Gasconade County, Missouri

Gasconade County, Missouri
Gasconade County Courthouse in Hermann
Map of Missouri highlighting Gasconade County
Location in the state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded November 25, 1820
Named for Gasconade River
Seat Hermann
Largest city Owensville
Area
 • Total 524 sq mi (1,357 km2)
 • Land 518 sq mi (1,342 km2)
 • Water 6.6 sq mi (17 km2), 1.3%
Population
 • (2010) 15,222
 • Density 29/sq mi (11/km²)
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5

Gasconade County is a county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,222.[1] The county seat is Hermann.[2] The county was named after the Gasconade River.

The county is located on the south side of the Missouri River, which once served as the chief route of transportation in the state. It is located in the area known as the Missouri Rhineland. Because of its distinctive conditions, the Hermann area was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983. The southern part of the county is within the larger Ozark Highlands AVA, established in 1987.

Etymology

Gasconade County (and the Gasconade River) received its name from French-speaking settlers.[3] They came from the Gascony region in southwestern France during French colonial rule of New France (Louisiana Territory).

The French colonial inhabitants of this region had the same boastful character as the inhabitants of Gascony in France, hence the name Gasconade, meaning 'Gascony-like.'[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 524 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 518 square miles (1,340 km2) is land and 6.6 square miles (17 km2) (1.3%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18301,545—
18405,330245.0%
18504,996−6.3%
18608,72774.7%
187010,09315.7%
188011,15310.5%
189011,7065.0%
190012,2985.1%
191012,8474.5%
192012,381−3.6%
193012,172−1.7%
194012,4142.0%
195012,342−0.6%
196012,195−1.2%
197011,878−2.6%
198013,18111.0%
199014,0066.3%
200015,3429.5%
201015,222−0.8%
Est. 201314,866−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 15,342 people, 6,171 households, and 4,288 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 7,813 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.69% White, 0.12% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Approximately 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,171 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 18.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,047, and the median income for a family was $41,518. Males had a median income of $29,659 versus $20,728 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,319. About 7.00% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Gasconade County. Republicans hold all but two of the elected positions in the county.

Gasconade County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Joseph M. Mundwiller Democratic
Circuit Clerk Joyce Gabathuler Republican
County Clerk Lesa Lietzow Republican
Collector Shawn Schlottach Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Nicholas H. "Nick" Baxter Democratic
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Matthew Penning Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Jerry D. Lairmore Republican
Coroner Benjamin D. Grosse Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Ada Brehe-Kreuger Republican
Public Administrator Fay Owsley Republican
Recorder Joyce Gabathuler Republican
Sheriff Randy Esphorst Republican
Surveyor Paul Dopuch Republican
Treasurer Joey R. Gross Republican

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2008 55.78% 4,307 42.90% 3,313 1.32% 102
2004 65.36% 4,696 33.57% 2,412 1.07% 77
2000 61.83% 4,091 35.31% 2,336 2.86% 189
1996 50.99% 3,042 46.36% 2,766 2.65% 158

Gasconade County is divided into two legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Missouri House of Representatives - District 111 - Gasconade County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dave Schatz 1,111 74.31%
Democratic Tod C. DeVeydt 384 25.69%
Missouri House of Representatives - District 112 - Gasconade County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tom Loehner 2,495 60.52%
Democratic Mark A. Schaeperkoetter 1,627 39.48%

All of Gasconade County is a part of Missouri's 26th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Dan W. Brown (R-Rolla). Brown defeated Democratic incumbent State Senator Frank Barnitz 58.27-41.73 percent in the district in 2010. The 16th Senatorial District consists of all of Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Montgomery, Osage, Phelps, and Pulaski counties.

Missouri Senate - District 16 - Gasconade County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dan W. Brown 3,348 60.13%
Democratic Frank A. Barnitz 2,220 39.87%

Federal

All of Gasconade County is included in Missouri's 9th Congressional District and is represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives - Missouri's 9th Congressional District - Gasconade County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer 4,438 83.41
Libertarian Christopher W. Dwyer 883 16.59

Political culture

Past Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2008 61.29% 4,763 37.31% 2,899 1.40% 109
2004 66.28% 4,753 32.84% 2,355 0.88% 63
2000 63.21% 4,190 34.05% 2,257 2.74% 182
1996 50.19% 2,997 35.24% 2,104 14.57% 870

At the presidential level, Gasconade County is one of the most reliably Republican strongholds in the state of Missouri. No Democrat has won the county in a presidential election since before the U.S. Civil War.

Like most rural areas throughout Northeast Missouri, voters in Gasconade County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Gasconade County with 76.48 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Gasconade County with 58.61 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Gasconade County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Gasconade County with 74.74 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor. (During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.)

Missouri Presidential Preference Primary (2008)

Gasconade County, Missouri
2008 Republican primary in Missouri
John McCain 793 (40.25%)
Mike Huckabee 514 (26.09%)
Mitt Romney 536 (27.21%)
Ron Paul 75 (3.81%)
Gasconade County, Missouri
2008 Democratic primary in Missouri
Hillary Rodham Clinton 848 (53.54%)
Barack Obama 692 (43.69%)
John Edwards (withdrawn) 25 (1.58%)

Education

Public schools

Private schools

Communities

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 135.
  4. ↑ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 168–169.
  5. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  10. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

 Montgomery County Warren County
Osage County Franklin County
   Gasconade County, Missouri  
Maries County Phelps County Crawford County

Coordinates: 38°26′N 91°31′W / 38.44°N 91.51°W