Lawrence County, Missouri Explained

County:Lawrence County
State:Missouri
Founded Year:1845
Founded Date:February 14
Seat Wl:Mount Vernon
Largest City Wl:Monett
Area Total Sq Mi:613
Area Land Sq Mi:612
Area Water Sq Mi:1.6
Area Percentage:0.3
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:38001
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Time Zone:Central
Web:https://www.lawrencecountymo.org/
District:7th
Ex Image:Lawrence County MO Courthouse 20151022-120.jpg
Ex Image Cap:The Lawrence County Courthouse in Mt. Vernon

Lawrence County is located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, in the area of the Ozarks. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,001.[1] Its county seat is Mount Vernon.[2] The county was organized in 1845 and named for James Lawrence, a naval officer from the War of 1812 known for his battle cry, "Don't give up the ship!"[3]

A previous Lawrence County, established in 1815 with its county seat at what is now Davidsonville Historic State Park in Arkansas, covered much of what is now southern Missouri and the northern third of Arkansas. When the Arkansas Territory was created from Missouri Territory in 1819, some of that earlier county became organized as Lawrence County, Arkansas.[4]

Just before that, in 1818, Missouri divided its part of the old Lawrence County into Wayne County and Madison County; with population increases, those counties were later divided into others, including the present Lawrence County.

Racial history

Following the Reconstruction era, southwestern Missouri became increasingly hostile to African Americans, and whites attacked blacks in Lawrence and other counties, seeking to expel them from the region. An African-American man was lynched in Verona, Missouri on January 26, 1894; his name was not recorded.[5] On August 19, 1901, three men were lynched by a white mob in the county seat, Pierce City, in Lawrence County. The mob also burned down some black homes, and drove roughly 30 families, a total of 300 African Americans, out of the city altogether. Whites took over their properties and the African Americans were never compensated for losses.[6]

As a result of such incidents, many African Americans left Southwest Missouri in the early 20th century.[7] [8] The extrajudicial murders were part of a pattern of discrimination, repeated violence and intimidation of African Americans in southwest Missouri from 1894 to 1909.[7] Whites in Greene conducted a mass lynching of three African-Americans in 1906 in the courthouse square.[7] [8]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.3%) is water.[9] Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge is located in Lawrence County.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 35,204 people, 13,568 households, and 9,728 families residing in the county. The population density was 57/mi2. There were 14,789 housing units at an average density of 24adj=preNaNadj=pre. The racial makeup of the county was 95.68% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Approximately 3.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,568 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,239, and the median income for a family was $36,846. Males had a median income of $27,309 versus $18,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,399. About 11.00% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.50% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Lawrence County Racial Composition[11] !Race!Num.!Perc.
White (NH)32,40185.26%
Black or African American (NH)1340.35%
Native American (NH)3330.9%
Asian (NH)1710.45%
Pacific Islander (NH)400.11%
Other/Mixed (NH)1,9355.1%
Hispanic or Latino2,9877.86%

Education

Public schools

Private schools

Public libraries

Communities

Cities

Villages

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated places

Politics

Local

The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Lawrence County. Republicans hold all elected positions in the county.

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
YearRepublicanDemocraticThird Parties
201669.34% 11,56526.87% 4,4823.79% 632
201257.51% 9,02239.91% 6,2612.58% 405
200849.15% 8,11847.94% 7,9182.91% 482
200470.22% 11,06928.55% 4,5001.23% 194
200058.24% 7,44739.93% 5,1061.82% 233
199654.20% 6,69542.13% 5,2043.68% 454

Lawrence County is divided into two legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, both of which are held by Republicans.

All of Lawrence County is a part of Missouri's 29th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by David Sater (R-Cassville.

Federal

All of Lawrence County is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is currently represented by Billy Long (R-Springfield) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

See main article: 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary and 2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary. Voters in Lawrence County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 2,628, than any candidate from either party in Lawrence County during the 2008 presidential primary.

See also

Further reading

External links

37.11°N -93.83°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lawrence County, Missouri. United States Census Bureau. June 13, 2023.
  2. Web site: Find a County. June 7, 2011. National Association of Counties.
  3. Book: How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named . The State Historical Society of Missouri . Eaton, David Wolfe . 1916 . 184.
  4. News: 1815 city got off to fine start. November 2, 2015. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (behind paywall). November 1, 2015.
  5. http://cousin-collector.com/projects/index.php/saline-county/history/1754-lynching-in-missouri "Lynching in Missouri"
  6. Web site: Pierce City: August 19th, 1901. Ozarks Afro-American History Museum Online. oaahm.omeka.net. October 31, 2016.
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=QRR-xMoF0BIC&q=William+Allen,+Springfield,+April+15,+1906 Kimberly Harper, White Man's Heaven: The Lynching and Expulsion of Blacks in the Southern Ozarks, 1894-1909
  8. https://eji.org/sites/default/files/lynching-in-america-third-edition-summary.pdf Lynching in America/ Supplement: Lynchings by County, 3rd edition
  9. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. November 16, 2014. August 22, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140913002155/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt. September 13, 2014.
  10. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  11. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lawrence County, Missouri.
  12. Web site: Breeding . Marshall . Barry-Lawrence Regional Library . Libraries.org . May 8, 2017.