Stella, Missouri | |
|---|---|
 Historic Lentz-Carter Merchandise Store | |
 Location of Stella, Missouri | |
| Coordinates:36°45′45″N94°11′28″W / 36.76250°N 94.19111°W /36.76250; -94.19111[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Newton |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2) |
| • Land | 0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,155 ft (352 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 166 |
| • Density | 1,015.6/sq mi (392.12/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 64867 |
| Area code | 417 |
| FIPS code | 29-70648[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397681[1] |
Stella is a village in southernNewton County,Missouri, United States. The population was 158 at the2010 census. It is part of theJoplin, MissouriMetropolitan Statistical Area. The village of Stella is located 17 miles southeast ofNeosho.
The first known settlers of this area arrived in the early 1820s. The area of Stella was previously a fishing community called Springs. In October 1880, theSt. Louis and San Francisco Railroad sold a portion of what became Stella to Moses Eagle for $200. Moses Eagle's family arrived in the area in 1844. Stella became an incorporated town in 1930. The village was named after Moses Eagle's granddaughter. The water-powered grist mill was built in 1867 by Eagle. The Bank of Stella was establishedcirca 1900. The area's first newspaper, theAmicus Curio, was started in 1901 by a doctor from Kent, Missouri, with theStella Enterprise and theStella Weekly Record established after that. TheHorner Institute merged with the Stella Academy in 1911 and was located there until moving toPurdy in 1912. The Stella Baptist Church was established in 1886, with the actual church builtcirca 1911, the Stella Methodist Churchcirca 1896, while the Stella Church of Christ was established after 1950.[4]
TheLentz-Carter Merchandise Store was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2008.[5]
Despite Stella's small size, for nearly 60 years the CardwellHospital, later the Cardwell MemorialOsteopathic Hospital, attracted people from the largely rural surrounding areas of Newton County,Barry County andMcDonald County for theirhealthcare needs. Cardwell Hospital was opened in 1920 byWorld War Iveteran Clarence C. Cardwell, who had been born only two miles outside of Stella in 1892.[6] At first the hospital was only four rooms,[6] but later expanded to meet the needs of the local community. By 1930 a second doctor had joined the staff at Cardwell and it had 10 beds available for patients.[7] A fire in 1942 damaged the hospital, but Cardwell quickly had the building rebuilt.[8] Cardwell continued running the hospital with his wife, Ida Cardwell, and their daughter, Cleta Cardwell, until his death in November 1956.[9] At the time of his death the Cardwell Hospital was reported to have grown to 100 beds.[9]
Following Cardwell's death in November 1956, the Cardwell Hospital was closed for a short time, until it was purchased from Ida and Cleta Cardwell by Silas and Lillian Fountain and reopened on February 11, 1957, as the Cardwell Memorial Osteopathic Hospital.[8] The Fountains, a married couple fromSulphur Springs, Arkansas, had both graduated from theKansas City College of Osteopathy and Surgery.[10] Their daughter Mary Sue Fountain served as the hospital administrator.[8] Following her husband's death on June 29, 1973, Lillian Fountain continued running the hospital until 1977. Lillian Fountain died on October 13, 1996.[10]
Cardwell Memorial Osteopathic Hospital closed in 1977, but the building was soon reopened as aresidential care facility owned by Don and Vera Littlefield. But this venture proved short lived and the building was vacant by the mid-1980s.[8] After sitting empty for nearly 20 years, the residents of Stella, seeking to revive the town'sbusiness district, proposed a plan to convert the empty hospital building into a multipurpose building complex, which would house a clinic, alibrary,city hall, retail space and residential units.[11] However, due to considerableasbestoscontamination at the site, the decision was made to remove the now derelict structure.[11] Because of the nature of the contamination, theEnvironmental Protection Agency declared the former Cardwell Hospital building asuperfund site and assisted the town in removing it.[12] In the summer of 2006, the former Cardwell Hospital was torn down and the site was decontaminated, making it safe for other uses.[13] Following the removal of the building, the site was redeveloped as the Stella Veterans Memorial Park, which is dedicated to veterans from the Stella area.[14]
During the years of the Cardwell Hospital, especially during Clarence Cardwell's ownership, the town of Stella is thought to have produced more than 30doctors anddentists, most of which are believed to have had experience working in the former Cardwell Hospital during their youth.[8][15]
Stella is located on the northeast side ofSouth Indian Creek, one-half mile north of the Newton-McDonald county line. Access is viaMissouri Routes O and F, andMissouri Route 76 passes approximately 2.5 miles to the south.[16]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.16 square miles (0.41 km2), all land.[17]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 226 | — | |
| 1940 | 221 | −2.2% | |
| 1950 | 177 | −19.9% | |
| 1960 | 166 | −6.2% | |
| 1970 | 197 | 18.7% | |
| 1980 | 230 | 16.8% | |
| 1990 | 132 | −42.6% | |
| 2000 | 178 | 34.8% | |
| 2010 | 158 | −11.2% | |
| 2020 | 166 | 5.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of thecensus[18] of 2010, there were 158 people, 65 households, and 40 families residing in the village. Thepopulation density was 987.5 inhabitants per square mile (381.3/km2). There were 83 housing units at an average density of 518.8 units per square mile (200.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 89.9%White, 5.1%Native American, and 5.1%Asian.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.6% of the population.
There were 65 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% weremarried couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.5% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.20.
The median age in the village was 37.5 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 178 people, 74 households, and 46 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,152.7 inhabitants per square mile (445.1/km2). There were 87 housing units at an average density of 563.4 units per square mile (217.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.31%White, 0.56%Native American, and 1.12% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.12% of the population.
There were 74 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% weremarried couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,781, and the median income for a family was $25,417. Males had a median income of $27,813 versus $16,458 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $11,799. About 14.6% of families and 12.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.7% of those 65 or over.
Municipalities and communities ofNewton County, Missouri,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
