Introduction to Stanton

Introduction of Stanton Iowa

Established in 1870, Stanton was part of the original Reverend Bengt Magnus Halland Settlement, an immigrant from Sweden, from land he acquired from the B&M railroad. Reverend Halland founded several Lutheran congregations in Southwest Iowa including Bethesda, Nyman, Essex, and Red Oak for immigrants from Sweden settling in the region.

Swedish Coffeepot & Virginia Christine
In the 1920s, Stanton became known as the “Little White City” because when conductors on passenger trains going through town pointed out its crisp, tidy look of the all white painted homes. Its other namesake is the city’s two water towers. The first constructed in the 1930s was converted in 1971 to become the “World’s Largest Swedish Coffeepot” in honor of Virginia Christine. Christine, a native of Stanton, was the original Mrs. Olson for Folder’s Coffee commercials. In 2000, a second water tower was constructed in the shape of a Swedish coffee cup to continue honoring the city’s heritage. Stanton was voted one of the top tourist locations under the population of 5000.

The Swedish Coffeepot water tower stands 125 feet high and can hold 40,000 gallons–640,000 cups. Stanton is also the birth place of Hollywood’s Virginia Christine, the “Mrs. Olsen” on Folgers Coffee television commercials.

The newer Swedish Coffee Cup water tower was built in 2000.  It is 96 feet tall and can hold 150,000 gallons–2,400,000 cups of coffee. It is located at the corner of Highland and Hilltop (South Hill).

Location & Traffic
Stanton’s transportation system is completely comprised of streets and roads. US Highway 34, US Highway 71, and County Road M63 are the main transportation routes around Stanton. Overall road conditions vary from fair to excellent. The city maintains a road maintenance plan that allows for regular road maintenance and outlines which roads are due for overall upgrade on a yearly schedule. The nearest rail lines are on the south side of the city and the regional airport is in the City of Red Oak. Eppley Airfield in Omaha serves as the nearest commercial airport approximately 62 miles away.

Population
The current population has remained fairly consistent over the past 20 years. Because of its location to Red Oak, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Atlantic, Council Bluffs and the City of Omaha the city’s population has remained steady continuing its status of a “bedroom community” for individuals looking for a small city with larger city amenities nearby.

According to the 2010 Census, a higher percentage of the population in Stanton is in the workforce compared to the national average and Stanton workers tend to travel farther to work than those in other parts of the country. Stanton’s proximity to Red Oak, Clarinda, Shenandoah and the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area certainly accounts for the large number of residents who commute outside of the community to work.