Howard County, Missouri

Howard County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri, with its southern border formed by the Missouri River. 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] Settled originally by migrants from the Upper South, it is part of the region historically known as Little Dixie. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri, metropolitan area.

Howard County
U.S. county
Howard County Courthouse in Fayette
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°08′N 92°42′W
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedJanuary 23, 1816
Named forBenjamin Howard
SeatFayette
Largest cityFayette
Area
 • Total472 sq mi (1,220 km2)
 • Land464 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Water7.7 sq mi (20 km2)  1.6%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total10,144
 • Estimate 
(2018)
10,137
 • Density21/sq mi (8.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th

History

Located on the north bank of the Missouri River, Howard County was settled primarily from the Upper Southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The migrants brought slaves and slaveholding traditions with them, and cultivated hemp and tobacco, crops of Middle Tennessee. Howard was one of several counties settled mainly by Southerners along the Missouri River in the center of the state. Because of this, this area became known as Little Dixie, and Howard County was at its heart.[4] Following the 1848 revolutions in the German nations, many German immigrants also came to this region, developing farms.

Due to the reliance on slave labor, by 1860 African-American slaves composed at least 25 percent of the county's population.[5] Given their backgrounds and cultural affiliations, many Howard County residents supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. Ethnic German immigrants and descendants tended to support the Union.

After the end of Reconstruction, whites enforced Jim Crow laws and racial segregation in the county to maintain white supremacy. In the most violent period, at the turn of the 20th century, five African Americans were lynched in Howard County from 1891 to 1914: Olli Truxton, Frank Embree, Thomas Hayden, Arthur McNeal, and Dallas Shields.[6] Howard County tied with Pike County for the highest rate of lynchings in the state.[7]

The county continued to be developed for agriculture and is still largely rural. However, Howard County has lost population since its peak in 1880. The mechanization of farming reduced the demand for labor, and many workers left for jobs in the cities and less oppressive societies. By 2000 African Americans in the county had declined to less than seven percent of the total. In the early 21st century, nearly one-third of the residents identify as being of German ancestry, reflecting the wave of mid-19th century immigration.

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.[8]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
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%
2018 (est.)10,137[9]−0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010-2015[1]

As of the census[14] 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.

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
  • Fayette R-III School District – Fayette
    • Laurence J. Daly Elementary School (PK-05)
    • William N. Clark Middle School (06-08)
    • Fayette High School (09-12)
  • Glasgow School District – Glasgow
    • Howard County Elementary School (PK-06)
    • Glasgow High School (07-12)
  • New Franklin R-I School District – New Franklin
    • New Franklin Elementary School (PK-05)
    • New Franklin Middle/High School (06-12)

Private schools

Post-secondary
  • Central Methodist University – Fayette – A private, four-year Methodist university.

Public libraries
  • Howard County Library[15]
  • Lewis Library of Glasgow[16]

Politics

Local

The Democratic Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Howard County. Democrats hold all but four 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 Shelly Howell Republican
Collector Jinger Felten Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 Jeremiah Johnmeyer Republican
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 Independent
Surveyor Gene Bowen Democratic
Treasurer Susan Keyton Democratic

State
Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 56.47% 2,727 40.26% 1,944 3.27% 158
2012 47.89% 2,302 48.89% 2,350 3.22% 155
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

Howard County is split between two districts of the Missouri House of Representatives, both of which are represented by Republicans.

  • District 47 — Chuck Basye consists of the eastern part of the county.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Howard County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Chuck Basye 625 72.17% +8.83
Democratic Susan McClintic 241 27.83% -8.83
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Howard County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Chuck Basye 330 63.34% +5.61
Democratic John Wright 191 36.66% -5.61
Missouri House of Representatives — District 47 — Howard County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mitch Richards 474 57.73%
Democratic John Wright 347 42.27%
  • District 48 — Dave Muntzel consists of the central and western parts of the county.
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Howard County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dave Muntzel 2,893 78.15% -21.85
Independent Debra Dilks 809 21.85% +21.85
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Howard County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dave Muntzel 1,962 100.00% +50.61
Missouri House of Representatives — District 48 — Howard County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dave Muntzel 1,910 49.39%
Democratic Ron Monnig 1,957 50.61%

All of Howard County is a part of Missouri's 21st District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg).

Missouri Senate — District 21 — Howard County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Denny Hoskins 2,970 65.36% +3.81
Democratic ElGene Ver Dught 1,254 27.60% -4.68
Libertarian Bill Wayne 320 7.04% +0.87
Missouri Senate — District 21 — Howard County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican David Pearce 2,835 61.55%
Democratic ElGene Ver Dught 1,487 32.28%
Libertarian Steven Hedrick 284 6.17%

Federal
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Howard County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 2,671 55.27% +11.59
Democratic Jason Kander 1,928 39.89% -7.89
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 134 2.77% -5.77
Green Johnathan McFarland 48 0.99% +0.99
Constitution Fred Ryman 52 1.08% +1.08
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Howard County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Akin 2,101 43.68%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 2,298 47.78%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 411 8.54%

All of Howard County is included in Missouri's 4th Congressional District and is currently represented by Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Howard County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 3,131 66.82% +2.48
Democratic Gordon Christensen 1,300 27.74% -1.25
Libertarian Mark Bliss 255 5.44% -1.23
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th Congressional District — Howard County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 1,833 64.34% +8.04
Democratic Nate Irvin 826 28.99% -9.25
Libertarian Herschel Young 190 6.67% +2.45
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 4th Congressional District — Howard County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vicky Hartzler 2,640 56.30%
Democratic Teresa Hensley 1,793 38.24%
Libertarian Thomas Holbrook 198 4.22%
Constitution Greg Cowan 58 1.24%
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 67.3% 3,277 26.4% 1,283 6.3% 308
2012 62.0% 3,017 35.4% 1,723 2.6% 127
2008 55.8% 2,708 41.9% 2,036 2.3% 111
2004 59.2% 2,915 40.1% 1,972 0.7% 34
2000 53.5% 2,414 43.1% 1,944 3.4% 154
1996 36.8% 1,545 47.9% 2,014 15.3% 644
1992 28.2% 1,253 46.9% 2,085 24.9% 1,105
1988 43.2% 1,865 56.6% 2,446 0.3% 11
1984 54.0% 2,360 46.0% 2,014
1980 47.9% 2,179 49.3% 2,243 2.9% 132
1976 37.6% 1,690 61.6% 2,769 0.8% 35
1972 56.2% 2,613 43.9% 2,041
1968 39.1% 1,825 50.0% 2,333 10.9% 507
1964 27.6% 1,339 72.4% 3,507
1960 38.6% 2,075 61.4% 3,302
1956 38.1% 2,177 61.9% 3,542
1952 39.1% 2,340 60.8% 3,635 0.1% 7
1948 27.0% 1,538 72.8% 4,143 0.2% 12
1944 33.0% 1,951 66.9% 3,958 0.2% 9
1940 32.8% 2,333 67.0% 4,770 0.3% 20
1936 24.6% 1,745 75.1% 5,326 0.3% 21
1932 19.9% 1,337 79.5% 5,354 0.7% 46
1928 33.5% 2,254 66.3% 4,452 0.2% 14
1924 27.3% 1,873 69.4% 4,759 3.3% 228
1920 30.9% 2,125 68.7% 4,735 0.4% 28
1916 27.9% 1,121 71.2% 2,866 0.9% 36
1912 23.6% 896 70.5% 2,672 5.9% 223
1908 28.2% 1,141 71.2% 2,884 0.7% 28
1904 30.5% 1,199 68.1% 2,674 1.4% 56
1900 28.8% 1,295 69.6% 3,134 1.7% 76
1896 28.8% 1,353 70.6% 3,317 0.6% 28
1892 28.1% 1,052 68.5% 2,570 3.4% 129
1888 32.5% 1,278 65.5% 2,577 2.0% 80

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
  • Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 685, than any candidate from either party in Howard County during the 2008 presidential primary.
Howard County, Missouri
2008 Republican primary in Missouri
John McCain283 (28.44%)
Mike Huckabee328 (32.96%)
Mitt Romney319 (32.06%)
Ron Paul52 (5.23%)
Howard County, Missouri
2008 Democratic primary in Missouri
Hillary Clinton685 (48.38%)
Barack Obama660 (46.61%)
John Edwards (withdrawn)50 (3.53%)
Uncommitted14 (0.99%)

Cities and towns

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 174.
  4. The Story of Little Dixie, Missouri, Missouri Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans Archived July 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 3, 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. Lynching in America/ Supplement: Lynchings by County, 3rd edition Archived October 23, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Montgomery, Alabama: Equal Justice Initiative, 2015, p. 7
  8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  9. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  12. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  15. Breeding, Marshall. "Howard County Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  16. Breeding, Marshall. "Lewis Library of Glasgow". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.

Further reading
  • History of Howard and Chariton Counties, Missouri (1883) full text

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