Howard County, Missouri

Howard County, Missouri
Howard County Courthouse in Fayette
Map of Missouri highlighting Howard County
Location in the state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded January 23, 1816
Named for Benjamin Howard
Seat Fayette
Largest city Fayette
Area
 • Total 472 sq mi (1,222 km2)
 • Land 464 sq mi (1,202 km2)
 • Water 7.7 sq mi (20 km2), 1.6%
Population
 • (2010) 10,144
Congressional district 4th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5

Howard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,144.[1] Its county seat is Fayette.[2] The county was organized January 23, 1816 and named for Benjamin Howard, the first Governor of the Missouri Territory.[3]

History

On the north bank of the Missouri River, Howard County was settled primarily by migrants from the Upper Southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. They brought slaves and slaveholding traditions with them, and quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in Middle Tennessee and Kentucky: hemp and tobacco. Howard was one of several counties settled mostly by Southerners along the Missouri River in the central part of the state. Given their culture and traditions, this area became known as Little Dixie and Howard County was at its heart.[4] In 1860 slaves made up 25 percent or more of the county's population.[5] Residents generally supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. After the Civil War, Howard County was a dangerous place for African Americans. The county witnessed five lynchings between 1891 and 1914. The victims—Olli Truxton, Frank Embree, Thomas Hayden, Arthur McNeal, and Dallas Shields—were all African American men.[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 472 square miles (1,220 km2), of which 464 square miles (1,200 km2) is land and 7.7 square miles (20 km2) (1.6%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
182013,426—
183010,854−19.2%
184013,10820.8%
185013,9696.6%
186015,94614.2%
187017,2338.1%
188018,4286.9%
189017,371−5.7%
190018,3375.6%
191015,653−14.6%
192013,997−10.6%
193013,490−3.6%
194013,026−3.4%
195011,857−9.0%
196010,859−8.4%
197010,561−2.7%
198010,008−5.2%
19909,631−3.8%
200010,2126.0%
201010,144−0.7%
Est. 201410,1590.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 10,212 people, 3,836 households, and 2,631 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 4,346 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.13% White, 6.84% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Approximately 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.4% were of German, 16.1% American, 8.9% English and 8.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 3,836 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 13.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,614, and the median income for a family was $40,167. Males had a median income of $26,369 versus $19,950 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,198. About 7.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.70% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Private schools

Post-secondary

Politics

Local

The Democratic Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Howard County. Democrats hold all but two of the elected positions in the county.

Howard County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor John (Woody) McCutcheon Democratic
Circuit Clerk Charles J. Flaspohler Democratic
County Clerk Kathyrne Harper Republican
Collector Jinger Felten Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Sam Stroupe Democratic
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Richard Conrow Democratic
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Howard McMillan Democratic
Coroner Frank Flaspohler Democratic
Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Riekhof Republican
Public Administrator Lisa Asbury Democratic
Recorder Charles J. Flaspohler Democratic
Sheriff Mike Neal Republican
Surveyor Gene Bowen Democratic
Treasurer Susan Keyton Democratic

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2008 48.69% 2,358 49.08% 2,377 2.33% 108
2004 52.46% 2,578 46.34% 2,277 1.20% 59
2000 44.96% 2,029 52.12% 2,352 2.92% 132
1996 33.90% 1,436 63.53% 2,691 2.57% 109

All of Howard County is a part of Missouri’s 9th District and is represented by Paul Quinn (D-Monroe City) in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Missouri House of Representatives – District 9 – Howard County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Paul Quinn 3,020 100.00

All of Howard County is a part of Missouri’s 21st District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Bill Stouffer (R-Napton).

Missouri Senate - District 21 – Howard County (2008)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Stouffer 3,004 64.49
Democratic Joe Sadeghi 1,654 35.51

Federal

All of Howard County is included in Missouri’s 6th Congressional District and is currently represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives – Missouri’s 6th Congressional District – Howard County (2010)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Sam Graves 2,567 70.74
Democratic Clint Hylton 1,061 29.26
Past Presidential Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2008 55.78% 2,708 41.94% 2,036 2.28% 111
2004 59.24% 2,915 40.07% 1,972 0.69% 34
2000 53.50% 2,414 43.09% 1,944 3.41% 154
1996 36.76% 1,545 47.92% 2,014 15.32% 644

Missouri Presidential Preference Primary (2008)

Howard County, Missouri
2008 Republican primary in Missouri
John McCain 283 (28.44%)
Mike Huckabee 328 (32.96%)
Mitt Romney 319 (32.06%)
Ron Paul 52 (5.23%)
Howard County, Missouri
2008 Democratic primary in Missouri
Hillary Rodham Clinton 685 (48.38%)
Barack Obama 660 (46.61%)
John Edwards (withdrawn) 50 (3.53%)
Uncommitted 14 (0.99%)

Cities and towns

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 174.
  4. ↑ The Story of Little Dixie, Missouri, Missouri Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, accessed 3 June 2008
  5. ↑ T. J. Stiles, Jesse James: The Last Rebel of the Civil War, New York: Vintage Books, 2003, pp.10-11
  6. ↑ NAACP (1919). Thirty Years of Lynching in the United States, 1889—1918. NAACP. pp. 80–81.
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

Further reading

External links

 Chariton County Randolph County
Saline County
  Howard County, Missouri  
Cooper County Boone County

Coordinates: 39°08′N 92°42′W / 39.14°N 92.70°W