Dent County, Missouri
Dent County | |
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UTC−5 (CDT) | |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Dent County is a county in Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,421.[1] The largest city and county seat is Salem.[2] The county was officially organized on February 10, 1851, and is named after state representative Lewis Dent, a pioneer settler who arrived in Missouri from Virginia in 1835.
History
Exploration and settlement
The White River trail had long been used by Native Americans in Dent County. It later became one of the branches of the
The first
County formation
In 1851, the Missouri Assembly created Dent County from Crawford, Shannon, and Texas, Texas counties. It was named for early settler Lewis Dent,[3] who served as the first representative. G.D. Breckenridge, Samuel Hyer, Jr., and Jotham Clark were the first elected county officials. Joseph Millsap served as sheriff and David Henderson as clerk. They met at the Bressie Farm.
The first mayor of Salem was appointed or elected just after the Missouri state legislature passed the laws relating to village government in 1860. He was W.P. Williams, often referred to as "Rip" from the positive and often violent expression of his feelings and opinions. He lived in Dent County a long time and was a prominent citizen throughout his long life. He became mayor in 1860, but how long he served is unknown. The American Civil War came about in 1861 and city governments were suspended. After Williams, records show that O.A. Kenemore, a prominent farmer with a home in Salem, became mayor. E.T. Wingo, a lawyer and representative, was next, followed by C.L. Allen, who was also a lawyer but never practiced law. He did, however, serve as Deputy Circuit Clerk and Probate Judge. Allen was succeeded by Samuel Sachs. No dates are available listing terms of office for these mayors, but it is likely they served from 1870 to 1881.
Courthouse
An earlier log courthouse, built about 1851 or 1852, was Dent County's first, on the Wingfield farm northeast of Salem. In 1852-53 a courthouse was built south of the present courthouse. The building measured about 20 by 40 feet (12 m) and was built by J.T. Garvin for $800. It was burned during the Civil War. The next courthouse, built in 1864, also fell victim to fire in May 1866. The beautiful Victorian courthouse—which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places—was built in 1870 for $15,500. A.E. Dye came to Dent County to build this courthouse. His son, E.L. Dye, assisted him and was to become the leading builder in the county. W.P. Elmer in his history reports that when the courthouse was finished, pictures of it were published in McClure's Magazine and newspapers in the East to show the development of the West.
References
Minerals have greatly influenced the Dent County economy. The iron furnace, built at Sligo, was the greatest, starting in 1880 and active until 1923 (43 years). Sligo was the fourth iron works built in the state, following Meramec, Midland and Nova Scotia. There was plenty of iron ore—Simmons Hill in Salem, Orchard and Cherry Valley, Millsap, Pomeroy, Hawkins Banks, Red Hill and Scotia. Elmer writes in his history that the Sligo furnace was the most successful and continued longer than any other iron furnace in Missouri. The Sligo furnace was built on Crooked Creek and produced 60 to 80 tons of pig iron a day with some runs of up to 100 tons. E.B. Sankey came from New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1870 to survey the St. Louis-Salem and Little Rock Railroad from Cuba to Salem. The Sligo & Eastern Railroad ran a branch to East End to gather wood for the kilns producing charcoal for the furnace. Sligo's population in its big years reached 1,000.
In recent times, the largest mining and milling operations were in the "New Lead Belt" some 30 miles (48 km) east of Salem.
Electrification
In 1909, a band of 23 pioneers realized the dream of bringing electric lights to Salem with the formation of the Salem Light & Power Co. The city eventually took over the electric system and produced electricity with two big diesel generators. When the generators could no longer meet the demand and were costly to operate the city contracted with Show-Me-Power Cooperative.
Mrs. Thomas A. Bruce organized the first telephone system. Charlie Jeffries joined the Bruces to install the system around 1900. Homes paid $1 and stores $1.25 per month. Mrs. Bruce suffered agony from her eyes and was blind for 30 years until her death on May 8, 1942. The telephone system was sold to United Telephone, now Sprint.
Industry
Salem led the world in the production and shipping of railroad ties for a time. While the early lumber companies cut the vast Ozark pine forests, timber has remained a major asset, with white oak staves for barrels, oak flooring, pallets, charcoal briquettes and lumber. The Bunker-Cul1er Lumber Co. in Bunker was one of the area's biggest industries, and like the mines which hauled wood for the kilns from a large area, Bunker-Cul1er used rails to bring in logs.
Dent County has had its ups and downs economically, but is proud of its record of having five banks during the Great Depression without a failure. The Great Depression years brought many changes. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) brought young men to the area, many of whom stayed. There were CCC camps at Boss and Indian Trail. In the 13,503 acres (54.64 km2) of the Indian Trail Conservation Area, crews built most of the area's 55 miles (89 km) of access roads. The Conservation Department purchased much of the cut-over land for $2.50/acre.
Dent County's skilled labor force made needlework industries a natural. Ely & Walker's four-story factory (now the Fourth Street Mall) was the first. After World War II the Industrial Building Corporation raised funds for the International Shoe Factory. Other factories followed, including Salem Sportswear, Barad Lingerie, Paramount Cap and Hagale. Today, foreign competition has all but wiped out the local needlework industry.
After World War II and through the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Dent County underwent changes. There were 60 one-room schools in 1950 and consolidation reduced this number to five districts/plus high schools in Salem and Bunker. Roads were built and improved. Salem Memorial District Hospital was built and became a major industry and health provider.
Economy
Today's largest employer in Dent County, U.S. Foodservice, is an institutional food business and began in Salem as Craig Distributing. After World War II, Farris Craig started with a panel truck and peanut vending machines. In 1986, the Craigs sold their business to Kraft Foods, which later sold to Alliant, and is now owned by U.S. Foodservice. The Craigs have left their imprint on Salem with Craig Plaza, the Alice Lou Craig Municipal Swimming Pool, the Salem Visitor Center, and the Ozark Natural and Cultural Resource Center.
With guidance from University of Missouri Extension, the county became the Feeder Pig & Calf Capitol of Missouri, with huge sales in spring and fall auctioning large numbers of livestock graded into pens for size and quality. Loss of farm population often due to the aging of farm owners ended these sales.
Geography
According to the
Adjacent counties
- Crawford County (northeast)
- Iron County (southeast)
- Reynolds County (southeast)
- Shannon County (south)
- Texas County (southwest)
- Phelps County (northwest)
National protected areas
- Mark Twain National Forest (part)
- Ozark National Scenic Riverways (part)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 5,654 | — | |
1870 | 6,357 | 12.4% | |
1880 | 10,646 | 67.5% | |
1890 | 12,149 | 14.1% | |
1900 | 12,986 | 6.9% | |
1910 | 13,245 | 2.0% | |
1920 | 12,318 | −7.0% | |
1930 | 10,974 | −10.9% | |
1940 | 11,763 | 7.2% | |
1950 | 10,936 | −7.0% | |
1960 | 10,445 | −4.5% | |
1970 | 11,457 | 9.7% | |
1980 | 14,517 | 26.7% | |
1990 | 13,702 | −5.6% | |
2000 | 14,927 | 8.9% | |
2010 | 15,657 | 4.9% | |
2020 | 14,421 | −7.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2015[9] |
As of the
There were 5,982 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.90.
24.90% of the county population was under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,991, and the median income for a family was $40,258. Males had a median income of $26,590 versus $17,500 for females. The
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000),[12] Dent County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. 46% of Dent County residents are considered "Non-adherents" of religion (those who do not attend a particular church regularly) making this the largest single group in the survey. Among the 54% of residents who adhere to a religion, the most predominant denominations in Dent County (who adhere to a religion) are Southern Baptists (67.22%), Pentecostals (6.43%), and Roman Catholics (5.91%).
2020 Census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
13,203 | 91.6% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
52 | 0.36% |
Native American (NH)
|
61 | 0.42% |
Asian (NH)
|
54 | 0.37% |
Pacific Islander (NH)
|
7 | 0.05% |
Other/Mixed (NH)
|
773 | 5.4% |
Latino
|
271 | 1.9% |
Transportation
Major highways
Airports
- Salem Memorial Airport
Politics
Local
The Republican Party holds a majority of elected offices in the county, as nine of the county's 14 elected officials, including the county's three commissioners, are all Republicans; .
On July 13, 2015, the county commissioners, Darrell Skiles (R), Dennis Purcell (R), and Gary Larson (R) voted unanimously to lower all flags to half staff every month on the 26th for a year to protest the Supreme Court decision regarding same sex marriage rights.[14]
On July 14, 2015, the county commissioners reversed their decision to lower the flag citing improper flag protocol concerns.[15]
Dent County, Missouri | |||
---|---|---|---|
Elected countywide officials | |||
Assessor | Tina Whitaker | Democratic | |
Circuit Clerk | Becky Goforth Swiney | Democratic | |
County Clerk | Angie Curley | Democratic | |
Collector | Shannon VanKirk | Republican | |
Commissioner (Presiding) | Darrell Skiles | Republican | |
Commissioner (District 1) | Dennis Purcell | Republican | |
Commissioner (District 2) | Gary Larson | Republican | |
Coroner | Gina White | Democratic | |
Prosecuting Attorney | Andrew Curley | Republican | |
Public Administrator | Sherida Cook | Republican | |
Recorder | Cindy Ard | Republican | |
Sheriff | Bob Wells | Republican | |
Surveyor | Craig Ruble | Democratic | |
Treasurer | Denita Williams | Republican |
State
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties
|
---|---|---|---|
2020
|
81.09% 5,768 | 16.04% 1,141 | 2.87% 204 |
2016
|
73.05% 4,967 | 24.05% 1,635 | 2.90% 197 |
2012
|
54.20% 3,595 | 42.56% 2,823 | 3.24% 215 |
2008
|
44.71% 3,055 | 52.44% 3,583 | 2.85% 195 |
2004
|
65.18% 4,122 | 33.08% 2,092 | 1.84% 110 |
2000
|
57.39% 3,403 | 40.49% 2,401 | 2.12% 126 |
1996
|
43.87% 2,445 | 53.54% 2,984 | 2.59% 144 |
1992
|
44.33% 2,582 | 55.67% 3,242 | 0.00% 0 |
1988
|
63.56% 3,438 | 35.72% 1,932 | 0.72% 39 |
1984
|
59.58% 3,580 | 40.42% 2,429 | 0.00% 0 |
1980
|
52.30% 3,198 | 47.56% 2,908 | 0.15% 9 |
1976
|
48.13% 2,597 | 51.82% 2,796 | 0.06% 3 |
1972
|
54.54% 2,632 | 45.36% 2,189 | 0.01% 5 |
1968
|
45.69% 2,025 | 54.31% 2,407 | 0.00% 0 |
1964
|
40.11% 1,847 | 59.89% 2,758 | 0.00% 0 |
1960
|
43.12% 2,487 | 56.88% 3,820 | 0.00% 0 |
In the Missouri House of Representatives, all of Dent County is a part of Missouri's 143rd District and is currently represented by Jeff Pogue (R- Salem).[16]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Pogue | 5,863 | 100.00% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Pogue | 3,430 | 100.00% | +24.36 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jeff Pogue | 4,964 | 75.64% | ||
Democratic | Shane Van Steenis | 1,599 | 24.36% |
In the Missouri Senate, all of Dent County is a part of Missouri's 16th District and is currently represented by Dan W. Brown (R- Rolla).
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Dan Brown | 3,297 | 100.00% |
Federal
Missouri's two
.Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Roy Blunt | 4,653 | 68.76% | +15.54 | |
Democratic | Jason Kander | 1,795 | 26.53% | -12.37 | |
Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 167 | 2.47% | -5.41 | |
Green
|
Johnathan McFarland | 88 | 1.30% | +1.30 | |
Constitution | Fred Ryman | 61 | 0.90% | +0.90 | |
Write-In | Gina Bufe | 3 | 0.04% | +0.04 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Todd Akin | 3,499 | 53.22% | ||
Democratic | Claire McCaskill | 2,558 | 38.90% | ||
Libertarian | Jonathan Dine | 518 | 7.88% |
All of Dent County is included in
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jason T. Smith | 5,687 | 84.23% | +0.51 | |
Democratic | Dave Cowell | 923 | 13.67% | +0.74 | |
Libertarian | Jonathan Shell | 142 | 2.10% | +1.01 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jason T. Smith | 3,445 | 83.72% | -2.41% | |
Democratic | Barbara Stocker | 532 | 12.93% | +0.25 | |
Libertarian | Rick Vandeven | 45 | 1.09% | +0.51 | |
Constitution | Doug Enyart | 36 | 0.87% | +0.87 | |
Independent
|
Terry Hampton | 57 | 1.39% | +1.39 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jason T. Smith | 2,385 | 86.13% | +7.62 | |
Democratic | Steve Hodges | 351 | 12.68% | ||
Libertarian | Bill Slantz | 16 | 0.58% | ||
Constitution | Doug Enyart | 17 | 0.61% | +0.61 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Jo Ann Emerson | 5,151 | 78.51% | ||
Democratic | Jack Rushin | 1,213 | 18.49% | ||
Libertarian | Rick Vandeven | 197 | 3.00% |
Political culture
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 5,987 | 83.83% | 1,056 | 14.79% | 99 | 1.39% |
2016 | 5,600 | 82.46% | 978 | 14.40% | 213 | 3.14% |
2012 | 4,883 | 73.20% | 1,585 | 23.76% | 203 | 3.04% |
2008 | 4,655 | 67.78% | 2,056 | 29.94% | 157 | 2.29% |
2004 | 4,369 | 69.31% | 1,865 | 29.58% | 70 | 1.11% |
2000 | 3,996 | 66.73% | 1,839 | 30.71% | 153 | 2.56% |
1996 | 2,542 | 45.90% | 2,234 | 40.34% | 762 | 13.76% |
1992 | 2,125 | 36.16% | 2,689 | 45.75% | 1,063 | 18.09% |
1988 | 2,975 | 54.92% | 2,421 | 44.69% | 21 | 0.39% |
1984 | 3,490 | 57.84% | 2,544 | 42.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
1980 | 3,477 | 56.71% | 2,528 | 41.23% | 126 | 2.06% |
1976 | 2,433 | 45.05% | 2,931 | 54.27% | 37 | 0.69% |
1972 | 3,024 | 63.88% | 1,710 | 36.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
1968 | 2,369 | 50.97% | 1,810 | 38.94% | 469 | 10.09% |
1964 | 1,788 | 38.47% | 2,860 | 61.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 3,212 | 55.33% | 2,593 | 44.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 2,658 | 47.30% | 2,961 | 52.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 2,755 | 50.12% | 2,738 | 49.81% | 4 | 0.07% |
1948 | 2,003 | 40.14% | 2,973 | 59.58% | 14 | 0.28% |
1944 | 2,456 | 47.58% | 2,699 | 52.29% | 7 | 0.14% |
1940 | 2,652 | 45.99% | 3,101 | 53.78% | 13 | 0.23% |
1936 | 2,313 | 41.95% | 3,168 | 57.45% | 33 | 0.60% |
1932 | 1,701 | 33.90% | 3,293 | 65.64% | 23 | 0.46% |
1928 | 2,367 | 55.49% | 1,871 | 43.86% | 28 | 0.66% |
1924 | 1,779 | 42.84% | 2,263 | 54.49% | 111 | 2.67% |
1920 | 2,204 | 51.69% | 1,970 | 46.20% | 90 | 2.11% |
1916 | 1,252 | 44.99% | 1,457 | 52.35% | 74 | 2.66% |
1912 | 959 | 38.50% | 1,280 | 51.38% | 252 | 10.12% |
1908 | 1,290 | 48.44% | 1,330 | 49.94% | 43 | 1.61% |
1904 | 1,154 | 48.59% | 1,186 | 49.94% | 35 | 1.47% |
1900 | 1,085 | 42.72% | 1,419 | 55.87% | 36 | 1.42% |
1896 | 1,097 | 42.22% | 1,493 | 57.47% | 8 | 0.31% |
1892 | 896 | 40.78% | 1,268 | 57.72% | 33 | 1.50% |
1888 | 957 | 43.50% | 1,172 | 53.27% | 71 | 3.23% |
Dent County is, like most rural counties, conservative and often solidly supports Republicans at the presidential level. Bill Clinton was the last Democratic presidential nominee to win Dent County in 1992; he lost the county during his 1996 reelection bid, and since then, voters in Dent County have strongly backed Republicans.
Like most rural areas throughout Southeast Missouri, voters in Dent County generally adhere to socially and culturally
Education
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Dent County, 66.3% possesses a
Public schools
- Dent-Phelps R-III School District - Salem[20]
- Green Forest R-II School District - Salem[21]
- Green Forest Elementary School (K-08)
- North Wood R-IV School District - Salem[22]
- North Wood Elementary School (PK-08)
- Oak Hill R-I School District - Salem
- Oak Hill Elementary School (PK-08)
- Dent-Phelps Elementary School (K-08)
- Salem R-80 School District - Salem[23]
- William H. Lynch Elementary School (K-02)
- Salem Upper Elementary School (03-06)
- Salem Jr. High School (07-09)
- Salem High School (10-12)
Alternative and vocational schools
- Salem 61 School - Salem - (K-12) - Special Education
- Ozark Hills State School - Salem - (K-12) - A school for handicapped students and those with other special needs.
Colleges and universities
- Southwest Baptist University Annex - Salem - A satellite campus of Southwest Baptist University.
Public libraries
- Salem Public Library[24]
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated Communities
See also
References
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 104.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports". www.thearda.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Dent County, Missouri".
- ^ "Missouri county to fly flags at half-mast to mourn Supreme Court's 'despicable' marriage ruling". Raw Story. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ Fang, Marina (July 14, 2015). "Missouri County Cancels 'Mourning' For Gay Marriage After Citizens Protest". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Missouri House of Representatives". house.mo.gov. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ a b c "County Results - State of Missouri - 2016 General Election - November 8, 2016 - Official Results". Missouri Secretary of State. December 12, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ Moore, Doug. "Rural Missouri county won't lower courthouse flag after all". stltoday.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "Dent-Phelps Home Page". June 28, 2009. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "HOME OF THE MUSTANGS". HOME OF THE MUSTANGS. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "North Wood R-IV: Every Child Matters...Every Day!". www.northwood.k12.mo.us. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ "Salem R80 School District". Salem R80 School District. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Salem Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
Further reading
- History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps, and Dent counties, Missouri (1889) full text
External links
- Official website
- Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Dent County Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books