mean F = 68.6

|Jul mean F = 72.5

|Aug mean F = 70.2

|Sep mean F = 62.7

|Oct mean F = 50.2

|Nov mean F = 36.6

|Dec mean F = 25.2

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 10.2

|Feb low F = 13.6

|Mar low F = 24.7

|Apr low F = 35.1

|May low F = 47.1

|Jun low F = 57.8

|Jul low F = 61.8

|Aug low F = 59.2

|Sep low F = 50.2

|Oct low F = 38.2

|Nov low F = 26.4

|Dec low F = 16.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -12.7

|Feb avg record low F = -9.4

|Mar avg record low F = 5.0

|Apr avg record low F = 18.6

|May avg record low F = 31.2

|Jun avg record low F = 42.0

|Jul avg record low F = 48.6

|Aug avg record low F = 46.6

|Sep avg record low F = 32.3

|Oct avg record low F = 21.0

|Nov avg record low F = 9.7

|Dec avg record low F = -7.9

|year avg record low F = -18.3

|Jan record low F = -34

|Feb record low F = -35

|Mar record low F = -17

|Apr record low F = 1

|May record low F = 19

|Jun record low F = 35

|Jul record low F = 40

|Aug record low F = 36

|Sep record low F = 21

|Oct record low F = 2

|Nov record low F = -15

|Dec record low F = -32

|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.10

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.55

|Mar precipitation inch = 2.22

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.90

|May precipitation inch = 5.09

|Jun precipitation inch = 5.53

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.96

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.37

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.71

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.21

|Nov precipitation inch = 1.95

|Dec precipitation inch = 1.60

|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 9.0

|Feb snow inch = 9.1

|Mar snow inch = 3.4

|Apr snow inch = 0.6

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.5

|Nov snow inch = 1.5

|Dec snow inch = 6.9

|year snow inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 7.6

|Feb precipitation days = 7.7

|Mar precipitation days = 8.9

|Apr precipitation days = 11.8

|May precipitation days = 12.9

|Jun precipitation days = 12.2

|Jul precipitation days = 9.4

|Aug precipitation days = 10.6

|Sep precipitation days = 8.8

|Oct precipitation days = 9.5

|Nov precipitation days = 7.4

|Dec precipitation days = 8.2

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 5.3

|Feb snow days = 5.2

|Mar snow days = 2.5

|Apr snow days = 0.7

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.2

|Nov snow days = 1.1

|Dec snow days = 5.0

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&location=IA&station=USC00133473

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access

|access-date = July 24, 2022

}}

|date = July 2022

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=dmx

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data

|access-date = July 24, 2022

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1860= 392

|1870= 1482

|1880= 2415

|1890= 3332

|1900= 3856

|1910= 5036

|1920= 5362

|1930= 4949

|1940= 5219

|1950= 6828

|1960= 7367

|1970= 8402

|1980= 8868

|1990= 8902

|2000= 9105

|2010= 9218

|2020= 9564

|footnote=[http://data.iowadatacenter.org/datatables/PlacesAll/plpopulation18502000.pdf Iowa Data Center]

}}

As of the census of 2020,{{cite web |title=2020 Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade/2020/2020-census-main.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} there were 9,564 people, 3,724 households, and 1,991 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,681.1 inhabitants per square mile (649.1/km²). There were 4,039 housing units at an average density of 709.9 per square mile (274.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.5% White, 3.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 3.7% of the population.

Of the 3,724 households, 23.4% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% were cohabitating couples, 34.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 20.2% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 46.5% of all households were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 25.1% of the residents were under the age of 20; 14.6% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 19.3% were from 25 and 44; 20.4% were from 45 and 64; and 20.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-05-11}} of 2010, there were 9,218 people, 3,567 households, and 2,026 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1646.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,844 housing units at an average density of {{convert|686.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 91.9% White, 2.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 3,567 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. Of all households 36.8% were made up of individuals, and 16.4% 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 2.82.

The median age in the city was 35.6 years. 19% of residents were under the age of 18; 21.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 9,105 people, 3,498 households, and 2,067 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,825.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,725 housing units at an average density of {{convert|746.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.88% White, 1.04% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.

There were 3,498 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 19.9% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,625, and the median income for a family was $48,991. Males had a median income of $33,956 versus $23,864 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,939. About 8.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

File:Post office in Grinnell, Iowa.jpg

In addition to Grinnell College,{{cite web |url=http://www.powi80.com/poweshiek_county_industry.php |title=Poweshiek Iowa Development = Pow I-80 |access-date=2013-04-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812012848/http://www.powi80.com/poweshiek_county_industry.php |archive-date=2013-08-12 }} other major employers include Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, JELD-WEN and Brownell's.{{Cite web|url=http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/bapid=458/ClientPage/Brownells-Retail-Store|title = Brownells Retail Store | Top Rated Supplier of Firearm Reloading Equipment, Supplies, and Tools - Colt| date=April 24, 2019 }}

In the spring of 2005, Grinnell embarked upon a renovation project to make its downtown area more inviting. It encompassed new water mains, restoration of two-way traffic flow, brick crosswalks in the middle of each block, and more uniform parking spaces in front of downtown businesses. A median strip at each intersection was designed with Grinnell's distinctive Jewel Box pattern.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} Infrastructure upgrades and aesthetic renovations were also planned for the southern section of the downtown area, to include Commercial Street. Downtown street improvements have continued, and as of 2016, nearly all downtown streets have been redone. Improvements have been made to many business facades. Central Park underwent a major makeover during the summer of 2016, relocating the gazebo and adding a bandstand, public restrooms, and a large group picnic enclosure. In September 2017, Grinnell's first independently owned, boutique hotel (Hotel Grinnell) opened downtown across from Central Park giving visitors luxury accommodations.{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Jay |date=2020-07-30 |title=Luxurious Hotel Grinnell beautifully combines past and present |url=https://www.kcrg.com/2020/07/30/luxurious-hotel-grinnell-beautifully-combines-past-and-present/ |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=www.kcrg.com |language=en}}

Grinnell is home to two growing retirement communities, the Mayflower community{{cite web|url=http://www.mayflowerhomes.com/|title=Mayflower Community – A Place To Call Home|website=www.mayflowerhomes.com}} in the middle of town and Seeland Park{{cite web|url=https://www.stfrancismanor.com/|title=Active 55+ Senior Living in Grinnell, Iowa - St. Francis Manor|website=www.stfrancismanor.com}} on the eastern edge. Both communities include housing options for independent living, including duplexes and apartments, and also assisted living accommodations.

• The Grinnell Area Arts Council{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnellarts.org/ |title=Home |website=Grinnell Arts Center}} (GAAC) began in 1979 and sponsors many of the creative projects in Grinnell, including various community theater plays, the community band and a summer arts camp. Each season, the GAAC offers a variety of different classes including theater classes, crafts classes, and language classes. GAAC also sponsors various events throughout the year, such as Music in the Park, a free event offered to community members. The Turlach Ur bagpipe band is also a program of GAAC.{{cite web |url=http://www.grinnellarts.org/news.html |title=News & Updates |access-date=2013-04-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811142434/http://www.grinnellarts.org/news.html |archive-date=2013-08-11}} The Grinnell Arts Center is housed in the renovated old library building. It includes a gallery on the main floor and a small theater performance space on the top level.
• The Grinnell College Museum of Art at Grinnell College showcases exhibitions of artists in a 7,400 square feet space situated in the heart of Grinnell College's Bucksbaum Center for the Arts. Exhibitions by members of the Grinnell College art faculty can be seen throughout the year, and in May, the annual Student Art Salon features student work.

{{See also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Poweshiek County, Iowa}}

Grinnell has several notable architectural landmarks:Additional documents on Grinnell architecture are available in pdf format from [http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/grinnell-room.htm the Stewart Library website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217120733/http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/grinnell-room.htm |date=2007-02-17 }}. Among them, includes the Merchants' National Bank, designed by architect Louis Sullivan in 1914. The bank is one in a series of small banks, referred to as "Jewel Boxes" designed by Sullivan in the Midwest. The Ricker House was designed by Walter Burley GriffinDetails and photos at {{cite web |url=http://web.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery/rickerhouse/ |title=The Benjamin Ricker House--Grinnell |access-date=2007-04-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208204804/http://web.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery/rickerhouse/ |archive-date=2007-02-08 }} Marion Mahony Griffin in 1911 and completed in 1912. It was the first of seven houses the Griffins designed for Iowa clients, six of which were built and the other five of which are in Mason City. Ricker House was purchased by Grinnell College in 2000 and is operated as a short-term residence for guests of the college for several years.{{cite web |url=http://www.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery/collection/rickerhouse|title=The Benjamin J. and Mabel T. Ricker House - Grinnell College|website=www.grinnell.edu}} The house was sold in 2019 and became a private residence.{{Cite web|title=Ricker House sold to private citizens: New owners of Prairie-style architectural landmark remain dedicated to its historic preservation |url=http://www.thesandb.com/article/ricker-house-sold-to-private-citizens-new-owners-of-prairie-style-architectural-landmark-remain-dedicated-to-its-historic-preservation.html|access-date=2021-05-27|website=The Scarlet and Black}}

File:Grinnell Games Criterium.jpg

Grinnell Farmers Market features locally grown produce, freshly baked goods, honey, jams, plants and flowers, and handmade crafts. The market runs from May 16 through October 14 on Thursday and Saturdays. It is located in Grinnell's Central Park, located at 833 4th Avenue.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Grinnell Games is a weekend family sports festival. Community-organized events include Imagine Grinnell's Half Marathon and 5K Run, the Twilight Bike Criterium, The Amazing Chase, Twilight Trail Run, and the Warrior Run. Grinnell Games draws visitors from across the state with its family-friendly activities, sidewalk sales, live music, and a beer garden on Saturday night.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

The Grinnell Herald-Register is a semi-weekly newspaper in Grinnell, Iowa. It was formed on February 13, 1936, after the merger of the Grinnell Herald and Grinnell Register. The Herald was founded on August 16, 1871, as a semi-weekly newspaper, and the Register was founded in 1888. The Grinnell Herald, in turn, was founded as the Poweshiek County Herald on March 18, 1868.

The Poweshiek County Chronicle Republican{{cite web|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/communities/grinnell/|title=Poweshiek County Chronicle Republican|website=Des Moines Register}} – often referred to as the Poweshiek County CR or simply The CR – was created in January 2009 as the result of a merger of two newspapers serving other communities in Poweshiek County, the Brooklyn Chronicle and the Montezuma Republican; the Pennysaver, a shopper that had operated in Grinnell, continued, and the new newspaper began incorporating Grinnell news along with its existing coverage of rural Poweshiek County and its communities.

The first school in Grinnell was founded in 1855.[http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us Grinnell: A Century of Progress], p.10. Grinnell: Grinnell Herald-Register, 1954. Public schools within the Grinnell–Newburg Community School District{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnell-k12.org/|title=Grinnell-Newburg CSD|website=www.grinnell-k12.org}} include Fairview Elementary School (K-2nd grade for the eastern side of town), Bailey Park Elementary School (K–2nd grade for the western side of town), Davis School (3rd–4th grade), Grinnell–Newburg Middle School (5th–8th grade) and Grinnell–Newburg High School{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnell-k12.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/Grinnell-Newburg+High+School|title=Grinnell-Newburg CSD - Grinnell High School|website=www.grinnell-k12.org}} (9th–12th grade). There is one private school, Central Iowa Christian School,{{cite web|url=https://www.centraliowachristian.org/|title=Central Iowa Christian School|website=Central Iowa Christian School}} which enrolls about 35 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Grinnell is home to Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college. Iowa Valley Community College{{cite web|url=https://mcc.iavalley.edu/grinnell-campus/|title=Iowa Valley Grinnell - Marshalltown Community College}} also operates a satellite campus on the western edge of Grinnell.

In 2019, the local hospital became a part of the Unity Point Hospital system. Unity Point Grinnell, formerly known as Grinnell Regional Medical Center, is an acute care hospital licensed for 81 beds. GRMC was established in 1967 after the merger of two hospitals, one step in a century of providers joining to serve the community.{{Cite web|title=Our History {{!}} UnityPoint Health Grinnell Regional Medical Center |url=https://www.unitypoint.org/grinnell/our-history.aspx |access-date=2021-05-27|website=www.unitypoint.org}} Nearly 60 physicians provide care at the medical center.

File:Front of library with sculpture.jpg

[https://drakelibrary.org Drake Community Library] opened in November 2009.{{Cite web|title=New Drake Community Library opens |url=http://www.thesandb.com/article/new-drake-community-library-opens.html|access-date=2021-05-19 |website=The Scarlet and Black}} The library serves as a center of community activities. It has 25 public computers, 3 large meetings rooms, two small study rooms, a variety of seating areas and offers a full range of reading and AV materials. The library is actively working to create a digital archive of local history and make [https://grinnell.lib.ia.us/local-history-home/digital-archive-repository/ archived photos and documents available on their website.] A wide range of photos and documents are available for viewing as part of Digital Grinnell{{Cite web |url=https://digital.grinnell.edu/islandora/object/grinnell:phpp|title = Digital Grinnell | sites/Default/Themes/Digital_grinnell_bootstrap/Primary_Libraries.PNG}} and the Poweshiek History Preservation Project.{{cite news |url=http://grinnell.lib.ia.us/poweshiekhistory/ |title=Poweshiek History Preservation Project · Drake Community Library|newspaper=Drake Community Library }} Area residents can also use the Grinnell College Libraries.{{cite web |url=https://www.grinnell.edu/libraries/visitors |title=Circulation for Visitors - Grinnell College |website=www.grinnell.edu}} In 1901, Joel Stewart{{Cite web |title=About Joel Stewart |url-status=dead |url=http://www.grinnellarts.org/joel-stewart.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002115304/http://www.grinnellarts.org/joel-stewart.html|archive-date=2016-10-02|access-date=2016-09-30}} funded the construction of the first library in Grinnell, the Stewart Library, which served in that capacity until 2009. The building remains in service today as the headquarters for the Grinnell Area Arts Council. The library also has many eco-friendly structures like clerestory for natural light, flooring and furniture made from recycled materials, water-saving fixtures, permeable pavers, and native landscaping.

Grinnell has nine parks that are run by Parks and Recreations, including Arbor Lake, Bailey Park, Central Park, Jaycee Park, Lions Park, Merrill Park, Miller Park, Thomazin Park, and Van Horn Park. Ahrens and Paschall Memorial Park is privately run by the Claude & Dolly Ahrens Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://ahrensfamilyfoundation.org/ahrens-park-foundation/|title=Ahrens Park Foundation}} The city boasts three aquatic centers. A small indoor pool is part of the Ahrens Family Center.{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/facilities/facility/details/Ahrens-Family-Center-13|title=Ahrens Family Center|website=Grinnell, IA}} The Grinnell Mutual Family Aquatic Center{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/161/Aquatic-Center|title=Aquatic Center - Grinnell, IA - Official Website|website=www.grinnelliowa.gov}} is open during the summer months. Area residents also have access to the College Natatoriaum{{cite web|url=https://www.grinnell.edu/about/visit/spaces/natatorium|title=Natatorium - Grinnell College|website=www.grinnell.edu}} Grinnell and other college athletic facilities.

Grinnell Historical Museum{{cite web|url=http://grinnellhistoricalmuseum.org/index.html|title=Grinnell Historical Museum|website=Grinnell Historical Museum|access-date=2016-10-05 |archive-date=2016-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006044500/http://grinnellhistoricalmuseum.org/index.html|url-status=dead}} was founded as a community collaborative effort through a contest for community development by the Grinnell Herald Register in 1950. Four women's groups—two chapters of the DAR, the Historical and Literary Club, and the Tuesday Club, took as their project the creation of a museum. People responded enthusiastically; donations included a rope bed, a hair wreath, and the twisted bell clapper from the ruins of the first High School, which had burned. The house the museum is currently situated in was generously donated by Rubie Burton. Displays are of interest to visitors of all ages. The kitchen holds an electric refrigerator made by the Grinnell Washing Machine Company, one of the first 50 made in 1932. There is a Military exhibit with uniforms from the Civil War to the Vietnam war. The Carriage House holds several horse-drawn vehicles built by the Spaulding Carriage Factory in Grinnell.{{cite web|url=http://grinnellhistoricalmuseum.org/history-of-the-grinnell-historical-museum.html|title=History of the Grinnell Historical Museum|access-date=April 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319000431/http://www.grinnellhistoricalmuseum.org/history-of-the-grinnell-historical-museum.html|archive-date=March 19, 2013|url-status=dead}}

The Grinnell Area Arts Council (GAAC) building, formerly Stewart Library, includes the [https://www.grinnellarts.org/stewart-gallery Stewart Gallery] and features works of local and regional artists. The gallery space includes high ceilings and nice light. The GAAC also includes the [https://www.grinnellarts.org/the-loft-theatre Loft Theater] and is home to the Grinnell Community Theater. In 2008, the GAAC expanded to space across the street and opened [https://www.grinnellarts.org/stew-makerspace-about The Stew Makerspace]. The Stew Makerspace is a collaboration between the Grinnell Area Arts Council and the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership at Grinnell College. Located at 927 Broad Street, the Stew houses spaces for ceramics, woodworking, 3D printing, metal working, laser engraving, and much more.

The Faulconer Gallery (now called the Grinnell College Museum of Art){{cite web|url=https://www.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery|title=Faulconer Gallery - Grinnell College|website=www.grinnell.edu}} on the Grinnell College campus features year-round exhibits of regional, national and international artists. The space is inside the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts.

• 25px Interstate 80 to Davenport and Des Moines
• 25px U.S. Route 6 to Iowa City and Des Moines
• 25px Iowa Highway 146 to Le Grand and New Sharon

Grinnell is served by two freight-only railroad lines:

• Union Pacific Oskaloosa Subdivision from Marshalltown to Eddyville
• Iowa Interstate Railroad mainline from Council Bluffs to Bureau Junction, Illinois, and on to Chicago{{cite web|url=https://iowadot.gov/iowainmotion/railplan/2017/IowaSRP2017_AppendixA.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018133203/https://iowadot.gov/iowainmotion/railplan/2017/IowaSRP2017_AppendixA.pdf|archive-date=2020-10-18|title=Iowa State Rail Plan Final|publisher=Iowa Department of Transportation|access-date=2021-05-24}}

The two lines meet in a diamond near El Cascabel, a Mexican restaurant opened in 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/ThePeppertreeattheDepotCrossing/|title=The Peppertree at the Depot Crossing|website=www.facebook.com}} The Union Pacific line sees 3 trains per day{{cite web|url=https://railroads.dot.gov/safety-data/crossing-and-inventory-data/crossing-inventory-lookup|title=Crossing Inventory Lookup for Crossing 193096Y|publisher=Federal Railroad Administration|access-date=2021-05-24}} while the IAIS line sees about 2 trains per day.{{cite web|url=https://railroads.dot.gov/safety-data/crossing-and-inventory-data/crossing-inventory-lookup|title=Crossing Inventory Lookup for Crossing 607495J|publisher=Federal Railroad Administration|access-date=2021-05-24}}

{{Main|Grinnell Regional Airport}}

The Grinnell Regional Airport, also known as Billy Robinson Field, is a city-owned airport located within city limits about 2 miles south of the town center.{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/183/Airport|title=Airport - Grinnell, IA - Official Website|website=www.grinnelliowa.gov}} The airport provides private and charter flights, and saw an average of 114 aircraft operations per week during 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/KGGI|title=AirNav: Grinnell Regional Airport|website=www.airnav.com}}

The Imagine Grinnell Foundation{{Cite web|url=http://imaginegrinnell.org/|title=ImagineGrinnell » Green - Playing - Growing |website=imaginegrinnell.org|access-date=2017-03-10}} is a small, grassroots foundation that focuses on quality-of-life issues, such as a healthy and sustainable environment, that complement economic efforts.

The Claude & Dolly Ahrens Foundation provides space and office support for the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation, the Imagine Grinnell Foundation, and other foundations that are sheltered under the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation umbrella. The Ahrens Foundation focuses on quality of life, health, and parks and recreation through overseeing its own property and collaborating with partner institutions.

The Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation{{Cite web|url=http://greaterpcf.org/|title=Home - Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation|website=Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation|access-date=2017-03-11}} serves as an umbrella organization for smaller nonprofits in the Grinnell area and helps with their financial management.

Mid Iowa Community Action{{cite web|url=http://www.micaonline.org/|title=Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA)|website=Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA)}} is a private nonprofit that seeks to help those affected by poverty.

The Grinnell Area Arts Council encourages artistic expression at the Grinnell Art Center and throughout the community.

{{See also|Category:People from Grinnell, Iowa}}

• John O. Bailey (1880–1959), judge and politician who served as the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, was born in Grinnell and attended local schools before enrolling at Harvard University.{{cite web |url=http://cms.oregon.gov/SOLL/Pages/ojd_historyjustice_biographies/j_o_bailey_bio.aspx |title=John Ora Bailey Biography |publisher=Oregon.gov |access-date=August 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121214090047/http://cms.oregon.gov/SOLL/Pages/ojd_historyjustice_biographies/j_o_bailey_bio.aspx |archive-date=December 14, 2012 }}
• Bruce Braley (born 1957), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa's 1st congressional district, was born in Grinnell.
• Pete Brownell (born 1969), CEO of Brownell's Inc. and President of the National Rifle Association of America from May 2017 to May 2018.{{cite web |author1=Jacqui Shine |title=How Civil Must America Be? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/11/style/the-civility-paradox.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812035248/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/11/style/the-civility-paradox.html |archive-date=August 12, 2018 |date=Aug 11, 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |author1=Kate Payne |title=Some Grinnell Residents Relieved Pete Brownell Won't Seek Re-Election As NRA President |url=https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2018-05-07/some-grinnell-residents-relieved-pete-brownell-wont-seek-re-election-as-nra-president |website=Iowa Public Radio |access-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519072203/https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2018-05-07/some-grinnell-residents-relieved-pete-brownell-wont-seek-re-election-as-nra-president |archive-date=May 19, 2021 |date=May 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}
• Cornelia Clarke (1884-1936), nature photographer
• Jeff Criswell (born 1964), offensive lineman who played twelve seasons in the National Football League, was born in Grinnell.
• Kirby Criswell (born 1957), linebacker who played two seasons in the National Football League, was born and raised in Grinnell and attended Grinnell High School.
• John Darnielle (born 1967), musician and novelist, the main creative force behind The Mountain Goats.[https://www.vice.com/en/article/john-darnielle-is-the-voice-of-outcasts-and-weirdos-everywhere/ John Darnielle Is the Voice of Outcasts and Weirdos Everywhere.] Vice.
• Josiah Bushnell Grinnell (1821–1891), city founder and abolitionist to whom Horace Greeley is quoted as having said: "Go West, young man, go West." This story is almost certainly apocryphal, as Greeley claimed that he never said those words to anyone.Wall, Joseph Frazier. "Grinnell College in the Nineteenth Century: From Salvation to Service." Iowa State University Press: 1997, 91.
• Danai Gurira, actress, known for her role as Michonne in the hit television series The Walking Dead and as Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Hallie Flanagan (1890–1969), Federal Theater Project head, grew up in Grinnell and also attended Grinnell College.
• Abby Williams Hill (1861-1943) - artist{{cite magazine | url=https://web-p-ebscohost-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=a5e9a3e7-d7f0-4e69-bf34-9bf5382be720%40redis | title=Abby Williams Hill | last=Edgar | first=Laura| journal=Columbia: The Magazine of Northwest History | date=December 1, 2014 |volume=28 |issue=4 | pages=13–20}}
• Harry Hopkins (1890–1946), one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's advisors and New Deal architect, lived in Grinnell as a teenager before attending Grinnell College.
• Joe Lacina (born 1985), artist.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesandb.com/article/grinnell-artist-joe-lacina.html |title=Grinnell Artist: Joe Lacina |date=2018-10-05|website=The Scarlet and Black|access-date=2019-01-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413001345/http://www.thesandb.com/article/grinnell-artist-joe-lacina.html |archive-date=2019-04-13}}
• Helen Lemme (1904–1968), civil rights advocate.
• David R. Nagle (born 1943), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, was born in Grinnell.
• Robert Noyce (1927–1990), physicist and inventor who co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel Corporation, he grew up in Grinnell and attended Grinnell College.
• Bernard E. Pedersen (1925–1996), Illinois businessman and legislator, was born in Grinnell."Illinois Blue Book 19971998,' Biographical Sketch of Bernard E. Pedersen, p. 61.
• Billy Robinson (1884–1916), pioneer aviator, moved to Grinnell at the age of 12.{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/heritage.htm|title=The Billy Robinson Story / Grinnell's Pioneer Aviator|publisher=Drake Community Library Archives|access-date=May 16, 2011}}[http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/images/archive%20pages/RobinsonStory.pdf Billy Robinson's story] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215021651/http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/files/images/archive%20pages/RobinsonStory.pdf |date=2006-12-15 }}. From the online collections of Stewart Library.
• Edith Renfrow Smith (1914- ), first Black woman to graduate from Grinnell College.{{Cite web |title=June 1937: Edith Renfrow makes college history · "I recruited myself": Becoming a Grinnellian · Edith Renfrow Smith |url=https://edithrenfrowsmith.sites.grinnell.edu/exhibits/show/recruited/making-history |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=edithrenfrowsmith.sites.grinnell.edu}}

• Robert A. Heinlein's 1951 novel The Puppet Masters begins with government agents attempting to investigate an alien ship that landed near Grinnell.
• Ray Bradbury references Grinnell in The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion Wine.https://archive.org/stream/Ray_Bradbury_Collection/Ray%20Bradbury%20-%20The%20Martian%20Chronicles_djvu.txt {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}https://archive.org/stream/RayBradburyDandelionWine/Ray_Bradbury_-_Dandelion_wine_djvu.txt {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}
• Dean Bakopoulos's 2015 novel Summerlong is set in Grinnell.
• The 2018 film Saint's Rest was filmed at the Saint's Rest coffee shop in Grinnell.{{Cite web|url=http://magazine.grinnell.edu/artists-scholars/saints-rest-feature-film|title = Saints Rest, a feature film | Grinnell Magazine}}
• In the film The Half of It, which won the Founders Award at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, the main character Ellie Chu eventually attends Grinnell College. Her teacher, a Grinnell alumnus, has encouraged her to apply.

• {{Portal inline|Iowa}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikivoyage|Grinnell}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{official website|http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/}}
• [http://www.grinnellchamber.org/ Grinnell Chamber of Commerce]

{{Poweshiek County, Iowa}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1854 establishments in Iowa

Category:Cities in Iowa

Category:Cities in Poweshiek County, Iowa

Category:Populated places established in 1854

Category:Underground Railroad in Iowa