| Knob Noster, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Knob Noster, Missouri | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Johnson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2) |
| • Land | 1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 804 ft (245 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,462 |
| • Density | 1,421.8/sq mi (549.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 65305, 65336 |
| Area code(s) | 660 |
| FIPS code | 29-39188[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0729757[2] |
Knob Noster (pronounced /ˈnɒb ˈnɒstər/) is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,462 at the 2000 census. It is located adjacent to Whiteman Air Force Base. Knob Noster State Park is nearby.
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The knobs of the town's namesake are not only a geographical landmark for the town, but are also claimed to be the site of a battle of Native American tribes. Sometimes there are stories that gold or treasure is buried in the knobs. This can be neither confirmed nor denied.
When first settled, Knob Noster was part of Cooper County which took in all of the territory between the Osage and Missouri Rivers. By 1820, the population was sufficient in the area so that a division of Cooper County needed to be made. The new county was called Lillard County, Missouri, and it included what are now Lafayette and Johnson Counties, as well as all the areas south to the Osage River and west to the Missouri Border. By 1834, the population was large enough, estimated at about 200 households, for Lafayette County to be divided into two counties. One retained the name Lafayette and the other was called Johnson County. On May 4, 1835, Johnson County was further divided into four townships: Jackson, Washington, Madison, and Jefferson. Knob Noster is located in what was named Washington Township.
In the 1870s Knob Noster was described as "the boomingest settlement in the county," in large part because of the vast coal deposits in the area. The eastern part of Johnson County held vast amounts of coal, some veins reaching thicknesses of four to five feet which greatly added to the prosperity of Knob Noster. Unfortunately that prosperity only lasted for a decade or so before the coal supplies were exhausted.
The Knob Noster High School(KNHS) was organized in 1888, and at the same time, the requirements to complete a public school education were changed from five years to eight years, including three years of high school. The first class to enter the high school was very large according to contemporary accounts, which gave no figure of enrollment, but after three years, only two remained and received diplomas. Teachers in rural schools in the area at this time were paid between $25.00 and $35.00 per month. They boarded out and paid $8 to $10 for board and laundry.
There was a great fire in Knob Noster in the mid 1880s that destroyed much of Knob Noster. Some of it was saved and the town was eventually rebuilt.
Knob Noster is located at (38.764310, -93.558285)[3].
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,462 people, 959 households, and 602 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,421.8 people per square mile (549.5/km²). There were 1,092 housing units at an average density of 630.6 per square mile (243.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.61% White, 11.86% African American, 0.93% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, 10.32% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race were 15.07% of the population.
There were 959 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 19.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,869, and the median income for a family was $36,842. Males had a median income of $22,176 versus $19,327 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,702. About 13.4% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Knob Noster was mentioned in the 1983 American Television movie The Day After.[4]
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