Rolla, Missouri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Alternate uses: see Rolla (disambiguation).
Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,367 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Phelps CountyGR6. The Rolla Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Phelps County.
Rolla is the home of the University of Missouri–Rolla, part of the University of Missouri System. It was formerly known as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. Royal Canin, a significant manufacturer, makes dog and cat food in Rolla.
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[edit] History
The first settlers in Phelps County came in the early 1800s, as farmers and iron workers along the local rivers, such as the Meramec, the Gasconade, and the Little Piney. The first settlement in the City of Rolla proper was the home of John Webber, built in 1844. Nine years later, railroad contractor Edward Bishop, considered to be the founder of Rolla, settled in this area. Rolla was officially set aside as a town in 1858.
There are two stories on how the town of Rolla received its name. One, widely regarded as a folk legend, and acknowledged as such by the Phelps County Historical Society, comes from the battle to become county seat with neighboring Dillon, Missouri. When Rolla was made the county seat in 1861, the residents of Dillon, losing the chance to be the home to the county seat, were allowed to choose the name of the new city, and named it Rolla, after a good-for-nothing hunting dog.
The other, more widely accepted story, came from a citizens' meeting. Webber preferred the name Hardscrabble, for the unfarmable clay dirt in the region, and Bishop pushed for the name Phelps Center; however, the name for the town came from new settlers originally from North Carolina, who missed their hometown of Raleigh, but chose to spell it phonetically.
Rolla's original affiliation during the American Civil War was Confederate. However, the town was taken by Union forces in June, 1861. Two minor forts were built: Fort Wyman and Fort Dette.
In most of its history, Rolla has served as a transportation center. Rolla was the original terminus of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, colloquially known as the "Frisco Line". Today the BNSF Railway runs directly through the town. Rolla was a major town in Missouri along U.S. Route 66, being located almost exactly halfway between the larger towns of St. Louis and Springfield. Today, Interstate 44, U.S. Highway 63, and Route 72 run through Rolla.[1]
[edit] Geography
Rolla is located at (37.948831, -91.763048)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.3 km² (11.3 mi²). 29.3 km² (11.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.09% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 16,367 people, 6,514 households, and 3,543 families residing in the city. The population density was 559.2/km² (1,448.7/mi²). There were 7,221 housing units at an average density of 246.7/km² (639.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.2% White, 2.92% African American, 0.46% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
There were 6,514 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.6% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 25.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 112.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,479, and the median income for a family was $38,975. Males had a median income of $31,861 versus $19,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,916. About 13.8% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable places
- National Bank of Rolla Building
- Phelps County Courthouse
- Phelps County Jail
- Rolla Ranger Station Historic District
- The University of Missouri–Rolla has a half-scale Stonehenge replica built from solid granite located on campus.[2]
[edit] Notable people
- Mel Carnahan former Missouri governor
- Robin Carnahan current Missouri secretary of state
- Samuel Curtis American Civil War General
- Sarah Steelman current Missouri state treasurer
- Tom Shipley member of popular music duo Brewer & Shipley
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- City of Rolla, Missouri
- Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce
- Rolla area information
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
