What Cheer, Iowa
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What Cheer is a city located in Keokuk County, Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 678.
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Name etymology
What Cheer is named for a Native American greeting used in modern Rhode Island in the 1600s. In 1636 Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island who left Salem, Massachusetts to seek religious independence, landed at modern-day Providence in 1636 and was greeted by Narragansett Native Americans with "What Cheer, Netop". Netop was the Narragansett word for friend, and What Cheer was an old English greeting brought to New England by English settlers. Over time, the story of Williams' welcome was absorbed into the legend of Providence.
When the future What Cheer was founded, it was named Petersbug for Peter Britton, the settlement's founder. The What Cheer story and name was brought to Iowa by Joseph Andrews, a major and veteran of the American Civil War in 1864. Andrews was a native of Providence and offered the name of What Cheer for a post office in the town in 1866. Petersburg was officially renamed What Cheer on December 1, 1879.
Geography
What Cheer is located at 41°24'2" North, 92°21'18" West (41.400603, -92.355119)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²). 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.63% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 678 people, 307 households, and 182 families residing in the city. The population density is 216.3/km² (559.4/mi²). There are 345 housing units at an average density of 110.1/km² (284.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.38% White, 0.00% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 0.44% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 307 households out of which 22.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 9.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% are non-families. 36.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 20.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.21 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,292, and the median income for a family is $36,500. Males have a median income of $30,859 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,613. 11.2% of the population and 8.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.8% of those under the age of 18 and 11.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
Additional reading
- Iowa Place Names of Indian Origin, Virgil J. Vogel, University of Iowa Press, 1983. (Origin of name.)