um mi ▁Nation . ▁ ▁History ▁First ▁settled ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁Fer nd ale ▁was ▁given ▁its ▁name ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁f ern s ▁that ▁once ▁grew ▁around ▁the ▁original ▁school ▁house . ▁Fer nd ale ▁was ▁originally ▁called ▁Jam ▁because ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁located ▁next ▁to ▁a ▁log ▁jam ▁on ▁the ▁No oks ack ▁River , ▁but ▁the ▁original ▁school te acher ▁decided ▁it ▁needed ▁a ▁more ▁pictures que ▁name . ▁ ▁Fer nd ale ▁was ▁officially ▁incorpor ated ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁city ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which , ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁ ▁is ▁water . ▁Dow nt own ▁Fer nd ale ▁is ▁located ▁near ▁the ▁river , ▁along ▁with ▁Griff int own ▁and ▁a ▁largely ▁industrial ▁area ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁No oks ack ▁River . ▁ ▁North west ▁of ▁these ▁areas ▁are ▁sub urban ▁develop ments . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁the ▁median ▁household ▁income ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁$ 5 2 , 8 3 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁median ▁income ▁for ▁a ▁family ▁was ▁$ 6 4 , 6 3 8 . ▁M ales ▁had ▁a ▁median ▁income ▁of ▁$ 4 7 , 9 1 7 ▁versus ▁$ 3 7 , 4 4 7 ▁for ▁females . ▁The ▁per ▁cap ita ▁income ▁for ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁$ 2 3 , 8 3 7 .