New Madrid County, Missouri
Encyclopedia
New Madrid County is a county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

 located in the Bootheel
Bootheel
The Missouri Bootheel is the southeasternmost part of the state of Missouri, extending south of 36°30’ north latitude, so called because its shape in relation to the rest of the state resembles the heel of a boot. Strictly speaking, it is composed of the counties of Dunklin, New Madrid, and Pemiscot...

 of southeast Missouri in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. As of the 2000 Census, the county's population was 19,760. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 17,589. The largest city and county seat
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....

 is New Madrid
New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

. The county was officially organized on October 1, 1812, and is named after a district located in the region that was once under Spanish rule, Nuevo Madrid, after Madrid, Spain.

The county takes in a large part of the New Madrid Fault
New Madrid Seismic Zone
The New Madrid Seismic Zone , sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the...

 that produced the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquake
New Madrid earthquake
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit the eastern United States in recorded history...

 and has the potential to produce more earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...

s in the future.

History

French Canadians landed in New Madrid County in 1781, and established the first settlement in the present county at New Madrid
New Madrid
New Madrid may refer to:*New Madrid County, Missouri, a county in the U.S. state of Missouri*New Madrid, Missouri, a city in New Madrid County*New Madrid Seismic Zone, a major seismic zone in Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas...

.

New Madrid County was organized on October 1, 1812 as an act of the First General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...

 of the Missouri Territory
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...

.

A series of over one thousand earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...

s struck in the area in 1811 and 1812. The New Madrid Earthquake
New Madrid earthquake
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were an intense intraplate earthquake series beginning with an initial pair of very large earthquakes on December 16, 1811. These earthquakes remain the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit the eastern United States in recorded history...

 was the strongest non-subduction zone
Subduction
In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones"...

 earthquake in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and may have registered 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...

. A request dated January 13, 1814, by the Territorial Governor
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...

, William Clark, asked for Federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

 relief for the "inhabitants of New Madrid County".

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in New Madrid County, 63.6% possesses a high school diploma
High school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...

 or higher while 9.6% holds a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools:
  • Gideon School District 37 - Gideon
    Gideon, Missouri
    Gideon is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,113 at the 2000 census.-History:The first hotel was built in Gideon in 1900, the first store was opened in 1901, the first doctor's office and first school were opened in 1903, and the first post office was opened...

    • Gideon Elementary School (K-6)
    • Gideon High School (7-12)
  • New Madrid County Central R-I School District - New Madrid
    New Madrid, Missouri
    New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

    • Lilbourn Elementary School (PK-5) - Lilbourn
      Lilbourn, Missouri
      Lilbourn is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,303 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lilbourn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....

    • Matthews Elementary School (PK-5) - Matthews
      Matthews, Missouri
      Matthews is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 605 at the 2000 census.The former actor Conlan Carter, who appeared on the television series The Law and Mr. Jones with James Whitmore and Combat! with Rick Jason and Vic Morrow, both on ABC, was reared in Matthews...

    • New Madrid County Central Elementary School (PK-5)
    • New Madrid County Central Middle School (6-08)
    • New Madrid County Central High School (9-12)
  • Portageville School District - Portageville
    Portageville, Missouri
    Portageville is a city in New Madrid and Pemiscot counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,295 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Portageville is located at , primarily in New Madrid County....

    • Portageville Elementary School (PK-5)
    • Portageville Middle School (6-8)
    • Portageville High School (9-12)
  • Risco R-II School District - Risco
    Risco, Missouri
    Risco is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 392 at the 2000 census.-History:Risco started out as a logging town in the late 19th century. At the time, the entire area was covered by swamp....

    • Risco Elementary School (K-6)
    • Risco High School (7-12)


Private schools:
  • St. Eustachius Elementary School - Portageville
    Portageville, Missouri
    Portageville is a city in New Madrid and Pemiscot counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,295 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Portageville is located at , primarily in New Madrid County....

     - (PK-8) - Roman Catholic
    Catholic school
    Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...

  • Immaculate Conception School - New Madrid
    New Madrid, Missouri
    New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

     - (PK-8) - Roman Catholic


Alternative/vocational schools:
  • New Madrid Bend Youth Center - New Madrid
    New Madrid, Missouri
    New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

     - (6-12) - Alternative
  • New Madrid R-I Technical Skills Center - New Madrid
    New Madrid, Missouri
    New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

     - (9-12) - Vocational/Technical

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), New Madrid County is a part of the Bible Belt
Bible Belt
Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...

 with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in New Madrid County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...

 (62.86%), Roman Catholics (8.80%), and Methodists
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...

 (7.36%).

Geography

According to the 2000 Census, the county has a total area of 698.02 square miles (1,807.9 km²), of which 678.01 square miles (1,756 km²) (or 97.13%) is land and 20.01 square miles (51.8 km²) (or 2.87%) is water.

Adjacent counties

  • Scott County
    Scott County, Missouri
    Scott County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 40,422; a 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 40,673. Its county seat is Benton...

      (north)
  • Mississippi County
    Mississippi County, Missouri
    Mississippi County is a county located in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,427. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 13,504. The largest city and county seat is Charleston...

      (northeast)
  • Fulton County, Kentucky
    Fulton County, Kentucky
    Fulton County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1845 from Hickman County, Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 7,752. Its county seat is Hickman. The county is named for American inventor Robert Fulton...

      (east)
  • Lake County, Tennessee  (southeast)
  • Pemiscot County
    Pemiscot County, Missouri
    Pemiscot County is a county located in the Bootheel in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 20,047. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 18,515. The largest city and county seat is Caruthersville...

      (south)
  • Dunklin County
    Dunklin County, Missouri
    Dunklin County is a county located in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 33,155. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 31,454. The largest city and county seat is Kennett...

      (southwest)
  • Stoddard County
    Stoddard County, Missouri
    Stoddard County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 29,705. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 29,537. The county seat is Bloomfield while the largest city in the county is Dexter...

      (northwest)

Major highways

  • Interstate 55
  • Interstate 50
  • U.S. Route 60
  • U.S. Route 61
  • U.S. Route 62
  • Route 153
  • Route 162

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 19,760 people, 7,824 households, and 5,508 families residing in the county. 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 29 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 8,600 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.21% White, 15.36% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% 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 0.78% from two or more races. Approximately 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in New Madrid County were 32.4% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, 10.3% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

, 8.8% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, and 8.7% German, according to Census 2000.

There were 7,824 households out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% 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, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,758, and the median income for a family was $39,411. Males had a median income of $28,408 versus $19,186 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 county was $17,227. About 18.60% of families and 22.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.40% of those under age 18 and 19.20% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

  • Canalou
    Canalou, Missouri
    Canalou is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 348 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 63828.Except for Main, First, and MacArthur, the rest of the streets are named after U.S...

  • Catron
    Catron, Missouri
    Catron is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 68 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Catron is located at ....

  • Conran
    Conran, Missouri
    Conran is an unincorporated community in eastern New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. It is located about ten miles southwest of New Madrid on U.S. Route 61....

  • Gideon
    Gideon, Missouri
    Gideon is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,113 at the 2000 census.-History:The first hotel was built in Gideon in 1900, the first store was opened in 1901, the first doctor's office and first school were opened in 1903, and the first post office was opened...

  • Howardville
    Howardville, Missouri
    Howardville is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 342 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded by Travis Howard, the father of Elston Howard.-Geography:Howardville is located at ....

  • Kewanee
    Kewanee, Missouri
    Kewanee is an unincorporated community in New Madrid County, Missouri. It is located about five miles north of New Madrid, and about one mile west of U.S. Routes 61/62. The town was founded in 1910, and is named after Kewanee, Illinois, from a Winnebago tribe word for prairie chicken....

  • Lilbourn
    Lilbourn, Missouri
    Lilbourn is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,303 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lilbourn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....

  • Marston
    Marston, Missouri
    Marston is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 610 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Marston is located at ....

  • Matthews
    Matthews, Missouri
    Matthews is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 605 at the 2000 census.The former actor Conlan Carter, who appeared on the television series The Law and Mr. Jones with James Whitmore and Combat! with Rick Jason and Vic Morrow, both on ABC, was reared in Matthews...

  • Morehouse
    Morehouse, Missouri
    Morehouse is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,015 at the 2000 census.The is part of the Sikeston school system.-Geography:Morehouse is located at ....

  • New Madrid
    New Madrid, Missouri
    New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at...

  • North Lilbourn
    North Lilbourn, Missouri
    North Lilbourn is a village in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 95 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Lilbourn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....

  • Parma
    Parma, Missouri
    Parma is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 852 at the 2000 census.-History:Parma was first incorporated as a village in 1900....

  • Portageville
    Portageville, Missouri
    Portageville is a city in New Madrid and Pemiscot counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,295 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Portageville is located at , primarily in New Madrid County....

  • Risco
    Risco, Missouri
    Risco is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 392 at the 2000 census.-History:Risco started out as a logging town in the late 19th century. At the time, the entire area was covered by swamp....

  • Sikeston
    Sikeston, Missouri
    Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...

  • Tallapoosa
    Tallapoosa, Missouri
    Tallapoosa is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 204 at the 2000 census.-History:Tallapoosa was formed about 1901 by the junction of the St. Louis, Morehouse and Southern Railroad and the Clarkton Branch of the St. Louis, Kennett and Southern Railroad. Louis...


  • Local

    Politics at the local level in New Madrid County are completely controlled by the Democratic Party
    Democratic Party (United States)
    The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

    , as all of New Madrid County's elected officeholders are Democrats.

    State

    Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
    Year Republican
    Republican Party (United States)
    The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

    Democratic
    Democratic Party (United States)
    The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

    Third Parties
    Third party (United States)
    The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...

    2008
    Missouri gubernatorial election, 2008
    -Polling:-Results:-See also:* U.S. gubernatorial elections, 2008* Missouri gubernatorial election, 2004* Missouri Lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2008-External links:* from the Missouri Secretary of State* at Project Vote Smart...

    44.64% 3,574 53.87% 4,313 1.49% 120
    2004
    Missouri gubernatorial election, 2004
    The 2004 Missouri gubernatorial election took place on 2 November 2004 for the post of Governor of Missouri. Missouri Secretary of State Republican Matt Blunt defeated State Auditor Democrat Claire McCaskill...

    47.57% 3,737 51.38% 4,036 1.05% 82
    2000 41.28% 2,978 57.50% 4,148 1.22% 88
    1996 28.14% 2,106 70.43% 5,270 1.43% 107


    New Madrid County is divided among three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives
    Missouri House of Representatives
    The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...

    .
    • District 160 - Currently represented by Ellen Brandom (R-Sikeston
      Sikeston, Missouri
      Sikeston is a city located both in southern Scott County and northern New Madrid County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is geographically situated just north of the "Missouri Bootheel", although many locals consider Sikeston a part of it. By way of Interstate 55, Sikeston is close to the...

      ) and consists of Miner and the area around Sikeston. In 2010, Brandom ran unopposed and was reelected with 100 percent of the vote.

    • District 161 - Currently represented by Steve Hodges (D-East Prairie
      East Prairie, Missouri
      East Prairie is a city in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,227 at the 2000 census. In 1881, the area was originally known as Bell's Grade and Hibbard and developed as a result of the railroad...

      ) and consists of most of the northern and eastern parts of the county and includes the city of New Madrid as well as the towns of Canalou, Catron, Howardville, Lilbourn, Marston, Matthews, Morehouse, and North Lilbourn.

    • District 162 - Currently represented by Terry Swinger (D-Caruthersville
      Caruthersville, Missouri
      Caruthersville is the most populous city and county seat of Pemiscot County, located along the Mississippi River in the bootheel of southeastern Missouri in the United States. The population was 6,760 at the 2000 census.-History:...

      ) and consists of most of the western and southern parts of the county and includes the city of Portageville as well as the towns of Gideon, Parma, Risco, and Tallapoosa. In 2010, Swinger ran unopposed and was reelected with 100 percent of the vote.

    In the Missouri Senate
    Missouri Senate
    The Missouri State Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 160,000...

    , all of Mississippi County is a part of Missouri's 25th District and is currently represented by State Senator
    Missouri Senate
    The Missouri State Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 160,000...

     Rob Mayer (R-Dexter
    Dexter, Missouri
    -Government:* Mayor: Joe Weber* City Administrator: Mark Stidham* Aldermen:* Ward 1: Jerry Corder, Terry Battles* Ward 2: Kent Essner, Rick Hux* Ward 3: Ray Pixley, John "Kirby" Taylor-Notable residents:* George K. Sisler, Medal of Honor recipient...

    ). In 2008, Mayer defeated M. Shane Stoelting (D) 65.32-34.68 percent in the district. The 25th Senatorial District consists of Butler
    Butler County, Missouri
    Butler County is a county located in the southeast Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 42,794. The largest city and county seat is Poplar Bluff. The county was officially organized from Wayne County on February...

    , Dunklin
    Dunklin County, Missouri
    Dunklin County is a county located in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 33,155. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 31,454. The largest city and county seat is Kennett...

    , New Madrid, Pemiscot
    Pemiscot County, Missouri
    Pemiscot County is a county located in the Bootheel in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 20,047. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 18,515. The largest city and county seat is Caruthersville...

    , Ripley
    Ripley County, Missouri
    Ripley County is a county located in the Ozarks of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,509. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 13,485. The largest city and county seat is Doniphan...

    , Stoddard
    Stoddard County, Missouri
    Stoddard County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 29,705. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 29,537. The county seat is Bloomfield while the largest city in the county is Dexter...

    , and Wayne
    Wayne County, Missouri
    Wayne County is a county located in the Ozark Foothills Region of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 13,259. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,652. The county seat is Greenville...

     counties.

    Federal

    In the U.S. House of Representatives
    United States House of Representatives
    The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

    , New Madrid County is represented by Jo Ann Emerson
    Jo Ann Emerson
    Jo Ann Emerson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. The district consists of Southeast and South Central Missouri and includes the Bootheel, the Lead Belt and the Ozarks. Emerson is a member of the Republican Party....

     (R-Cape Girardeau) who represents all of Southeast Missouri as part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District.

    Political Culture

    Past Presidential Elections Results
    Year Republican
    Republican Party (United States)
    The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

    Democratic
    Democratic Party (United States)
    The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

    Third Parties
    Third party (United States)
    The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...

    2008 56.76% 4,593 41.65% 3,370 1.59% 129
    2004 52.54% 4,154 47.00% 3,716 0.46% 37
    2000 47.01% 3,416 51.45% 3,738 1.54% 112
    1996 31.93% 2,417 58.80% 4,451 9.27% 702


    At the presidential level, New Madrid County is a fairly independent-leaning or battleground county although, like many counties in the impoverished Bootheel with a significant African American population, it does has a slight tendency to lean Democratic. While George W. Bush
    George W. Bush
    George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

     carried New Madrid County in 2004
    United States presidential election, 2004
    The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...

    , Al Gore
    Al Gore
    Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....

     won the county in 2000
    United States presidential election, 2000
    The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....

    , although both times the margins of victory were significantly closer than in many of the other rural areas. Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton
    William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

     also carried New Madrid County both times in 1992
    United States presidential election, 1992
    The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....

     and 1996
    United States presidential election, 1996
    The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...

     by convincing double-digit margins. And like many of the other rural counties in Missouri, New Madrid County favored John McCain
    John McCain
    John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

     over Barack Obama
    Barack Obama
    Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

     in 2008
    United States presidential election, 2008
    The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...

    , although the margin of victory was smaller than in most rural areas.

    Like most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in New Madrid County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative
    Conservatism
    Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...

     principles but are more moderate or populist
    Populism
    Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...

     on economic issues, typical of the Dixiecrat
    Dixiecrat
    The States' Rights Democratic Party was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States in 1948...

     philosophy. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman
    Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)
    Constitutional Amendment 2 of 2004 is an amendment to the Missouri Constitution that prohibited same-sex marriages from being conducted or recognized in Missouri. The Amendment passed via public referendum on August 3, 2004 with 71% of voters supporting and 29% opposing. Every county voted in...

    —it overwhelmingly passed New Madrid County with 83.82 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage
    Same-sex marriage
    Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....

    . In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state
    Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)
    Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 is a state constitutional amendment initiative that concerns stem cell research and human cloning in Missouri...

    —it failed in New Madrid County with 56.09 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research
    Embryonic stem cell
    Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells...

    . Despite New Madrid County’s longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist
    Populism
    Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...

     causes like increasing the minimum wage
    Minimum wage
    A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...

    . In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed New Madrid County with 75.66 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

    Missouri Presidential Preference Primary (2008)

    In the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary, voters in New Madrid County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.
    • Former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
      Hillary Rodham Clinton
      Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...

       (D-New York
      New York
      New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

      ) received more votes, a total of 1,801, than any candidate from either party in New Madrid County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary. She also received more votes than the total number of votes cast in the entire Republican Primary in New Madrid County.

    See also

    • National Register of Historic Places listings in New Madrid County, Missouri
    • New Madrid Floodway Project
      New Madrid Floodway Project
      The New Madrid Floodway Project is an ongoing project intended to close a gap in the Mississippi River Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway levee at New Madrid County, Missouri, to decrease southeast Missouri's vulnerability to flooding. This area is also called the St...

    • New Madrid Seismic Zone
      New Madrid Seismic Zone
      The New Madrid Seismic Zone , sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the...


    External links

    • Digitized 1930 Plat Book of New Madrid County from University of Missouri
      University of Missouri
      The 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...

       Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
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