Iowa

History

The history of this region is filled with stories of the early Midwestern settlers from Kansas, Illinois and Iowa, of the Acadians (Cajuns), and of Jean Lafitte's pirates. The community of Iowa was developed in the mid-19th century. The railroad that cut through this country brought settlers who were lured to the prairie land for rice farming, cattle raising and later oil fields. Much of southwest Louisiana was developed by the North American Land and Timber Co. Seaman A. Knapp, president of the Iowa State College of Agriculture, was engaged in 1885 to demonstrate the suitability of the region for rice production. Knapp attracted a number of Iowans to settle the area. The settlers were lured to this area by advertisements published in newspapers in the midwestern states. Iowa experienced a growth boom when oil was struck in 1930 and oil companies came to try their luck in the Iowa oil and gas fields. Even though this was the Great Depression era, Iowa thrived as more men came to work in the oil fields. Today, oil continues to be a vital part of the town's economy, as are farming and cattle. The town of "Iowa" is actually pronounced with the long A sound at the end ("EYE-uh-way"), opposed to the pronunciation of the state of Iowa.

Geography

Iowa is located along the eastern edge of Calcasieu Parish. The eastern border of the town is the Jefferson Davis Parish line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Iowa has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.80%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,430
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,121
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,091
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,091
• Killdeer

  Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,028
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,931
• Eastern Meadowlark

  Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,652
• White Ibis

  Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,534

Largest nearby schools

• Iowa High School
  High · Iowa · 1,096 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Bell City High School
  Other · Bell City · 819 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• Washington/Marion Magnet High School
  High · Lake Charles · 587 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• J. I. Watson Elementary School
  Elementary · Iowa · 522 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• LeBleu Settlement Elementary School
  Elementary · Lake Charles · 428 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• John F. Kennedy Elementary School
  Other · Lake Charles · 63 students · 10.5:1 ratio