[11.9.11] Is the US House Too Small?

Facts
1) Brian Frederick's research suggests that "as districts get bigger in population, constituents are less likely to report that they had contact with their member of Congress, less likely to report that their member would be helpful? and less likely to favorably evaluate their member of Congress."
2) Rein Taagepera's "cubed root law" says that the cube root of the nation's population would be the desired number of people in the house.
3) The bigger the government or number of representatives ("institution"), the "less smoothly it often operates."
4) The results of a recent poll shows that 20% of the population support on increasing the number of people in the House, 60% want the number to stay the same, and 20% want to decrease the number.
5) By increasing the number of representatives, "'you're asking people to support more politicans, to pay more salary, and to many people that may not be an easy cost to bear.

Questions
1) Why was 435 the set number in the first place?
2) Could one split up bigger districts?
3) In what places were there an increase in population?
4) How would one change the set number of representatives?
5) Where does it say that 435 was the set number?

Opinion
I do not feel that the number of members should stay at 435. When the founding fathers set the government up, the Great Compromise stated that the members of the House of Representatives would depend on the state's population... So for however many people, there is a representative, right? I wonder why the number is at 435. To be honest, I did not know that the number of members was set until a few days ago. Citizens of the United States should be familiar with their representative in the House.