Le Mars, Iowa Le Mars, Iowa Location of Le Mars inside County and State Location of Le Mars inside County and State Le Mars is a town/city in and the governmental center of county of Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. It is positioned on the Floyd River and northeast of Sioux City.

Le Mars is the home of Wells Enterprises, Inc., perhaps the world's biggest producer of ice cream novelties in one locale and is the "Ice Cream Capital of the World".

Le Mars was platted in 1869, but no lots were sold until the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company appeared in 1879.

In 1885, Frederick Brooke Close, a young Englishman who had passed up attending Cambridge University to live in Iowa, established the Northwestern Polo League in Le Mars. During the Great Depression in 1933, at a time when banks were foreclosing on many farmers, Le Mars caught the consideration of the country when "over five hundred farmers crowded the court room in Le Mars", as stated to an account by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr..

Wells opened a milk route in Le Mars in 1913.

They therefore sponsored a "Name That Ice Cream" contest in the Sioux City Journal.

Entrance sign to Le Mars Dominating the horizon of present-day Le Mars is Wells' Blue Bunny Dairy's 900,000-square-foot (84,000 m2) plant with a 12-story tall refrigeration fortress called the "South Ice Cream Plant" - so-named because it is on the south side of town.

As of 2005, the plant working 1,000 and produces 75 million gallons of frozen treats, the milk coming mainly coming from three large Iowa dairy farms. The size of this plant has led to speculation that the business is the world's biggest family-owned and managed dairy processor and the world's biggest manufacturer of ice cream in one location, with Le Mars claiming to be the "Ice Cream Capital of the World". Bush came to Le Mars on November 3, 2006, to campaign for Jim Nussle, then candidate for Iowa governor. He spoke at Le Mars Community High School to a crowd of a couple thousand. Le Mars is positioned at 42 47 20 N 96 9 57 W (42.788799, -96.165944). According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 8.97 square miles (23.23 km2), of which, 8.96 square miles (23.21 km2) is territory and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water. Le Mars is a part of the Sioux City urbane area.

The ethnic makeup of the town/city was 92.5% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 2.9% from other competitions, and 1.3% from two or more competitions.

There were 4,013 homeholds of which 31.8% had kids under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female homeholder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male homeholder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families.

25.9% of inhabitants were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older.

The ethnic makeup of the town/city was 97.24% White, 0.45% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other competitions, and 0.81% from two or more competitions.

There were 3,640 homeholds out of which 34.2% had kids under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female homeholder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families.

Age spread: 27.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older.

About 4.5% of families and 6.2% of the populace were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Le Mars Municipal Airport is owned by the town/city of Le Mars and positioned two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of its central company district.

Coe, pioneer of Palms, California and member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council, born in Le Mars Donald Paulin, Iowa state legislator, mayor of Le Mars, and businessman United States Enumeration Bureau.

Curtis Harnack, Gentlemen on the Prairie: Victorians in Pioneer Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Press, 2011 p.

The big chill: Wells' Dairy's South Ice Cream Plant dominates the world of frozen dessert manufacturing - Allbusiness.com - January 1, 2005 "Le Mars Daily Sentinel".

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City of Le Mars City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Le Mars Municipalities and communities of Plymouth County, Iowa, United States County seat: Le Mars Akron Brunsville Craig Hinton Kingsley Le Mars Merrill Oyens Remsen Sioux City Struble Westfield

Categories:
Le Mars, Iowa - Cities in Iowa - Cities in Plymouth County, Iowa - County seats in Iowa - Populated places established in 1869 - 1869 establishments in Iowa