Riverside, Iowa
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Riverside is a small town located in rural Washington County, Iowa on the English River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 928.
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Local fame
Future birthplace of Captain Kirk
Riverside has proclaimed itself the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk, a character from the television show Star Trek played by William Shatner.
Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, had mentioned in his book The Making of Star Trek that the character of Kirk had been born in Iowa on March 22, 2228, but had not been more specific.
In March 1985, when the town was looking for a theme for its annual town festival, Steve Miller, a member of the Riverside City Council who had read Roddenberry's book, suggested to the council that Riverside should proclaim itself to be the future birthplace of Kirk. Miller's motion passed unanimously [1] (http://www.humboldt.edu/~travel/2003/ratner.html). The council later wrote to Roddenberry for his permission to be designated as the official birthplace of Kirk, and Roddenberry agreed.
The town now hosts an annual Riverside Trek Fest that includes such events as Star Trek-themed pet shows and Kirk look-alike contests. The 2003 festival featured a "Spockapalooza" battle of the bands, as well as well as a lawn mower "trektor" pull.
New Development
Construction is currently underway in Riverside for the Washington County Casino Resort. This resort will not only include the casino, but an 18 hole golf course, and a hotel.
Invasion Iowa
During a September 28, 2004 town meeting, the town learned that its residents had become the unwitting stars of a Spike TV reality show inspired by the Kirk connection. Over a week earlier, William Shatner arrived in town under the guise of filming a science fiction movie called Invasion Iowa. The actual reason for the presence of the film crew was to capture the reactions of a small town to the arrival of a big Hollywood film company.
Geography
Riverside is located at 41°28'55" North, 91°34'36" West (41.481891, -91.576631)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²), none of which is covered by water.
Riverside is approximately 20 miles south of Iowa City along U.S. Highway 218.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 928 people, 378 households, and 249 families residing in the city. The population density is 354.8/km² (921.6/mi²). There are 396 housing units at an average density of 151.4/km² (393.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.06% White, 0.54% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 378 households out of which 34.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% are married couples living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% are non-families. 30.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 3.08.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $41,080, and the median income for a family is $52,344. Males have a median income of $30,526 versus $26,645 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,744. 2.6% of the population and 1.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Town feels 'Wrath of Con' (http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040930/NEWS01/40930006/1079), article in the Iowa City Press-Citizen