Caruthersville, Missouri
Caruthersville, Missouri | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 29-11692[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 2393761[2] | |
Website | www |
Caruthersville is a city in and the county seat of Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States, located along the Mississippi River in the Bootheel region of the state's far southeast. The population was 5,562, according to the 2020 census.[4]
History
Caruthersville lies in Missouri's Bootheel on the Mississippi River. The word "Pemiscot" comes from the word pemiskaw, meaning "liquid mud" in the Fox language. Mississippi waters have frequently flooded the flatlands, creating fertile alluvial land valued for farming. Settling the floodplain has resulted in periodic problems for residents, as there are regular floods despite (and because of) elaborate constructed systems of levees and flood controls.
Native Americans inhabited the land of the Caruthersville area for thousands of years before European settlement. The Mississippian culture built huge earthwork mounds throughout the Mississippi Valley. One such earthwork remains in this county, rising 270 feet above sea level about four miles southwest of Caruthersville. It stands in contrast to the surrounding delta-like plain.
In 1857 John Hardeman Walker and G. W. Bushey laid out and platted the town of Caruthersville.[5] The town was named for Samuel Caruthers,[6][7] who first represented the area in the US Congress.
The City of Caruthersville was incorporated on May 18, 1874. The first few decades of the town's growth can be documented through Sanborn maps, which recorded building ownership, materials, and use.[8][9]
In 1893, Missouri's General Assembly created the Saint Francis Levee District to construct protection for that part of the
20th century to present
White violence against African Americans increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as they were pushing them out of the political system and voting across the South. Whites lynched four men in Caruthersville: D. Malone and W.J. Mooneyhon on May 3, 1903; and A.B. Richardson and Benjamin Woods on October 11, 1911.[10]
Steel cages are one of the oldest form of enclosures used in professional wrestling. The earliest known "steel
In February 1969, construction began on a bridge across the Mississippi at Caruthersville. Completed in 1976 and connecting with Dyersburg, Tennessee, it is the only bridge to cross the Mississippi River between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee. It is a single-tower cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 155 and U.S. Route 412.[11]
During the night of April 2, 2006, 60% of Caruthersville was severely damaged or destroyed by
As reported by Caruthersville's then-mayor, Diane Sayre, there were no confirmed fatalities within city limits, but electricity and water services were disabled. Several churches, landmarks, and schools were destroyed or severely damaged, including St. John's Episcopal, Jesus Name Tabernacle, Faith Missionary Baptist, Caruthersville Municipal Airport, Caruthersville Cotton Warehouse, the Boy's and Girl's Club of the Bootheel, Knox's Drive In, the Kwik Chek, Caruthersville High School, and Caruthersville Middle School.[citation needed]
Geography
The city is located in the state's Bootheel, along the western bank of the Mississippi River and within the seismically active New Madrid Seismic Zone. The Caruthersville Bridge is the only bridge crossing the river between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.24 square miles (13.57 km2), of which 5.16 square miles (13.36 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[12]
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Climate data for Caruthersville, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1898–2012) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
83 (28) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
102 (39) |
109 (43) |
109 (43) |
111 (44) |
108 (42) |
98 (37) |
87 (31) |
79 (26) |
111 (44) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.1 (7.8) |
51.1 (10.6) |
59.9 (15.5) |
70.8 (21.6) |
79.1 (26.2) |
87.5 (30.8) |
90.1 (32.3) |
88.9 (31.6) |
83.0 (28.3) |
72.4 (22.4) |
59.4 (15.2) |
49.0 (9.4) |
69.8 (21.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 37.9 (3.3) |
41.9 (5.5) |
49.9 (9.9) |
60.4 (15.8) |
69.7 (20.9) |
77.9 (25.5) |
81.1 (27.3) |
79.6 (26.4) |
72.8 (22.7) |
61.5 (16.4) |
49.8 (9.9) |
40.9 (4.9) |
60.3 (15.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.6 (−1.3) |
32.7 (0.4) |
39.8 (4.3) |
50.0 (10.0) |
60.4 (15.8) |
68.4 (20.2) |
72.2 (22.3) |
70.2 (21.2) |
62.7 (17.1) |
50.6 (10.3) |
40.1 (4.5) |
32.8 (0.4) |
50.8 (10.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | −15 (−26) |
−22 (−30) |
5 (−15) |
26 (−3) |
33 (1) |
45 (7) |
54 (12) |
48 (9) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
5 (−15) |
−9 (−23) |
−22 (−30) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.00 (102) |
4.87 (124) |
5.25 (133) |
6.12 (155) |
5.91 (150) |
4.38 (111) |
3.78 (96) |
3.14 (80) |
3.59 (91) |
4.60 (117) |
4.39 (112) |
5.23 (133) |
55.26 (1,404) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.5 | 8.2 | 10.3 | 10.7 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 7.6 | 5.6 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 9.9 | 10.2 | 106.1 |
Source: |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 230 | — | |
1900 | 2,315 | 906.5% | |
1910 | 3,655 | 57.9% | |
1920 | 4,750 | 30.0% | |
1930 | 4,781 | 0.7% | |
1940 | 6,612 | 38.3% | |
1950 | 8,614 | 30.3% | |
1960 | 8,643 | 0.3% | |
1970 | 7,350 | −15.0% | |
1980 | 7,958 | 8.3% | |
1990 | 7,389 | −7.2% | |
2000 | 6,760 | −8.5% | |
2010 | 6,168 | −8.8% | |
2020 | 5,562 | −9.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[16] |
2020 census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White
|
3,169 | 56.98% |
Black or African American
|
1,922 | 34.56% |
Native American
|
7 | 0.13% |
Asian
|
17 | 0.31% |
Pacific Islander
|
1 | 0.02% |
Other/Mixed
|
297 | 5.34% |
Latino
|
149 | 2.68% |
As of the
2010 census
At the 2010
There were 2,454 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.10.
The median age was 34.2 years. 29.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census,
There were 2,643 households, of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.17.
32.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males.
The
Education
Caruthersville 18 School District operates one elementary school, one middle school, and Caruthersville High School.[19]
The town has a lending library, the Caruthersville Public Library.[20]
Government
- List of Caruthersville mayors
Economy
Major resources for the Caruthersville area include commerce supplied by the Mississippi river barge and transport industry as well as agriculture which accounts for 60% of the local economy. Large portions of the cash crops grown in the area, rice, soy beans and cotton are sent through the Mississippi River transportation industry to distribution points along the Mississippi delta region. There is now a riverboat casino in Caruthersville which has revived the local economy and provided a new source of tourist revenue.
Architecture
The city of Caruthersville has the historic Caruthersville Water Tower which was built between 1902 and 1903. It is one of three in the nation with the appearance of a lighthouse with the other two located in Indiana and Louisiana. This one is on the National Register of Historic Places.[21]
Notable people
- Eddie Acuff, actor, stage and screen
- John B. England, World War II fighter ace
- Donna Hightower, singer, songwriter
- Cedric Antonio Kyles, aka Cedric the Entertainer
- Wendell Mayes, screenwriter, playwright
- James Oliver, zoologist and herpetologist
- Clarke Reed, businessman
- John M. Riggs, US Army General
- Margaret Scoggin, librarian
- Reggie Young, musician
References
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Caruthersville, Missouri
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ISBN 9780826210210.
- ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1917). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 338.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 70.
- ^ Sanborn Maps for Missouri: Caruthersville, University of Missouri Digital Library. Accessed 2011-03-14.
- ^ "History and Facts of the City of Caruthersville". www.caruthersvillecity.com. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ "Lynching in Missouri", Saline County, Missouri/GenWeb Project.
- ^ The History of Caruthersville. Accessed December 30, 2022.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^ Climate Summary for Caruthersville, Missouri
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Caruthersville, MO". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^ "Caruthersville 18 School District". Greatschools. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Missouri Public Libraries". PublicLibraries.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Caruthersville Historic 1903 "Lighthouse" Water Tower Restoration". May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
External links
- City of Caruthersville
- Caruthersville Public Library
- Caruthersville School District at the Wayback Machine (archived November 28, 2005)
- Historic maps of Caruthersville in the http://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A138745 Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection] at the University of Missouri