Macon, Missouri
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| Macon, Missouri | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Macon |
| Area | |
| - Total | 6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²) |
| - Land | 6.1 sq mi (15.9 km²) |
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²) |
| Elevation | 869 ft (265 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 5,538 |
| - Density | 903.9/sq mi (349.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 63552 |
| Area code(s) | 660 |
| FIPS code | 29-45326[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0735708[2] |
Macon is a city in Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,538 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Macon County[3].
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[edit] Geography
Macon is located at (39.740596, -92.470639)[4]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (4.52%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,538 people, 2,434 households, and 1,448 families residing in the city. The population density was 903.9 people per square mile (348.8/km²). There were 2,723 housing units at an average density of 444.4/sq mi (171.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.78% White, 5.36% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 2,434 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,738, and the median income for a family was $36,633. Males had a median income of $30,069 versus $18,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,679. About 8.6% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Macon County pioneers began arriving in the early 1820s, coming mostly from Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. They followed an ancient Indian trade route, called the Great Trail. The trail followed the great divide between the Missouri and Mississippi watershed and ran through the site of what was to become Macon County's first county seat, Bloomington, in 1837.
Rapid growth in the area resulted from the development of two railroad lines, the Northwest Railroad and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Line, which intersected in Macon. By June of 1861, over 7,000 Union troops populated the City of Macon. The decision to move the county seat to Macon in 1863 was both political and of economic necessity.
In the mid-1890's, Frederick W. V. Blees, the headmaster of Macon's St. James Academy, an Episcopalian military school for boys, inherited a large sum, and decided to use his windfall to benefit Macon. Blees was responsible for the construction of several of the town's commercial buildings and the town's first sewage system; founded the local horseless carriage factory, the first theater, and the First National Bank of Macon, and he financed the paving of the town's streets on a 50-50 basis with the city. In 1899, he took on the project that he hoped would be his legacy - the construction of the Blees Military Academy. However, Blees died in 1906, the Academy went bankrupt soon thereafter, and the buildings stood vacant until 1915. In that year, Charles E. Still and Harry M. Still, sons of A. T. Still, the founder of the profession of osteopathic medicine, along with Dr. Arthur G. Hildreth, established the Still-Hildreth Sanatorium, which was devoted to the treatment and care of all types of nervous and mental disorders. Today, the surviving Romanesque Revival buildings of Blees Academy are on the National Register of Historic Places and serve as low income housing in Macon.
[edit] Notable Residents
- Frederick W. V. Blees, chief benefactor of Macon, founder of Blees Military Academy.
- James P. Kem, United States Senator from Missouri, 1947-1953.
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Macon, Missouri is at coordinates Coordinates:
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