Marshalltown

History

Henry Anson was the first European settler in what is now called Marshalltown. In April 1851, Anson found what he described as “the prettiest place in Iowa.” On a high point between the Iowa River and Linn Creek, Anson built a log cabin. A plaque at 112 West Main Street marks the site of the cabin. In 1853 Anson named the town Marshall, after Marshall, Michigan, a former residence of his. The town became Marshalltown in 1862 because another Marshall already existed in Henry County (In 1880, Marshall's name changed to Wayland). With the help of Potawatomi chief Johnny Green, Anson persuaded early settlers to stay in the area. In the mid-1850s, Anson donated land for a county courthouse. Residents donated money for the building's construction. In 1863 the title of county seat transferred from the village of Marietta to Marshalltown. This event was the result of a considerable amount of political wrangling bordering on warfare. The determining factor was the location of the east/west railroad across Iowa and the winning company was the Cedar Rapids & Missouri River railroad under lease by the pioneer parent of the Chicago Northwestern Railway. The young town then began growing. By 1900, Marshalltown had 10,000 residents. Many industries began developing in Marshalltown, like Fisher Controls, Lennox International and Marshalltown Company. Marshalltown plays a small but significant role in the life of Ebe Dolliver, a main character in MacKinlay Kantor's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Andersonville" (1955). Adrian Constantine "Cap" Anson, son of Henry and Jennette Anson, was the first pioneer child born in the new town and is today known as Marshalltown's “first son.” Adrian became a Major League Baseball player and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,124
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,047
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,034
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,004
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  879
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  851
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  815
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  810

Largest nearby schools

• Marshalltown High School
  High · Marshalltown · 1,582 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• B R Miller Middle School
  Middle · Marshalltown · 782 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Lenihan Intermediate School
  Middle · Marshalltown · 700 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Fisher Elementary School
  Elementary · Marshalltown · 376 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Woodbury Elementary School
  Elementary · Marshalltown · 366 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Franklin Elementary Sch
  Elementary · Marshalltown · 361 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• J C Hoglan Elementary School
  Elementary · Marshalltown · 304 students · 13.2:1 ratio
• Anson Elementary School
  Elementary · Marshalltown · 275 students · 12:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-06-25
  10 km WNW of Marysville, Iowa
• M 3 — 2025-06-25
  5 km S of Knoxville, Iowa
• M 3.3 — 2025-06-25
  8 km SE of Knoxville, Iowa