Bethany, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Bethany is a city in and the county seat
of Harrison County
, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 3,087 at the 2000 census.
outcropping on Big Creek on the west side of town gives its name to the Bethany Falls Limestone formation. The falls no longer exist and only a small amount is exposed. However the formation extends through Kansas City, Missouri
and limestone is used extensively in buildings in that city and the formation is the basis for Subtropolis
which claims to be the world's largest manmade commercial cave. The formation got its name in 1862 in a study by G.C. Broadhead who did many of the geological surveys for Missouri at the time.
, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 0.22% is water.
of 2000, there were 3,087 people, 1,344 households, and 817 families residing in the city. The population density
was 696.2 people per square mile (269.1/km²). There were 1,506 housing units at an average density of 339.7 per square mile (131.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.00% White, 0.10% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% from other races
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,344 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 80.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,050, and the median income for a family was $35,023. Males had a median income of $27,250 versus $16,983 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,189. About 9.5% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
Benjamin Prentiss
, the general who was ordered by W.T. Sherman to hold the Hornet's Nest in the Battle of Shiloh
was postmaster of the town and is buried there.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Harrison County
Harrison County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,850 people, 3,658 households, and 2,487 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 4,316 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,087 at the 2000 census.
Bethany Falls Limestone
A limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
outcropping on Big Creek on the west side of town gives its name to the Bethany Falls Limestone formation. The falls no longer exist and only a small amount is exposed. However the formation extends through Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and limestone is used extensively in buildings in that city and the formation is the basis for Subtropolis
SubTropolis
SubTropolis is a 55,000,000 square foot , manmade cave in the bluffs above the Missouri River in Kansas City, Missouri, United States that is claimed to be the world's largest underground storage facility....
which claims to be the world's largest manmade commercial cave. The formation got its name in 1862 in a study by G.C. Broadhead who did many of the geological surveys for Missouri at the time.
Geography
Bethany is located at 40°16′0"N 94°2′2"W (40.266579, -94.034005). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.4 km²) of it is land and 0.22% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,087 people, 1,344 households, and 817 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 696.2 people per square mile (269.1/km²). There were 1,506 housing units at an average density of 339.7 per square mile (131.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.00% White, 0.10% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 1,344 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 80.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,050, and the median income for a family was $35,023. Males had a median income of $27,250 versus $16,983 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,189. About 9.5% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Babe AdamsBabe AdamsCharles Benjamin "Babe" Adams was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitched in two World Series baseball games, was a Bethany resident. - Frank BucklesFrank BucklesFrank Woodruff Buckles was the last surviving American veteran of World War I. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1917 and served with a detachment from Fort Riley, driving ambulances and motorcycles near the front lines in Europe.During World War II, he was captured by Japanese forces...
, the last surviving United States veteran from World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was born in Bethany.
Benjamin Prentiss
Benjamin Prentiss
Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the Mexican-American War and on the Union side of the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general....
, the general who was ordered by W.T. Sherman to hold the Hornet's Nest in the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
was postmaster of the town and is buried there.
External links
- Bethany, Missouri website
- South Harrison School District
- Bethany Republican-Clipper Online
- Historic maps of Bethany in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...