Washington, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Washington is a city on the Missouri River
in Franklin County
, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 13,243 at the 2000 census. It is the corn cob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum
located in Washington.
, the city has a total area of 9 square miles (23.3 km²), of which, 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (5.42%) is water. The city has an extreme continental climate, with cold winters and hot, humid summers.
after it came under American control, the town was first settled during the rule of the Spanish Empire
. It was originally called St. John Meyer's Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort, San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803).
Family and followers of Daniel Boone
settled the area starting in 1799. In 1814 a ferry boat was licensed for crossing the Missouri River
to the north and the settlement became known as Washington Landing. In 1827 a town was laid out, with sale of lots starting in 1829. The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This encouraged many new settlers.
Substantial numbers of anti-slavery German families started moving to the town in 1833, and they soon overwhelmed the existing population of slaveowners. Washington became a strong supporter of the Union
during the American Civil War
. The town was ransacked by Confederate General Sterling Price
's soldiers, but they were unable to keep control of the area and he retreated with them to Brazil.
After the war, Washington became a railroad and steamboat transportation center. Its manufacturing industry has remained strong since that time.
The town of Washington has 445 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
, a state record. Due to its historic charm, Washington has a growing heritage tourism industry, with visitors also attracted to the nearby Missouri Rhineland
.
Washington was the site for the third season of the television series Town Haul
.
of 2000, there were 13,243 people, 5,258 households, and 3,501 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,548.9 people per square mile (598.0/km²). There were 5,565 housing units at an average density of 650.9 per square mile (251.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.76% White, 0.85% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.23% from other races
, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 5,258 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was .
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,417, and the median income for a family was $52,433. Males had a median income of $36,163 versus $23,666 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,360. About 3.0% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
(Germany) became the sister city of Washington. Student exchanges and visitations between the two cities occur on a regular basis.
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in Franklin County
Franklin County, Missouri
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri on the south side of the Missouri River. Franklin County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area and contains many of the St. Louis exurbs. Census 2010 put the population at 101,492; making it the 10th most populous county in Missouri....
, 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 13,243 at the 2000 census. It is the corn cob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum
Missouri Meerschaum
The Missouri Meerschaum Company is a tobacco smoking pipe manufacturer located in Washington, Missouri. It is the world's oldest and largest manufacturer of corncob pipes....
located in Washington.
Geography
Washington is located at 38°33′7"N 91°0′48"W (38.551879, -91.013313). 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 9 square miles (23.3 km²), of which, 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (5.42%) is water. The city has an extreme continental climate, with cold winters and hot, humid summers.
History
Named after George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
after it came under American control, the town was first settled during the rule of the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
. It was originally called St. John Meyer's Settlement and was the site of the Spanish log fort, San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803).
Family and followers of Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
settled the area starting in 1799. In 1814 a ferry boat was licensed for crossing the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
to the north and the settlement became known as Washington Landing. In 1827 a town was laid out, with sale of lots starting in 1829. The cost of land was waived if the buyer could build a substantial house within two years. This encouraged many new settlers.
Substantial numbers of anti-slavery German families started moving to the town in 1833, and they soon overwhelmed the existing population of slaveowners. Washington became a strong supporter of the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
during the American Civil War
American 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...
. The town was ransacked by Confederate General Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
's soldiers, but they were unable to keep control of the area and he retreated with them to Brazil.
After the war, Washington became a railroad and steamboat transportation center. Its manufacturing industry has remained strong since that time.
The town of Washington has 445 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, a state record. Due to its historic charm, Washington has a growing heritage tourism industry, with visitors also attracted to the nearby Missouri Rhineland
Missouri Rhineland
The Missouri Rhineland is a geographical area of Missouri that extends from west of St. Louis to slightly east of Jefferson City, located mostly in the Missouri River Valley on both sides of the river...
.
Washington was the site for the third season of the television series Town Haul
Town Haul
Town Haul is a television program on TLC, hosted by Genevieve Gorder. It makes-over old towns to give them a new look. Its first town was Jeffersonville, New York. Its second town was Laurens, South Carolina. In the first two seasons, they typically made over family-run businesses...
.
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 13,243 people, 5,258 households, and 3,501 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 1,548.9 people per square mile (598.0/km²). There were 5,565 housing units at an average density of 650.9 per square mile (251.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.76% White, 0.85% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.23% 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 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.
There were 5,258 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was .
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,417, and the median income for a family was $52,433. Males had a median income of $36,163 versus $23,666 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 $22,360. About 3.0% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Sister city
In 1990 Marbach am NeckarMarbach am Neckar
Marbach am Neckar is a town on the river Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The nearest larger cities are Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart ....
(Germany) became the sister city of Washington. Student exchanges and visitations between the two cities occur on a regular basis.
Notable residents
- Jack WagnerJack Wagner (actor)Peter John "Jack" Wagner, II is an American actor and singer, best-known for his roles on the soap operas General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Melrose Place.-Early years:...
- (born October 3, 1959 in Washington, Missouri) is an Emmy Award-nominated American actor. Roles on General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
and The Bold And The BeautifulThe Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
. He also played a swinging doctor on Melrose Place.
External links
- Historic maps of Washington 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...