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63-582: The three-story building was designed by the Cedar Rapids, Iowa architectural firm of Josselyn & Taylor in the Second Renaissance Revival style. Lewis built the hotel on an irregular, trapezoidal-shaped parcel. The odd shape of the parcelled to an irregular building layout, with a series of bays jutting out on the Fourth Street side - for this reason, the building's south (back) end is quite

126-492: A 2020 census population of 276,520. Linn County was the only county in the MSA before the MSA was redefined after the 2000 census. As a growing job center, Cedar Rapids pulls commuters from nearby Marion and Hiawatha . Other towns that have become bedroom communities include Ely , Swisher , Shueyville , Palo , Atkins , Fairfax , Walford , Robins and Bertram . Based on the 2010 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates,

189-520: A humid continental climate with long, cold, sometimes brutal winters with plenty of snow, while summers are hot and humid, with frequent severe thunderstorms. The record low temperature in Cedar Rapids is −30 °F (−34 °C), set on January 31, 2019, while the record high temperature of 110 °F (43 °C) was set on July 6, 1911. The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Linn , Benton , and Jones counties. The MSA had

252-526: A 21-room mansion, and the Masonic Library and Museum. In 2009, Cedar Rapids was rated one of the "Top 10 cities to Grow Up In" in the United States, partly due to a low crime rate and a good public school system. In 2024, a new astronomical clock was built, the opening was attending by Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlová and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini . Cedar Rapids has

315-667: A National Trust Historic Site, among others. Cedar Rapids is also home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art , The Cedar Rapids Ceramics Center, Legion Art's CSPS Hall, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library , the African American Historical Museum, Kirkwood Community College 's Iowa Hall Gallery, and the legendary Grant Wood Studio at 5 Turner Alley. These Cedar Rapids venues have recently hosted world class and award nominated exhibitions, including

378-415: A bit wider than its north (front) end. The first-floor exterior is composed of limestone , while the upper two floors are brick. The first floor consists of 8,250 square feet of commercial space in three bays - central, east, and west. The lower basement level consists of 7,400 square feet in three bays - central, east, and west. The building sits on a trapezoid -shaped lot and because of that its facade on

441-431: A buyer named Hull. Shepherd later tried the same tactic with perhaps the first settler on the west side of the river, Robert Ellis, but Ellis happened to be chopping wood at the time and warned that someone would be dead if Shepherd did not retreat. The true founders of the city were George Greene , Nicholas Brown, and a few others. Brown had experience as a miller and Greene had surveyed much of eastern Iowa, so both saw

504-457: A nightly 8pm to 7am curfew. On August 10, 2020, an intense derecho formed over the Midwest and moved eastward across Iowa , with Cedar Rapids being the hardest-hit city. Sustained winds of 60 to 80 miles per hour (97 to 129 km/h), frequent gusts of 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) or greater, and an estimated peak gust of 140 miles per hour (230 km/h) on the southwest side of

567-408: A primitive dam and then built the town's first mill. His crude dam soon washed away, prompting Greene to induce Alexander Ely, an engineer from Michigan, to build a proper dam that created a mill race capable of powering several mills. At this time, the city was confined to the east side of the river. The west bank soon contained a village named Kingston for resident David King who early on operated

630-420: A reputed ne'er-do-well, who, if he was not a horse thief himself, definitely consorted with them. Early on, it appears that he "jumped the claim" of another squatter, Wilbert Stone, who had built a cabin and platted out a town, some distance south of Shepherd's cabin, that he called Columbus. Shepherd drove Stone across the river, claiming that Stone had built his cabin on Shepherd's land, then sold Stone's cabin to

693-606: A rope ferry across the river. The town was formally incorporated by the Iowa State Legislature on January 15, 1849 as Cedar Rapids, named for the rapids in the Cedar River (the river itself was named for the large number of red cedar trees that grew along its banks). The population was less than 400. During the 1850s, Cedar Rapids grew in size, and it was during this decade that the Czech population became substantial; when

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756-471: A week. In 2015, Cedar Rapids approved a $ 625 million flood protection plan over 20 years for levee improvements. Although the improvement to the levee system in Cedar Rapids had not been completed due to over $ 80 million in funding not appropriated by the United States Congresses of 2014 and 2016 and the voting down by local residents of a temporary increase in the local sales tax to pay for

819-621: Is Cedar Rapids' most important sector, directly providing 4,000 jobs that pay on average $ 85,000, and also providing 8,000 indirectly. Fortune 500 company Collins Aerospace and trucking company CRST are based in Cedar Rapids, and Aegon has its United States headquarters there. A large Quaker Oats mill, one of the four that merged in 1901 to form Quaker Oats, dominates the north side of downtown. Other large companies that have facilities in Cedar Rapids include Archer Daniels Midland , Cargill , General Mills , Toyota Financial Services and Nordstrom . Newspaperarchive , based in Cedar Rapids,

882-467: Is also part of a combined statistical area with the Iowa City metropolitan area. Cedar Rapids is nicknamed the "City of Five Seasons", for the so-called "fifth season", which is time to enjoy the other four. This slogan is often satirized by residents as the "City of Five Smells", as a result of the smell combinations in the 1970s from the city's Quaker Oats and Penford factories, a hog slaughterhouse, and

945-466: Is divided into 14 ZIP Codes . Mays Island and the downtown area are covered by 52401. The northeast quadrant is covered by 52402 and 52411. The southeast quadrant is covered by 52403. The southwest quadrant is covered by 52404. The northwest quadrant is covered by 52405. Post office boxes are covered by ZIP codes 52406, 52407, 52408, 52409, and 52410. Several other ZIP codes are for specific businesses ( Aegon USA, Collins Aerospace , etc.). According to

1008-486: Is home to the only remaining 'Rhinestone' Barton Organ , which has been restored since it was significantly damaged in the 2008 floods. After the theatre restoration, one of the early shows was Rent . Anthony Rapp , who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of the show, was invited to and attended one of the performances. After the show he participated in an extensive question and answer session about

1071-467: Is located along 16th Avenue SW, south of the Cedar River. It is home to such Czech-themed businesses as The Czech Cottage, Sykora Bakery, and White Lion Treasures. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is one of Cedar Rapids' major tourist attractions. The museum's main building was directly on the river and was badly damaged by the 2008 floods. After the flood the museum moved a few blocks to Inspiration Place SW. The Bohemian National Cemetery

1134-464: Is located nearby. The Cedar Rapids Czech Heritage Foundation is one of many local organizations working to promote and preserve Czech heritage in Cedar Rapids. It supports and sponsors many programs and events throughout the year, including the Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa pageant. Two Miss Czech-Slovak US queens can claim this community as home: Lisa Volesky and Stasia Krivanek. Olga Drahozal was

1197-557: Is the largest newspaper archive in North America with a repository of more than 150 million pages assembled over 250 years; it was taken offline for two days by the 2008 flood. According to Cedar Rapids' 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the area are: Cedar Rapids is home to Orchestra Iowa, the Paramount Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, McGrath Amphitheatre, and Brucemore ,

1260-633: The Cedar River , comprising 14% of the city's total area. 7,749 flooded properties had to be evacuated, including 5,900 homes and 310 city facilities, among them the City Hall , Central Fire Station, Main Public Library , Ground Transportation Center, Public Works building, and the Animal Control building. It is estimated that at least 1,300 properties in the Cedar Rapids area had to be demolished because of

1323-641: The Paramount Theatre , Orchestra Iowa , Theatre Cedar Rapids , the African American Museum of Iowa , and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance. In the 1990s and 2000s, several Cedar Rapidians became well-known actors, including Ashton Kutcher , Elijah Wood , Terry Farrell , and Ron Livingston . The city is the setting for the musical The Pajama Game and the comedy film Cedar Rapids . The location of present-day Cedar Rapids

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1386-512: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 72.07 square miles (186.66 km ), of which 70.8 square miles (183.37 km ) is land and 1.27 square miles (3.29 km ) is water. There are twelve active neighborhood associations in Cedar Rapids. The neighborhoods nearest downtown include Wellington Heights and Oakhill Jackson in the southeast quadrant and Moundview in the northeast quadrant. Also farther north in

1449-427: The 19th century, the 23rd largest state was the fifth largest in track mileage. In this same decade, "Major" John May, an inventor and land speculator, purchased the island (now called " May's Island ") situated between Cedar Rapids and Kingston with the intention of founding a town he called May Island. When that scheme proved impractical due to the island's tendency to flood, he conceived the idea of making his island

1512-516: The 2000 census. The Mother Mosque of America , dedicated on June 16, 1934, is the longest standing mosque in North America. In 1972, another mosque was built and the original mosque was sold and fell into disrepair before being purchased in 1990 by the Islamic Council of Iowa and renovated. It is on the National Register of Historic Places . The Iowa flood of 2008 extensively damaged

1575-614: The Cedar River; it was designed to be the only island used in this manner in North and South America. During the flood of 2016, remnants of Hurricane Paine from the eastern Pacific Ocean via the Gulf of California caused the second highest recorded crest of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, reaching 22 feet (6.7 m) on September 27. The inundation of southern Minnesota, central and western Wisconsin, and northeastern Iowa by Hurricane Paine's remnants began on September 21 and 22 and continued until

1638-482: The Fourth Street side of the buildings in stepped back. The Illinois Central Railroad tracks were on the opposite of the street and the rail station was a block away, making this an ideal site for a hotel. A state hospital for the mentally ill was built in Cherokee in 1902, which also provided a source of hotel guests. The former hotel building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. It

1701-551: The Iowa National Guard. Gen. Corell said he had not seen a comparable level of damage since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Other city officials described the damage as being even worse than the Iowa flood of 2008 . The city is divided into four quadrants, used in assigning street addresses. 1st Avenue ( U.S. Route 151 Business ) divides the north and south sides of the city, and the Cedar River divides east and west. Mays Island , in

1764-511: The Laramie Project". Theatre supporters and others opposed to the church's position arranged a counter-protest, but in the end the church protest did not materialize. The counter-protesters converted their protest into a solidarity rally when it was apparent that the church was not going to appear. Theatre Cedar Rapids will be one of the first community theatres in the world to perform Les Misérables . Movie star Hugh Jackman , who performed

1827-582: The National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a building or structure in Iowa is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Linn County, Iowa , United States. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River , 20 miles (32 km) north of Iowa City and 128 miles (206 km) northeast of Des Moines ,

1890-422: The average family size was 2.95. The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64 and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males. In the 2000 census, Cedar Rapids was 91.9% non-Hispanic white, with well over half of

1953-500: The basement, destroying many historic documents. Muslim presence in the area dates to 1895 when the first immigrants arrived from the Beqaa Valley in today's Lebanon and Syria . Islamic Services of America (I.S.A.) was established in Cedar Rapids in 1975 and provides Halal Certification and supervision throughout the world. Cedar Rapids is one of the largest cities in the world for corn processing. The grain processing industry

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2016-423: The building was being repaired the group performed at local malls and churches. Stars Michael Emerson and Ron Livingston both natives of the Cedar Rapids area, recorded videos to help fundraising efforts for repairs. Livingston had previously performed at TCR. The Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed over $ 4 million to the repair, and produced a short documentary about the renovations. The theatre

2079-400: The center of a larger city that spanned the river and convinced the state legislature to officially name the land he had bought there, just south of Kingston, "West Cedar Rapids." Cedar Rapids annexed the community of Kingston in 1870 and constructed an iron bridge across the river along the line of the current Third Avenue bridge. The economic growth of Cedar Rapids increased in 1871 upon

2142-475: The city damaged the majority of residential and commercial buildings in Cedar Rapids, as well as 20 schools, and resulted in the closure of most local businesses. Thousands of trees were downed throughout all 75 square miles of Cedar Rapids. Most of the city's roads became mostly blocked or impassible due to downed trees and blown limbs, power poles along with their lines, and general debris, like large road signs, as well as damaged buildings, homes, and farms. 95% of

2205-647: The city was without power. Trash pickup stopped, cell phone service was very spotty for multiple days, and many gas leaks were reported. Interstate 380 was closed between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City . Hospitals treated over 300 patients for storm related injuries. Professional estimates suggested that cleanup and removal of the city's downed trees could take months. Arborists urged residents not to clear trees on their own, in order to avoid injury. On Friday, August 14, Governor Kim Reynolds arrived in Cedar Rapids, accompanied by Adjutant General Benjamin Corell of

2268-517: The county seat from Marion to Cedar Rapids, partially because Cedar Rapids had offered to donate the southern third of the island as a site for a new county courthouse and jail. During the Iowa flood of 2008 , the Cedar River reached a record high of 31.12 feet (9.49 m) on June 13 (the previous record was 20 feet (6.1 m)), surpassing the 500-year flood plain . 1,126 city blocks were flooded, or more than 10 square miles (26 km ), and 561 city blocks were severely damaged, on both banks of

2331-463: The end of the month. The cresting in Cedar Rapids was below the initial estimate of 25 feet (7.6 m) and the revised estimate of 23 feet (7.0 m), but more than 10 feet (3.0 m) above the flood stage of 12 feet (3.7 m). The flood was above levels considered to have about a 1% chance of occurring in a given year. More than 5,000 homes were affected, causing over 5,000 people to evacuate. The Cedar Rapids Schools were closed for

2394-673: The famed band leader of the Czech Plus Polka Band, a performing group that frequents the Kosek Band Stand in Czech Village. She, Bessie Duggena, and Leona Poduška taught Czech School ( Česká škola ) at Wilson Middle School. In 2003, the African-American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa opened its doors. Cedar Rapids is also home to the historic 26-acre (105,000 m ) Brucemore Estate , on which sits

2457-569: The flood, which caused several billions of dollars in damages. More than 4,000 members of the Iowa National Guard were activated to assist the city. The temporary levees became saturated not only with the flood waters but also with additional rainfall, causing them to fail. Until the flood, the city's government was headquartered in the Veterans Memorial Building , near the Linn County Courthouse and jail on Mays Island in

2520-512: The founding of the Sinclair meatpacking company. The plant allowed for year-round meatpacking because ice could be harvested from the Cedar River in winter to chill an icehouse, and within a few years it became one of the largest factories of its kind in the country, employing 400 people. In 1873, the oatmeal mill that ultimately became the flagship operation of the Quaker Oats Company - and

2583-569: The history of the show. Of the TCR performance and theatre he said "Thank you guys, for a performance with so much heart, grace, humor and spirit", and "To be able to restore this theater shows the community’s commitment to the arts — and this theater is amazing" In 2010, TCRs production of The Laramie Project , a play about the murder of gay student Matthew Shepard , was the target of a protest by Westboro Baptist Church . The church website said "We will picket your filthy, goofy 'theatrical production' of

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2646-400: The largest cereal mill in the world - was built. In 1909, the city acquired May's Island for the purpose of making it the seat of government; then, as now, there were ill feelings between east- and west-siders in Cedar Rapids, and the city's leaders hoped that putting City Hall in the "neutral territory" of the island would help ease tensions. In 1919, the residents of Linn County voted to move

2709-399: The levee improvements, out of school students along with hundreds of thousands of volunteers and 412 Iowa National Guard troops filled more than a quarter of a million sandbags in a successful effort to prevent any major flooding of the city outside the evacuation zone. A 9.8-mile (15.8 km) system of Hesco barriers , earthen berms, and over 400,000 sandbags were used to plug the gaps in

2772-585: The levee system. The city of Cedar Rapids purchased additional Hesco barriers from Iowa City for $ 1.4 million. Numerous upstream cities that had been earlier affected by the September flooding and mandatory evacuations, including Charles City , Greene , Manchester , Clarksville , Shell Rock , Vinton , Janesville , Cedar Falls and Waterloo , sent hundreds of thousands of unused sandbags to support efforts in Cedar Rapids and nearby communities. The remnants of Hurricane Paine did not produce any rain to saturate

2835-477: The local YMCA and at Coe College . In 1955, the group moved to the Old Strand Theatre, a building that had been a movie palace since 1912, and had also been known as The Olympic. The group renamed themselves to 'The Cedar Rapids Community Theatre (CRCT)' In June 1928, the ' RKO Iowa Theatre' opened and served as a cinema, as well as offering vaudeville stage shows. In 1940, Katharine Hepburn played at

2898-399: The median income for a household in the city was $ 51,186, and the median income for a family was $ 63,265. Males had a median income of $ 40,413 versus $ 26,402 for females. The per capita income for the city is $ 26,370. About 6.3% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under the age of 18 and 4.3% of those 65 or older. At the 2020 census ,

2961-467: The middle of the river, is the only area of the city where addresses have no quadrant. Areas outside the city limits that have a Cedar Rapids mailing address do not use the quadrants either. Except in the downtown area, 1st Avenue and the Cedar River tend to run diagonally instead of along the cardinal directions. Due to the curving of 1st Avenue, there are some areas in western Cedar Rapids where NW addresses are actually south of SW addresses. Cedar Rapids

3024-527: The municipal sewage plant and landfill. The symbol of the five seasons is the Tree of Five Seasons sculpture in downtown along the north river bank. The name "Five Seasons" and representations of the sculpture appear throughout the city in many forms. A flourishing center for arts and culture in Eastern Iowa, the city is home to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art , the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library ,

3087-548: The northeast quadrant are Noelridge Park and Kenwood Park, which was independent until it was incorporated into the Cedar Rapids city limits. The boundaries of Kenwood are 32nd Street to Oakland Road to Old Marion Road to C Avenue to 40th Street then 1st Avenue between 40th street and 32nd Street. In addition to the neighborhood associations in Cedar Rapids, there are many informal, unofficial neighborhoods, such as Bowman Woods, Vernon Heights, Stoney Point, Kingston Village, New Bohemia (NewBo) and Wilderness Estates. Czech Village

3150-433: The population claiming a specific ethnic European ancestry, such as Germans (35.5%), Irish (17.1%), English (9.4%), Czechs (7.8%), Norwegians (5.1%) and French from either France or Canada (3.2%). The city also had a growing minority population. For example, in the three-year period from 2006 to 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 4.9% of the Cedar Rapids population identified as African Americans, up from 3.7% in

3213-447: The population was 137,710. The population density was 1,909.9 per square mile (737.4/km ). There were 62,398 housing units at an average density of 865.4 per square mile (334.1/km ). The racial make-up (including Hispanics in the racial counts) of the city was 77.8% White , 10.4% Black or African American , 2.7% Asian , 0.4% Pacific Islander , 0.3% Native American , 1.7% from other races and 6.8% from two or more races. Ethnically,

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3276-576: The population was 4.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race. At the 2010 census, there were 126,326 people, 53,236 households and 30,931 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,784.3 per square mile (688.9/km ). There were 57,217 housing units at an average density of 808.2 per square mile (312.0/km ). The racial make-up of the city was 87.98% White , 5.58% African American , 0.31% Native American , 2.21% Asian , 0.12% Pacific Islander , 0.93% from other races and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of

3339-403: The population. There were 53,236 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and

3402-405: The same decade, there were attempts by local leaders to improve the city's access to distant markets, first through purchase of a steamboat (aptly named Cedar Rapids ) and ultimately through investment in a railroad. The first locomotive rolled into town on June 15, 1859. Railroads were an important factor in the development of the state and the growth of cities along the rail lines. By the end of

3465-465: The state's capital. The population was 137,710 at the 2020 census , making it the second-most populous city in Iowa. The population of the three-county Cedar Rapids metropolitan area , which includes the nearby cities of Marion and Hiawatha , was 276,520 in 2020. Cedar Rapids is the economic hub of Eastern Iowa, located at the core of the Interstate 380 corridor. The Cedar Rapids metropolitan area

3528-469: The temporary earth berms and sandbags, which would have greatly increased the likelihood of breach in the temporary levee structures, causing a much greater flooded area; the river crested during very sunny weather. Additionally, beginning on September 25, 300 to 400 National Guard troops along with the Iowa State Patrol, other law enforcement agencies, and 60 duly sworn law enforcement officials enforced

3591-517: The theatre in the stage version of The Philadelphia Story . In April, 1983 the theater was shut down. Four months after the closing of the theater, the space was donated to the CRCT by Audrey Linge. When they occupied the Iowa Theatre building, the group renamed itself Theatre Cedar Rapids. During the Iowa flood of 2008 , the theatre was significantly damaged, and was shut down until February 2010. While

3654-468: The theatre, as well as writing, directing, and acting in plays. Wood also used the space as his artist studio, and painted the famous American Gothic at this location. Additional scenery was also built and painted by Marvin Cone . The onset of World War II put the theatre group on hiatus. In 1948, after the war ended, the group reorganized calling themselves "The Footlighters". They generally performed at

3717-510: The town was reincorporated in 1856, a quarter of its roughly 1,600 inhabitants were Czech immigrants. The availability of cheap land in the new state of Iowa happened to coincide with the Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire that caused a large number of Czechs to flee their homeland and emigrate to the U.S.. In 1851, the institution that eventually become Coe College was founded. In

3780-577: The value of the spot Shepherd had claimed. It was right next to the rapids—a prime spot to build a mill—the last set of rapids on the river before the Cedar fed into the Iowa River, meaning that goods milled on the spot could be carried by boat down river to the Mississippi. In 1841, they formed a partnership that bought out Shepherd's claim and platted out a town they called Rapids City. Brown immediately constructed

3843-730: The works of Andy Warhol , Grant Wood , and the Iowa Biennial , among others. Theatre Cedar Rapids Theatre Cedar Rapids ( TCR ) is a community theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa . The theatre performs several stage shows every year, and offers acting classes. Each year TCR is seen by more than 50,000 patrons, who view the work of over 35,000 volunteer hours. In 1925, as part of the Little Theatre Movement , Grant Wood and other local community members staged small performances in Wood's apartment at 5 Turner Alley . Wood created sets for

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3906-529: Was in the territory of the Fox and Sac tribes at the time of European American settlement. The first settler on the site of the future city was Osgood Shepherd, who built a log cabin (which he called a tavern) in 1837 or 1838 next to the Cedar River (then known as the Red Cedar) at what is now the corner of First Avenue and First Street Northeast. Shepherd was a squatter who claimed the land without legal title and also

3969-623: Was included as a contributing property in the Cherokee Commercial Historic District in 2005. In 2021, Zachary Z. Zoul, Owner and Managing Member, announced that Zoul Properties LLC had acquired the Historic Lewis Hotel. Plans include restoring its historic exterior elevation and interior configuration, specifically with the grand lobby and foyer. This article about a property in Cherokee County, Iowa on

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