Mississippi County, Missouri | |
|---|---|
 Mississippi County Courthouse in Charleston | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMissouri | |
 Missouri's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:36°50′N89°17′W / 36.83°N 89.29°W /36.83; -89.29 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Missouri |
| Founded | February 14, 1845 |
| Named after | Mississippi River |
| Seat | Charleston |
| Largest city | Charleston |
| Area | |
• Total | 429 sq mi (1,110 km2) |
| • Land | 412 sq mi (1,070 km2) |
| • Water | 17 sq mi (44 km2) 4.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 12,577 |
| • Density | 30.5/sq mi (11.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 8th |
| Website | Mississippi County, Missouri |
Mississippi County is acounty located in theBootheel of theU.S. state ofMissouri, with its eastern border formed by the Mississippi River. As of the2020 census, the population was 12,577.[1] The largest city andcounty seat isCharleston.[2] The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named after theMississippi River.[3]
Mississippi County is located in what was formerly known as "Tywappity Bottom," a vast floodplain area bordered by the Scott County Hills on the north, St. James Bayou on the south, the Mississippi River on the east, andLittle River on the west.
In 1540, the Spanish explorerHernando De Soto penetrated to theArkansas River and perhaps well into present-day southeastern Missouri, which was then populated by various Native American tribes, including theOsage. Under pressure from a constantly advancing white settlement, the Native Americans gradually retreated westward. The area of southeastern Missouri was noted for its level swampy lowlands, subject to the seasonal flooding of the Mississippi River, which had resulted in extremely fertile soil.
By 1820 American pioneers, many migrating from the southern states, had settled most of the present counties of southeastern Missouri. The settlers were primarily farmers who came fromIllinois and the states of the Upper South:Virginia,Kentucky, andTennessee. They were drawn by the fertile and cheap lands found in the area of present-dayCharleston, Missouri. Cotton was cultivated through the 19th century, and the planters depended on enslaved African-American workers before the Civil War andfreedmen afterward. There were marked adjustments as people adjusted to the free labor market.
The first American settlers reached what became Charleston in 1830. Seven years later, Thankful Randol sold Joseph Moore 22½ acres of land. Moore used it to lay out a plan for the city of Charleston. Its original boundary was 12 blocks square - four north and south, and three east and west. The Original Plat was filed on May 20, 1837. The General Assembly passed an act to incorporate the city ofCharleston on March 25, 1872.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, violence increased against black Americans as the state disfranchised minority voters and enforce the Jim Crow segregation laws. Four African Americans werelynched in Mississippi County, the second-highest number in the state and tied withCallaway County.[4] Three of these murders took place in the county seat of Charleston. The fourth man was killed inBelmont, Missouri in 1905. Sam Fields and Robert Coleman were lynched in Charleston on July 3, 1910, allegedly for committing murder and robbery. The joint lynching was witnessed by a crowd of about 1,000.[5] Roosevelt Grigsby was lynched in Charleston in December 1924 by a mob of 200, who accused him of attempting to rape a woman.[5][6]
At the turn of the 20th century, the virgin forests attracted timber barons. Following the clearing of the timber, the state assisted in the construction oflevees, forming drainage districts to redevelop the land. As hundreds of miles of levees and dikes were constructed within the Little River Drainage District, thousands of acres of land were drained and "reclaimed" for agricultural use. The reclaimed land, highly fertile due to centuries of flooding from the Mississippi River, was cultivated for cotton, corn, and wheat. Since the late 20th century,soybeans and rice have been important commodity crops and are grown on an industrial scale.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 429 square miles (1,110 km2), of which 412 square miles (1,070 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (4.0%) is water.[7] It is the easternmost county in the state, as well as the easternmost county in the United States located west of the Mississippi River.
Mississippi County has borders across the river with four Kentucky counties, but it has no direct highway connection between any of them due to the mile-wide barrier of the river in this area. None of the four Kentucky counties that border Missouri has any direct highway connection with Missouri. Kentucky and Missouri are the only two U.S. states to border each other, even across a major river, without a direct highway connection between them. This reflects the relatively low populations among the river counties on both sides, which are largely rural in character. In early 2016, Mississippi County was declared as the poorest county in Missouri.[8]
The rural county was at its peak of population in 1940. With changes in agriculture and mechanization requiring fewer workers, the number of jobs have declined, as has county population.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,123 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,859 | 55.6% | |
| 1870 | 4,982 | 2.5% | |
| 1880 | 9,270 | 86.1% | |
| 1890 | 10,134 | 9.3% | |
| 1900 | 11,837 | 16.8% | |
| 1910 | 14,557 | 23.0% | |
| 1920 | 12,860 | −11.7% | |
| 1930 | 15,762 | 22.6% | |
| 1940 | 23,149 | 46.9% | |
| 1950 | 22,551 | −2.6% | |
| 1960 | 20,695 | −8.2% | |
| 1970 | 16,647 | −19.6% | |
| 1980 | 15,726 | −5.5% | |
| 1990 | 14,442 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 13,427 | −7.0% | |
| 2010 | 14,358 | 6.9% | |
| 2020 | 12,577 | −12.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2015[13] | |||
As of thecensus[14] of 2000, there were 13,427 people, 5,383 households, and 3,671 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 32 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 5,840 housing units at an average density of 14 units per square mile (5.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.93%White, 20.53%Black orAfrican American, 0.25%Native American, 0.11%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.29% fromother races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Approximately 0.96% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 5,383 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% weremarried couples living together, 17.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 28.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% 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 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.30% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,837, and the median income for a family was $35,554. Males had a median income of $26,110 versus $17,204 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,847. About 19.00% of families and 23.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 31.70% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Mississippi County is a part of theBible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Mississippi County who adhere to a religion areSouthern Baptists (53.88%),Methodists (13.70%), andChristian Churches and Churches of Christ (7.55%).
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 8,814 | 70% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 3,060 | 24.33% |
| Native American (NH) | 33 | 0.26% |
| Asian (NH) | 20 | 0.16% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0 | 0% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 427 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 223 | 1.8% |
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Mississippi County, 61.1% possess ahigh school diploma or higher, while 9.6% hold abachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.
The county has three school districts:Charleston R-I School District,East Prairie R-II School District, andScott County R-IV School District.[16]
Three Rivers College's service area includes Mississippi County.[22]
| Mississippi County, Missouri | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Elected countywide officials | |||
| Assessor | Lisa Finley-Norton | Republican | |
| Circuit Clerk | Christina Turner | Republican | |
| County Clerk | Emily Pullen | Republican | |
| Collector | Cyndi Hensley | Republican | |
| Commissioner (presiding) | James Conn | Republican | |
| Commissioner (district 1) | Mitch Pullen | Republican | |
| Commissioner (district 2) | Darrell Jones | Republican | |
| Coroner | Terry A. Parker | Democratic | |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Claire Poley | Republican | |
| Public Administrator | Melissa Fisher Davis | Republican | |
| Recorder | George Bays | Democratic | |
| Sheriff | Britton Ferrell | Republican | |
| Treasurer | Paul Moore | Republican | |
Mississippi County is split in half by two different districts of theMissouri House of Representatives. The northern portion of the county is a part of House District 148 and is currently represented byState RepresentativeHolly Rehder(R)[23] ofSikeston. The southern portion of the county is a part of House District 149 and is represented byState RepresentativeDon Rone(R)[23] ofPortageville.
All of Mississippi County is a part of Missouri's 25th District in theMissouri Senate and is currently represented byState SenatorJason Bean[24](R).
Mississippi County is included inMissouri's 8th Congressional District and is represented byJason T. Smith[25] (R-Salem) in theU.S. House of Representatives.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 787 | 36.97% | 1,312 | 61.63% | 30 | 1.41% |
| 1892 | 734 | 35.70% | 1,240 | 60.31% | 82 | 3.99% |
| 1896 | 1,074 | 39.01% | 1,673 | 60.77% | 6 | 0.22% |
| 1900 | 1,020 | 42.03% | 1,384 | 57.03% | 23 | 0.95% |
| 1904 | 1,161 | 47.41% | 1,229 | 50.18% | 59 | 2.41% |
| 1908 | 1,320 | 44.75% | 1,589 | 53.86% | 41 | 1.39% |
| 1912 | 1,050 | 39.49% | 1,388 | 52.20% | 221 | 8.31% |
| 1916 | 1,330 | 40.76% | 1,874 | 57.43% | 59 | 1.81% |
| 1920 | 2,193 | 46.87% | 2,442 | 52.19% | 44 | 0.94% |
| 1924 | 1,797 | 41.69% | 2,360 | 54.76% | 153 | 3.55% |
| 1928 | 1,999 | 43.37% | 2,602 | 56.45% | 8 | 0.17% |
| 1932 | 1,687 | 34.73% | 3,136 | 64.55% | 35 | 0.72% |
| 1936 | 2,552 | 37.88% | 4,160 | 61.75% | 25 | 0.37% |
| 1940 | 3,073 | 41.18% | 4,362 | 58.46% | 27 | 0.36% |
| 1944 | 1,944 | 31.59% | 4,182 | 67.97% | 27 | 0.44% |
| 1948 | 1,293 | 21.86% | 4,592 | 77.63% | 30 | 0.51% |
| 1952 | 2,380 | 35.36% | 4,331 | 64.35% | 19 | 0.28% |
| 1956 | 2,111 | 36.62% | 3,653 | 63.38% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,629 | 40.55% | 3,855 | 59.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,665 | 29.31% | 4,015 | 70.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,421 | 26.82% | 2,303 | 43.46% | 1,575 | 29.72% |
| 1972 | 2,727 | 64.97% | 1,470 | 35.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,733 | 33.87% | 3,366 | 65.79% | 17 | 0.33% |
| 1980 | 2,459 | 44.08% | 3,040 | 54.49% | 80 | 1.43% |
| 1984 | 2,502 | 49.78% | 2,524 | 50.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 2,218 | 43.99% | 2,814 | 55.81% | 10 | 0.20% |
| 1992 | 1,675 | 29.45% | 3,226 | 56.73% | 786 | 13.82% |
| 1996 | 1,595 | 30.39% | 3,235 | 61.63% | 419 | 7.98% |
| 2000 | 2,395 | 45.93% | 2,756 | 52.85% | 64 | 1.23% |
| 2004 | 2,903 | 54.79% | 2,374 | 44.81% | 21 | 0.40% |
| 2008 | 3,034 | 56.65% | 2,247 | 41.95% | 75 | 1.40% |
| 2012 | 2,997 | 60.91% | 1,858 | 37.76% | 65 | 1.32% |
| 2016 | 3,600 | 69.65% | 1,458 | 28.21% | 111 | 2.15% |
| 2020 | 3,537 | 74.37% | 1,178 | 24.77% | 41 | 0.86% |
| 2024 | 3,404 | 76.51% | 1,015 | 22.81% | 30 | 0.67% |
At the presidential level, Mississippi County was a solidly Democratic county from its founding in 1845 through2000, breaking with the Democratic Party only to vote forConstitutional UnionistJohn Bell in1860 andRichard Nixon in his1972 landslide within this period.[27] In2004,George W. Bush became only the second Republican ever to carry the county, despite his narrow national popular vote win, and in2008,John McCain carried it again, by a larger margin, despite his convincing national defeat. As of2020, the county has voted Republican for five straight elections, with an increased vote share every time; the Republican vote share has not gone below 60% since 2008.
Voters in Mississippi County generally adhere to socially and culturallyconservative principles but are more moderate orpopulist on economic issues, typical of what was formerly considered the white conservativeDixiecrat philosophy of southern Democrats, before African Americans regained the power to vote. In 2004, Missourians voted ona constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed in Mississippi County with 86.87 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters; Missouri became the first state to bansame-sex marriage. (This law was overturned as unconstitutional by a US Supreme Court decision.) In 2006, Missourians voted ona constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Mississippi County with 57.35 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters; Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approveembryonic stem cell research.
Despite Mississippi County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancingpopulist causes such as increasing theminimum 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 Mississippi County with 75.66 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri, with 75.94 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state.
During the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Mississippi County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. FormerU.S. SenatorHillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 1,094, than any candidate from either party in Mississippi County during the 2008 presidential primary.
Places adjacent to Mississippi County, Missouri | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMississippi County, Missouri,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
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