Stotts City, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Stotts City is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 250 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 250 people, 98 households, and 63 families residing in the city. The population density
was 486.2 people per square mile (189.3/km²). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 227.5 per square mile (88.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.60% White, 1.20% African American, 4.00% Native American, 3.60% from other races
, and 3.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.20% of the population.
There were 98 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% 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 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 110.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $18,958, and the median income for a family was $28,125. Males had a median income of $17,031 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $8,942. About 26.2% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 36.6% of those sixty five or over.
, distinguished himself while in charge of the 76th Enrolled Missouri Militia, Co. D, the 7th E Missouri Militia, Co. C, and the 15th Missouri Cavalry, Company C. He later represented Lawrence County in the Missouri state legislature.
Stotts discovered galena
and hemimorphite
deposits west of the town and began to develop the lead
mining industry that later fueled Stotts City's booming growth. The Lawrence County Land & Mining Company, formed in 1888, handled the product of the Stotts City Mining District.
In its heyday, Stotts City was home to several banks, a large hardware store, The Farmers Exchange Co-op, a cooperative enterprise of the local grain and dairy farmers, a school and numerous churches, and even had a volunteer brass band and a newspaper, The Stotts City Sunbeam, published from 1901 until the end of 1907. The population of Stotts City peaked at 902 in 1900. By 1910, the population dropped to 548.
Soon after the end of World War I
, the demand for lead ore from the Lawrence County Land & Mining Company subsided, as groundwater issues made it increasing difficult and expensive to mine. With a depressed agricultural industry in the 1920s, the 1929 stock market crash and Great Depression
, Stotts City suffered a further reduction in population, a loss of retail businesses and closure of its one remaining bank. By 1945, the Stotts City mines were closed.
The construction of U.S. Route 66
north of Stotts City and later, Interstate 44
south of town, provided an opportunity for increased commerce. Establishments such as "Hattie's Hamburger Heaven" became regional favorites.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Farmers Exchange Co-op provided feed grain and seed for most of western Lawrence County. Until the mid-1970s, Stotts City bore a remarkable resemblance to the classic movie 'western town', with its wide main street and rows of buildings with false fronts. The old bandstand
, at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Center streets, still stands; a relic of the late 19th century, as does the old native-stone schoolhouse and First Baptist Church, both built in 1898. Several descendants of the earliest residents of Stotts City still live in the area.
and dairy farms, and the area is known for world-class thoroughbred horses
. In 1981, Jim and Sallie Stearns established the Stearnsy Bears, with manufacturing in Stotts City. These heirloom-quality teddy bears have been featured on Hallmark
and American Greetings
cards, and are shipped worldwide.
PFC Charles Denver Barger, USA, 1892-1936—American soldier and hero of World War I
, Congressional Medal of Honor
recipient
Rev. Dr. H. Dale Jackson
, 1930-2003—Baptist minister, denominational leader and ethicist
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 250 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Stotts City is located at 37°6′11"N 93°56′48"W (37.102983, -93.946662).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
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 250 people, 98 households, and 63 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 486.2 people per square mile (189.3/km²). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 227.5 per square mile (88.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.60% White, 1.20% African American, 4.00% Native American, 3.60% 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 3.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.20% of the population.
There were 98 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% 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, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% 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 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 110.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $18,958, and the median income for a family was $28,125. Males had a median income of $17,031 versus $16,250 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 $8,942. About 26.2% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 36.6% of those sixty five or over.
History
The town was settled in the early 1870s and was originally known as 'Pax', then later as 'Belle Plaine'. It was incorporated in 1896 and renamed in memory of its founder, Capt. Greene Casey Stotts, who died in 1876. Stotts held a command in the US Army during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, distinguished himself while in charge of the 76th Enrolled Missouri Militia, Co. D, the 7th E Missouri Militia, Co. C, and the 15th Missouri Cavalry, Company C. He later represented Lawrence County in the Missouri state legislature.
Stotts discovered galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
and hemimorphite
Hemimorphite
Hemimorphite, is a sorosilicate mineral which has been mined from days of old from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with smithsonite. It was often assumed to be the same mineral and both were classed under the same name of calamine...
deposits west of the town and began to develop the lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining industry that later fueled Stotts City's booming growth. The Lawrence County Land & Mining Company, formed in 1888, handled the product of the Stotts City Mining District.
In its heyday, Stotts City was home to several banks, a large hardware store, The Farmers Exchange Co-op, a cooperative enterprise of the local grain and dairy farmers, a school and numerous churches, and even had a volunteer brass band and a newspaper, The Stotts City Sunbeam, published from 1901 until the end of 1907. The population of Stotts City peaked at 902 in 1900. By 1910, the population dropped to 548.
Soon after the end of World War I
World War I
World 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...
, the demand for lead ore from the Lawrence County Land & Mining Company subsided, as groundwater issues made it increasing difficult and expensive to mine. With a depressed agricultural industry in the 1920s, the 1929 stock market crash and Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Stotts City suffered a further reduction in population, a loss of retail businesses and closure of its one remaining bank. By 1945, the Stotts City mines were closed.
The construction of U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
north of Stotts City and later, Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
south of town, provided an opportunity for increased commerce. Establishments such as "Hattie's Hamburger Heaven" became regional favorites.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Farmers Exchange Co-op provided feed grain and seed for most of western Lawrence County. Until the mid-1970s, Stotts City bore a remarkable resemblance to the classic movie 'western town', with its wide main street and rows of buildings with false fronts. The old bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
, at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Center streets, still stands; a relic of the late 19th century, as does the old native-stone schoolhouse and First Baptist Church, both built in 1898. Several descendants of the earliest residents of Stotts City still live in the area.
Industry
Stotts City is surrounded by cattleCattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and dairy farms, and the area is known for world-class thoroughbred horses
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
. In 1981, Jim and Sallie Stearns established the Stearnsy Bears, with manufacturing in Stotts City. These heirloom-quality teddy bears have been featured on Hallmark
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
and American Greetings
American Greetings
American Greetings Corporation, Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Brooklyn, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products , and electronic expressive content...
cards, and are shipped worldwide.
Notable natives and residents
Capt. Greene C. Stotts USA, 1821-1876—American military officer and Missouri state legislatorPFC Charles Denver Barger, USA, 1892-1936—American soldier and hero of World War I
World War I
World 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...
, Congressional Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient
Rev. Dr. H. Dale Jackson
H. Dale Jackson
Reverend Dr. H. Dale Jackson was a Baptist minister, denominational leader and ethicist. He is most remembered for his efforts in promoting the historic distinctives...
, 1930-2003—Baptist minister, denominational leader and ethicist
External links
- The Stearnsy Bears
- Stotts City website
- December 16, 1864 battlefield dispatch by Capt. Greene C. Stotts, USA
- Historic maps of Stotts City 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...