West Branch, Iowa West Branch, Iowa Downtown West Branch Downtown West Branch Location of West Branch, Iowa Location of West Branch, Iowa West Branch is a town/city in Cedar and Johnson counties in the U.S.
The Johnson County portion of West Branch is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area.
West Branch was laid out in 1869 by Joseph Steer.
Its name is derived from the meeting place of the West Branch Quakers, and the locale of the town/city on the west branch of the Wapsinonoc Creek. Most of Main Street is part of the West Branch Commercial Historic District.
Before the American Civil War, areas in and around West Branch were stops of the Underground Railroad.
West Branch experienced rapid expansion after the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway was assembled through it. President Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch in 1874.
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum was dedicated here by Hoover and his close friend, President Harry Truman, in 1962. The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, which includes the Library-Museum, the Hoover Birthplace Cottage and the gravesites of President and Lou Henry Hoover, was authorized by Congress on August 12, 1965. West Branch is positioned at 41 40 N 91 21 W (41.673, -91.346). According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 3.19 square miles (8.26 km2), all of it land. West Branch is positioned approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Iowa City, and 40 miles (64 km) west of Davenport.
There were 947 homeholds of which 33.8% had kids under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female homeholder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male homeholder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families.
West Branch has been one of 36 communities in the Main Street Iowa program since being accepted on June 1, 2006. The program encourages downtown economic evolution through historic preservation.
West Branch is home to the Herbert Hoover National Historical Site, run by the National Park Service and Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, run by the National Archives and Records Administration.
The Gruwell and Crew General Store is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.It was titled as one of the most endangered historic properties in Iowa by the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance in 2008. Oliphant Street Field, the playing field for the West Branch High School football team, is situated just northwest of downtown.
The West Branch Community School District has about 800 students and includes three schools: Hoover Elementary, West Branch Middle School and West Branch High School. West Branch is known for a rich football tradition.
From 1990 through 1997, West Branch High School won 62 consecutive regular season games.
This is the second longest winning streak in the state of Iowa, following only Harlan High School's 66 consecutive wins.
In addition, West Branch won 36 consecutive games (including postseason) from 1991 until the 1993 Iowa State football playoffs.
In 1995 West Branch won against Clear Creek-Amana by scoring 81 points in the first half before the game was called due to the 50 point "Mercy Rule".
As of March 15, 2010 the Iowa High School Athletic Association records this as the 37th most points scored by one team in Iowa history. The Bears are also known for having a very strong boys golf program.
From 1989-1997, West Branch did not lose a regular season dual meet.
The West Branch Bears boys golf team won four state championships, and the football team won three state championships, in 1989, 1991 and 1992. Interstate 80 runs west and east through West Branch.
Gazette - Online.com video "West Branch, Iowa" by Stephen Schmidt West Branch Times, August 27, 2008 The History of Cedar County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, etc.
Main Street names WB - West Branch Times - West Branch, Iowa - westbranchtimes.com Branch expansion - West Branch Times - West Branch, Iowa - westbranchtimes.com West Branch Times.
Rob Poggenklass,School enrollment resumes diminish - West Branch Times - West Branch, Iowa - westbranchtimes.com Times Online Iowa High School Athletic Association Wikimedia Commons has media related to West Branch, Iowa.
West-Branch.k12.ia.us (West Branch Public School District Website) West - Branch - Times.com (West Branch Times Newspaper Website) Herbert Hoover: Iowa Farm Boy and World Humanitarian, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (Tw - HP) lesson plan Municipalities and communities of Cedar County, Iowa, United States Municipalities and communities of Johnson County, Iowa, United States
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Cities in Cedar County, Iowa - Cities in Johnson County, Iowa - Cities in Iowa - Iowa City urbane region - Populated places on the Underground Railroad - Underground Railroad in Iowa
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