Utility & Telecommunication Providers

Water: City of Defiance
Gas: MidAmerican Energy Company
Electricity: MidAmerican Energy Company
Phone: Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company
Internet: Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company
Cable: Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company
Cellular: Cellular One, Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company, and Verizon

Government
Mayor and City Council

City Zoning? Yes

Police Protection
Shelby County Sheriff’s Department

School
Harlan Community Schools (PreK-12)
www.harlan.k12.ia.us/
IKM-Manning (K-12)
www.ikm-manning.k12.ia.us/
Shelby County Catholic Schools (PreK-8)
www.shelcocath.pvt.k12.ia.us/

Top Businesses
Defiance is home to over 40 businesses and features nine industry leaders: Clean Air Filter, Chuck’s Radiator, Defiance State Bank, Klower Plumbing and Heating, R & S Waste, RanCo Country Store, Smitty Bee Honey, Steve’s Repair & Machine, and Wilwerding Electric.

See Labor and Business for a full list by category.

Churches
St. Peter’s Catholic Church (on the tour of the German Villages) & United Methodist Church

Tourist Attractions

Wilwerding House
Built in 1899 of bricks from a Defiance brickyard. The three-story home is one of the town’s oldest houses and was constructed with double brick walls. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Peter’s Parish Hall
Built from street cobblestones when the streets of Council Bluffs were reconstructed in 1935. The building was planned and blue printed by the resident Catholic priest, Father Emil Schumann. It opened in 1936 with a dance, and later served as host for countless big bands including Bob Crosby and Lawrence Welk. The Hall also hosted appearances of the Harlem Globe Trotters basketball team and All-Star Wrestling.St. Peters Catholic Church and Parish Picnic
Defiance’s first Catholic services were held in 1883 and the current St. Peter’s Catholic Church was built in 1928. The parish picnic is held annually in June.

The Grotto, “Our Mother of Perpetual Help”
Located between the St. Peter’s Catholic Church and parish house is 32 feet long, 10 feet high and 14 feet deep. It contains 245 tons of material with 5 ½ feet concrete base weighing 60 tons. The right side of the grotto contains a table in memory of World War II Veterans. The grotto lighting makes it especially beautiful after dark.