Bollinger County, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Bollinger County is a county located in Southeast Missouri
in the United States
. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 12,363; despite a 2009 estimate that showed the population to be 11,841. The county seat
is Marble Hill
, which is the only city in Bollinger County. The county was officially organized in 1851.
Bollinger County is part of the Cape Girardeau
–Jackson
, MO-IL
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bollinger County is known for its natural beauty and is the home of the Missouri dinosaur. Blue Pond, the deepest natural pond in Missouri, is located in southern Bollinger County.
s roamed the area that would eventually become known as Bollinger County. The "Missouri Dinosaur," a hadrosaur (duck-billed), was discovered at a dig near Glen Allen. It has produced bones from different dinosaurs and aquatic species. Bollinger County has the distinction of having a truly "Midwestern Dinosaur."
The county's terrain ranges from the Mississippi Delta flatlands in the south to the Ozark hills in the north. Streams with names such as Crooked Creek, Little Whitewater, Big Whitewater, Hurricane and Castor played an important part in creating the fertile fields that now line their banks.
The county was named after George Frederick Bollinger
, the eleventh of 12 children of Heinrich Bollinger. George Frederick Bollinger persuaded 20 other families to leave North Carolina
in the fall of 1799 and settle in a region immediately west of what is now Cape Girardeau, Missouri
. To acquire the land, Bollinger first had to sign off a document asserting that he and his fellow settlers were all Roman Catholics. In reality, most of the group were members of the German Reformed Church and none were actually Catholic. However, Don Louis Lorimier
, the Spanish Land Commandant of Cape Girardeau
, had been impressed by Bollinger on an earlier visit and decided to bend the rules for him and his fellow settlers.
Making the journey from North Carolina
with George Frederick Bollinger were his brothers John, Daniel, and Mathias Bollinger and two nephews Mann Henry Bollinger and William Bollinger. Several friends also joined the expedition including brothers George and Peter Grount (Grounds) along with Peter's young son Daniel Grount, brothers Peter and Conrad Statler, Joseph Neyswanger, Peter Crytes, Jacob Cotner, John and Isaac Miller, Frederick Limbaugh, Leonard Welker and Frederick Slinkard. Also with him family of Johannes Caspar Shell; Michael, Caspar and Benjamin Shell. Benjamin Shell later married George's sister Elizabeth in Cape Girardeau in 1807. All had immigrated with their families from Germany in the early 18th century and later migrated down the Shenandoah Valley
into North Carolina by the late 18th century.
Lorimier's willingness to place German Reformed settlers west of Cape Girardeau is somewhat perplexing given his earlier role in placing a group of Shawnee
settlers in that same location. Lorimier had intimate ties to the Shawnee group. His wife, Charlotte Bougainville of Ohio
, was half French and half Shawnee. In Pickawillany
, Ohio
, Lorimier had supported the British and had led Shawnee and Delaware Indian raids against the growing American presence there. His raids had led to an attempt by George Rogers Clark
to exterminate the French and Shawnee population at Pickawillany. Lorimier survived and fled to Spanish territory, where he eventually became the Spanish Land Commandant. With Lorimier's help, Shawnee tribe members from Ohio were granted the right by the Spanish in 1793 to take up residence in the land to the west of Cape Girardeau. By that time the earlier indigenous tribes of that area were no longer present, presumably due to their lack of resistance to European diseases such as measles
and smallpox
that had been carried in earlier by European traffic and settlement along the Mississippi River
. Despite Lorimier's historically protective role of the Shawnee group, the Shawnee appear to have been viewed with distrust by many of the inhabitants of Cape Girardeau. This distrust may have influenced Lorimier's decision to augment the area with European settlers.
The Bollinger-led group of German Reformed families moved into the area in January 1800, crossing their wagons over the Mississippi River after an unusually cold stretch of weather had frozen the surface all the way across. Meanwhile, ownership of the region shifted in quick succession from Spain
to France
and then in 1803 to the United States
via the Louisiana Purchase
.
The change in national ownership did not bode well for the earlier Shawnee settlers. In 1825 they were removed permanently when the U.S. government enacted the Treaty with the Shawnee of 1825. This treaty, whose first signatory was William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
fame, required that the Shawnee move to what is now known as Shawnee Mission, Kansas
, on land that had previously belonged to the Osage
tribes. The Osage tribe was the major Native American
influence at the time of European settlement. By the 1830s most of the Native Americans were displaced by white
settlers. One of the Cherokee
Trail of Tears
routes passed through Sedgewickville while another route passed through Glennon and Zalma.
The region west of Cape Girardeau
was organized as a county in 1851 and named Bollinger County in honor of George Frederick Bollinger
. In the next county to the west, Madison County
, the settlement of Fredericktown
was also named after George Frederick Bollinger.
The U.S. Civil War
was a difficult time for the citizens of Bollinger County. Numerous skirmishes were fought between the North and the South. Bands of guerrillas roamed the county killing many people and looting homes, farms and businesses. During the 20th century, many Bollinger County men and women fought bravely in wars and conflicts worldwide. More recently, local men and women have participated in the War on Terrorism
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bollinger County has a long and proud history. Although some history has been lost, many citizens have helped compile very informative written histories of the area. Publications and original records can be found at the Bollinger County Library, the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, and the Bollinger County Courthouse where the county archives are located.
or higher as their highest educational attainment while 6.9% had a bachelor's degree
or higher.
with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion.
The most predominant denominations among residents in Bollinger County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists
(52.27%), Roman Catholics (18.30%), and Methodists
(12.92%).
, the county has a total area of 621 square miles (1,608.4 km²), of which 0.07% is water.
of 2000, there were 12,029 people, 4,576 households, and 3,464 families residing in the county. The population density
was 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 5,522 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.79% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.13% from other races
, and 0.93% from two or more races. Approximately 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,576 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% were married couples
living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.30% were non-families. 21.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,744, and the median income for a family was $42,948. Males had a median income of $26,078 versus $17,588 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,387. About 10.90% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.
Bollinger County is a predominantly youth
ful community. According to the Economic Development Intelligence System (EDIS) as of 2007, 25.5% of the total population was aged 0–19, 12.5% was aged 20–29, 12.3% was aged 30–39, 14.9% was aged 40–49, 13.9% was aged 50–59, and 20.8% of the total population was aged 60 and over in Bollinger County.
In Bollinger County, 99.6% of all residents were born in the United States
. Of these American-born citizens in the county, 81.28% were born in Missouri
, 7.71% were born elsewhere in the Midwest
, 7.32% were born in the South
, 2.81% were born in the Inner Mountain or Pacific West
, and 0.89% were born in the Northeast
or New England
region of the country.
In Bollinger County, 48 residents (0.4%) are foreign-born, which is lower than the Missouri state average of 2.7%. Of all foreign-born residents in Bollinger County, 40% were born in Germany
, 13% in Yugoslavia
, 13% in the Philippines
, 13% in Canada
, 6% in Chile
, 4% in the Netherlands
, and another 4% was born somewhere else in Europe
.
The most commonly reported first ancestries in Bollinger County were 34% German
, 24% United States or American
, 10% Irish
, 9% English
, 3% Dutch
, 2% French
(excluding Basque
), and 1% Scottish
.
areas, the standard of living
in Bollinger County is significantly lower than many other places. In 2008, the cost of living index in Bollinger County was low (76.0) compared to the U.S. average of 100. The unemployment rate in Bollinger County is also lower than the state and national levels. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the October 2008 unemployment rate in the United States was 6.7 percent whereas in Missouri it was 6.5 percent. According to economic research compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the October 2008 unemployment rate in Bollinger County was 5.6 percent.
The most common industries providing employment in Bollinger County consist of manufacturing
(25.5%), educational, health and social services
(14.7%), construction
(12.3%), and retail trade
(10.8%) while other kinds of industries account for the rest (36.7%). The most common industries for males in Bollinger County are construction (20%), agriculture
, forestry
, fishing
and/or hunting
(8%), truck transportation
(5%), transportation equipment (5%), metal and metal products (4%), repair and maintenance (4%), and paper (4%). The most common occupations for males in the county included driving/sales workers and truck drivers (9%), other production occupations including supervisors (8%), electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance and repair occupations including supervisors (6%), vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers and repairers (6%), metal and plastic workers (6%), carpenters (5%), and hand-laborers and material movers (5%). For females, the most common industries are health care (16%), educational services (9%), apparel (8%), accommodation and food services (6%), finance and insurance (4%), public administration (4%), and metal and metal products (4%). The most common occupations for females includes other production occupations including supervisors (9%), textile, apparel and furnishings workers (8%), secretaries and administrative assistants (6%), other sales and related workers including supervisors (4%), building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%), other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (3%), and retail sales workers not including cashiers (3%).
A majority of employees in Bollinger County (78%) receive a private wage or salary, 10% work in public or government jobs, 11% is self-employed while another 1% performs some sort of unpaid family work. A majority of workers in the county (76%) drive their own cars to work, 16% carpools, 5% works at home, 2% walks, 1% takes a bus or trolley bus, and less than 1 percent rides to work on a motorcycle or uses some other form of transportation.
:
areas, the county is not immune from crime
. As reported by the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department, there were no murder
s, six rape
s, no robberies
, 44 assault
s, 54 burglaries
, 84 theft
s, and three auto thefts
reported in the county in 2004-2005.
According to the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department Sex Offenders Registry, there are 18 registered sex offender
s—17 males and one female—residing in Bollinger County.
While Missouri has the notorious reputation as the state with the most methamphetamine
lab busts in the United States, the number of lab incidents in Bollinger County is significantly lower and basically nonexistent when compared to the regional and statewide average. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there were no methamphetamine lab busts reported in Bollinger County in 2008.
A growing concern among residents in Bollinger County, however, is underage drinking and driving while intoxicated.
and the hot and humid Gulf of Mexico
. In the southern part of the state, particularly in the Bootheel
, the climate borders on a humid subtropical climate. Therefore, Bollinger County, which is located above the Bootheel, can be said to have more of a humid continental climate sometimes influenced by a humid subtropical climate. Average temperatures in Bollinger County range from 22 °F (-5.6 °C) in January to 89 °F (31.7 °C) in July. According to Weather.com, some weather facts about Bollinger County include the following:
The historical area-adjusted tornado
activity in Bollinger County is near the Missouri state average but is 1.7 times above the U.S. national average. Tornadoes in the county have caused one fatality and 24 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004. On April 27, 2002, an F3 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 158-206 mph killed a teenage boy in between Hahn and Marble Hill and injured 16 people and caused $4 million in damages.
. In fact, all but three of Bollinger County’s elected officials are Republicans.
In the Missouri House of Representatives
, all of Bollinger County is a part of Missouri’s 156th District and is currently represented by State Representative
Shelley Keeney
(R-Marble Hill), a former school teacher and legislative aide to Rod Jetton
, the former Speaker of the House. Keeney defeated Michael Winder (D-Marquand
), an ironworker, by 8.36 points—54.18 to 45.82 percent—in the November 4, 2008 general election. The 156th District includes all of Bollinger and Madison counties as well as most of Wayne County.
In the Missouri Senate
, all of Bollinger County is a part of Missouri's 27th District and is currently represented by State Senator
Jason Crowell
(R-Cape Girardeau). Crowell defeated Linda Sanders (D-Jackson) in the November 4, 2008 general election. The 27th Senatorial District includes all of 0Bollinger, Cape Girardeau
, Madison
, Mississippi
, Perry
and Scott
counties.
, Bollinger County is a part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jo Ann Emerson
(R-Cape Girardeau).
At the presidential level, Bollinger County is a reliably Republican stronghold. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Bollinger County was Jimmy Carter
in Election 1976
. Since then, voters in Bollinger County have strongly backed the Republican candidates for president. John McCain
carried Bollinger County by more than a two-to-one margin in Election 2008
. George W. Bush
carried Bollinger County by similar margins both times in 2000
and 2004
.
Like most rural areas, Bollinger County in general strongly support socially and culturally conservative
principles and therefore tend to vote Republican. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman
—it overwhelmingly passed Bollinger County with 88.78 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
. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state
—it failed in Bollinger County with 67.72 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
. Despite Bollinger County’s longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist
causes like increasing the minimum wage
. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Bollinger County with 66.71 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 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
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...
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 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 12,363; despite a 2009 estimate that showed the population to be 11,841. The 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 Marble Hill
Marble Hill, Missouri
Marble Hill is a fourth-class city in central Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. Located at the intersection of State Highway 34 and State Highway 51, it is the largest city in Bollinger and serves as the county seat . The population was 1,502 at the 2000 census...
, which is the only city in Bollinger County. The county was officially organized in 1851.
Bollinger County is part of the Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
–Jackson
Jackson, Missouri
Jackson is a city in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,758 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cape Girardeau County. Jackson is named for U.S. President Andrew Jackson. It is a principal city of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan...
, MO-IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bollinger County is known for its natural beauty and is the home of the Missouri dinosaur. Blue Pond, the deepest natural pond in Missouri, is located in southern Bollinger County.
History
Sixty million years ago, dinosaurDinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s roamed the area that would eventually become known as Bollinger County. The "Missouri Dinosaur," a hadrosaur (duck-billed), was discovered at a dig near Glen Allen. It has produced bones from different dinosaurs and aquatic species. Bollinger County has the distinction of having a truly "Midwestern Dinosaur."
The county's terrain ranges from the Mississippi Delta flatlands in the south to the Ozark hills in the north. Streams with names such as Crooked Creek, Little Whitewater, Big Whitewater, Hurricane and Castor played an important part in creating the fertile fields that now line their banks.
The county was named after George Frederick Bollinger
George Frederick Bollinger
George Frederick Bollinger was born in Tryon County, North Carolina. Both Bollinger County, Missouri and Fredericktown, Missouri are named after him.He was the eleventh of the twelve children of Heinrich Bollinger...
, the eleventh of 12 children of Heinrich Bollinger. George Frederick Bollinger persuaded 20 other families to leave North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the fall of 1799 and settle in a region immediately west of what is now Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
. To acquire the land, Bollinger first had to sign off a document asserting that he and his fellow settlers were all Roman Catholics. In reality, most of the group were members of the German Reformed Church and none were actually Catholic. However, Don Louis Lorimier
Don Louis Lorimier
Louis Lorimier was born in the Etienne parish of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is considered to the founder and first European settler of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where he later served as the Spanish Land Commandant...
, the Spanish Land Commandant of Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
, had been impressed by Bollinger on an earlier visit and decided to bend the rules for him and his fellow settlers.
Making the journey from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with George Frederick Bollinger were his brothers John, Daniel, and Mathias Bollinger and two nephews Mann Henry Bollinger and William Bollinger. Several friends also joined the expedition including brothers George and Peter Grount (Grounds) along with Peter's young son Daniel Grount, brothers Peter and Conrad Statler, Joseph Neyswanger, Peter Crytes, Jacob Cotner, John and Isaac Miller, Frederick Limbaugh, Leonard Welker and Frederick Slinkard. Also with him family of Johannes Caspar Shell; Michael, Caspar and Benjamin Shell. Benjamin Shell later married George's sister Elizabeth in Cape Girardeau in 1807. All had immigrated with their families from Germany in the early 18th century and later migrated down the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
into North Carolina by the late 18th century.
Lorimier's willingness to place German Reformed settlers west of Cape Girardeau is somewhat perplexing given his earlier role in placing a group of Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
settlers in that same location. Lorimier had intimate ties to the Shawnee group. His wife, Charlotte Bougainville of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, was half French and half Shawnee. In Pickawillany
Pickawillany
Pickawillany was a Miami Indian village located on the current site of the city of Piqua, Ohio, in the United States.It was created in 1748 by La Demoiselle, a Miami chief, and was destroyed by the French and their Indian allies under Charles Langlade in June 1752...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Lorimier had supported the British and had led Shawnee and Delaware Indian raids against the growing American presence there. His raids had led to an attempt by George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
to exterminate the French and Shawnee population at Pickawillany. Lorimier survived and fled to Spanish territory, where he eventually became the Spanish Land Commandant. With Lorimier's help, Shawnee tribe members from Ohio were granted the right by the Spanish in 1793 to take up residence in the land to the west of Cape Girardeau. By that time the earlier indigenous tribes of that area were no longer present, presumably due to their lack of resistance to European diseases such as measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
and smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
that had been carried in earlier by European traffic and settlement along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Despite Lorimier's historically protective role of the Shawnee group, the Shawnee appear to have been viewed with distrust by many of the inhabitants of Cape Girardeau. This distrust may have influenced Lorimier's decision to augment the area with European settlers.
The Bollinger-led group of German Reformed families moved into the area in January 1800, crossing their wagons over the Mississippi River after an unusually cold stretch of weather had frozen the surface all the way across. Meanwhile, ownership of the region shifted in quick succession from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and then in 1803 to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
via the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
.
The change in national ownership did not bode well for the earlier Shawnee settlers. In 1825 they were removed permanently when the U.S. government enacted the Treaty with the Shawnee of 1825. This treaty, whose first signatory was William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
fame, required that the Shawnee move to what is now known as Shawnee Mission, Kansas
Shawnee Mission, Kansas
Shawnee Mission, Kansas is a name created by the United States Postal Service to describe an area of Johnson County, Kansas that contains numerous towns. Parts of southern Overland Park are not part of Shawnee Mission as they were annexed from unincorporated Stanley and use zip code 66085...
, on land that had previously belonged to the Osage
Osage Nation
The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...
tribes. The Osage tribe was the major Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
influence at the time of European settlement. By the 1830s most of the Native Americans were displaced by white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
settlers. One of the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
routes passed through Sedgewickville while another route passed through Glennon and Zalma.
The region west of Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
was organized as a county in 1851 and named Bollinger County in honor of George Frederick Bollinger
George Frederick Bollinger
George Frederick Bollinger was born in Tryon County, North Carolina. Both Bollinger County, Missouri and Fredericktown, Missouri are named after him.He was the eleventh of the twelve children of Heinrich Bollinger...
. In the next county to the west, Madison County
Madison County, Missouri
Madison County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 11,800. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,276. Its county seat and largest city is Fredericktown...
, the settlement of Fredericktown
Fredericktown, Missouri
Fredericktown is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Missouri, United States, in the northeastern foothills of the Ozark Mountains. The population was 3,928 at the 2000 census...
was also named after George Frederick Bollinger.
The U.S. 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...
was a difficult time for the citizens of Bollinger County. Numerous skirmishes were fought between the North and the South. Bands of guerrillas roamed the county killing many people and looting homes, farms and businesses. During the 20th century, many Bollinger County men and women fought bravely in wars and conflicts worldwide. More recently, local men and women have participated in the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bollinger County has a long and proud history. Although some history has been lost, many citizens have helped compile very informative written histories of the area. Publications and original records can be found at the Bollinger County Library, the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, and the Bollinger County Courthouse where the county archives are located.
Education
As of 2007, 70.7% of residents 25 years of age and older in Bollinger County had a high school diplomaHigh 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 as their highest educational attainment while 6.9% had 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.
Public Schools
- Leopold R-III School District - LeopoldLeopold, MissouriLeopold is an unincorporated community in eastern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located four miles east on Highway N about seven miles southeast of Marble Hill. The community consists of roughly 65 residents and has one of the smallest public high schools in the...
- Named the best public school in Southeast Missouri by the Southeast Missourian newspaper for the past four academic school years- Leopold Elementary School (K-06)
- Leopold High School (07-12)
- Meadow Heights R-II School District - PattonPatton, MissouriPatton is an unincorporated community in northern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located on State Highway 51 about one mile south of the intersection with Route 72 along Little Whitewater Creek and 15 miles north of Marble Hill, Missouri.Patton is part of the...
- Meadow Heights Elementary School (PK-06)
- Meadow Heights High School (07-12)
- Woodland R-IV School District - Marble HillMarble Hill, MissouriMarble Hill is a fourth-class city in central Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. Located at the intersection of State Highway 34 and State Highway 51, it is the largest city in Bollinger and serves as the county seat . The population was 1,502 at the 2000 census...
- Woodland Elementary School (K-04)
- Woodland Middle School (05-08)
- Woodland High School (09-12)
- Zalma R-V School District - ZalmaZalma, MissouriZalma, once known as Bollinger's Mill, is a small river town quietly nestled on the banks of the winding Castor River at a point where the river makes a horseshoe bend in southern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri. When the railroad moved to town, the name Bollinger's Mill was changed to...
- Zalma Elementary School (K-06)
- Zalma High School (07-12)
Private Schools
- New Bethel Christian School - Marble HillMarble Hill, MissouriMarble Hill is a fourth-class city in central Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. Located at the intersection of State Highway 34 and State Highway 51, it is the largest city in Bollinger and serves as the county seat . The population was 1,502 at the 2000 census...
- (06-12) - Non-denominational ChristianNon-denominational ChristianityIn Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations... - New Salem Baptist Academy - Marble HillMarble Hill, MissouriMarble Hill is a fourth-class city in central Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. Located at the intersection of State Highway 34 and State Highway 51, it is the largest city in Bollinger and serves as the county seat . The population was 1,502 at the 2000 census...
- (PK-12) - BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Bollinger County is a part of the Bible BeltBible 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 Bollinger 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...
(52.27%), Roman Catholics (18.30%), 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...
(12.92%).
Geography
According to the U.S. 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 county has a total area of 621 square miles (1,608.4 km²), of which 0.07% is water.
Adjacent counties
- Perry CountyPerry County, MissouriPerry County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,132. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 18,743. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 from Ste...
(north) - Cape Girardeau CountyCape Girardeau County, MissouriCape Girardeau County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 75,764. While the largest city in the county is Cape Girardeau, the county seat is actually Jackson, which was the first city named in honor of President...
(east) - Stoddard CountyStoddard County, MissouriStoddard 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...
(south) - Wayne CountyWayne County, MissouriWayne 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...
(southwest) - Madison CountyMadison County, MissouriMadison County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 11,800. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,276. Its county seat and largest city is Fredericktown...
(northwest)
Major highways
Route 34
Route 51
Route 72
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 12,029 people, 4,576 households, and 3,464 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 19 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 5,522 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.79% White, 0.21% Black or African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.13% 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 0.93% from two or more races. Approximately 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,576 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.80% 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, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.30% were non-families. 21.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,744, and the median income for a family was $42,948. Males had a median income of $26,078 versus $17,588 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 $16,387. About 10.90% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.
Bollinger County is a predominantly youth
Youth
Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...
ful community. According to the Economic Development Intelligence System (EDIS) as of 2007, 25.5% of the total population was aged 0–19, 12.5% was aged 20–29, 12.3% was aged 30–39, 14.9% was aged 40–49, 13.9% was aged 50–59, and 20.8% of the total population was aged 60 and over in Bollinger County.
In Bollinger County, 99.6% of all residents were born in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Of these American-born citizens in the county, 81.28% were born in 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...
, 7.71% were born elsewhere in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, 7.32% were born in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, 2.81% were born in the Inner Mountain or Pacific West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, and 0.89% were born in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
or New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
region of the country.
In Bollinger County, 48 residents (0.4%) are foreign-born, which is lower than the Missouri state average of 2.7%. Of all foreign-born residents in Bollinger County, 40% were born in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 13% in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, 13% in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, 13% in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, 6% in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, 4% in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and another 4% was born somewhere else in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The most commonly reported first ancestries in Bollinger County were 34% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 24% United States or American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 10% 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...
, 9% 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...
, 3% Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, 2% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
(excluding Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
), and 1% Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
.
Economy
As it is in many ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas, the standard of living
Standard of living
Standard of living is generally measured by standards such as real income per person and poverty rate. Other measures such as access and quality of health care, income growth inequality and educational standards are also used. Examples are access to certain goods , or measures of health such as...
in Bollinger County is significantly lower than many other places. In 2008, the cost of living index in Bollinger County was low (76.0) compared to the U.S. average of 100. The unemployment rate in Bollinger County is also lower than the state and national levels. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the October 2008 unemployment rate in the United States was 6.7 percent whereas in Missouri it was 6.5 percent. According to economic research compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the October 2008 unemployment rate in Bollinger County was 5.6 percent.
The most common industries providing employment in Bollinger County consist of manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
(25.5%), educational, health and social services
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
(14.7%), construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
(12.3%), and retail trade
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
(10.8%) while other kinds of industries account for the rest (36.7%). The most common industries for males in Bollinger County are construction (20%), agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and/or hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
(8%), truck transportation
Trucking industry in the United States
The trucking industry involves the transport and distribution of commercial and industrial goods using commercial motor vehicles . In this case, CMVs are most often trucks; usually semi trucks, box trucks, or dump trucks...
(5%), transportation equipment (5%), metal and metal products (4%), repair and maintenance (4%), and paper (4%). The most common occupations for males in the county included driving/sales workers and truck drivers (9%), other production occupations including supervisors (8%), electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance and repair occupations including supervisors (6%), vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers and repairers (6%), metal and plastic workers (6%), carpenters (5%), and hand-laborers and material movers (5%). For females, the most common industries are health care (16%), educational services (9%), apparel (8%), accommodation and food services (6%), finance and insurance (4%), public administration (4%), and metal and metal products (4%). The most common occupations for females includes other production occupations including supervisors (9%), textile, apparel and furnishings workers (8%), secretaries and administrative assistants (6%), other sales and related workers including supervisors (4%), building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%), other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (3%), and retail sales workers not including cashiers (3%).
A majority of employees in Bollinger County (78%) receive a private wage or salary, 10% work in public or government jobs, 11% is self-employed while another 1% performs some sort of unpaid family work. A majority of workers in the county (76%) drive their own cars to work, 16% carpools, 5% works at home, 2% walks, 1% takes a bus or trolley bus, and less than 1 percent rides to work on a motorcycle or uses some other form of transportation.
Agriculture
Like it is in many rural areas, agriculture and farming plays a critical role in the economy of Bollinger County. The average size of a farm in the county is 250 acres (1 km²). The average value of agricultural products sold per farm was $21,451 while the average total farm production expenses per farm was $19,413. The average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm was $36,801 and 31.69% of land in farms consisted of harvested croplands. In the county, 93.65% of all farms were operated by a family or one individual. The average age of the principal farm owner in the county was 56 years old. The average number of cattle and calves per 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of all land in farms in the county was 14.10 while 0.61% of all cattle and cows were used for milking. There were 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) of land in orchards in Bollinger County. The most common crops are soybeans for beans with 20279 acres (82 km²) harvested, corn for grain with 10057 acres (41 km²) harvested, and all wheat for grain with 2857 acres (12 km²) harvested.Villages
- Glen Allen
- SedgewickvilleSedgewickville, MissouriSedgewickville is a village in northern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 197; a 2009 estimate, however, showed the population to be 189, a decrease of 4.06%....
- ZalmaZalma, MissouriZalma, once known as Bollinger's Mill, is a small river town quietly nestled on the banks of the winding Castor River at a point where the river makes a horseshoe bend in southern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri. When the railroad moved to town, the name Bollinger's Mill was changed to...
Unincorporated towns
- Alliance - Previously known as Bristol and also known as Jugtown, it is located on County Road 214 north of Patton about a mile off Highway 51. The Alliance Post Office was in existence from November 13, 1889-December 31, 1953.
- ArabArab, MissouriArab is an unincorporated community in southern Bollinger County, Missouri, United States. It is located about four miles south of Zalma and 12 miles north of Puxico on at the intersection of Highway 51 with Highway C and Highway P, twenty miles northwest of Dexter. The community was founded in...
- Bessville - Located at the end of Route OO northwest of Glen Allen, there once was a station here on the Belmont Branch Railroad. Bessville is named after the Bess family, including Sam Bess (who was the owner of the very first store here) and Levi Bess, the first postmaster of the post office that was in existence in Bessville from July 25, 1856-March 21, 1864 and then again from April 6, 1871-April 30, 1955.
- Buchanan - Located on Route Y south of Highway 51 near Castor River. It is named after President James Buchanan, the first person for whom Postmaster Washington A. McMinn voted.
- Dongola - Located on Highway 51 just west of the Highway 91 intersection, it was destroyed by a tornado on May 30, 1917 and never recovered. Dongola is still intact today, though.
- Drum - Founded in 1893 by John W. Laird, Drum is located just south of the Route T and Route F intersection east of Glennon. It was named after State Senator Richard Drum (R-Marble Hill).
- GipsyGipsy, MissouriGipsy is an unincorporated community in western Bollinger County, Missouri, United States. It is located on Missouri Supplemental Route E fourteen miles southwest of Marble Hill on Licklog creek....
- Glennon - Located at the intersection of Route T and Route AB, it is named after Archbishop John Glennon, who gave permission to establish a parish here on November 29, 1905. It is home to St. Anthony's Catholic Church as well as the Glennon Rural Volunteer Fire Department.
- GrassyGrassy, MissouriGrassy is an unincorporated community in western Bollinger County, Missouri, United States. It is located eight miles west of Marble Hill on Route 34.Grassy is part of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- Greenbrier - Located at the end of Route W northeast of Arab, there once was a station here along the Zalma Branch Railroad. The Greenbrier Post Office was in existence from November 15, 1889-September 30, 1957.
- Grisham - Previously known as Grisham Spur, it is located on County Road 840 northwest of Bessville. There once was a point here on the Belmont Branch Railroad. It is named after Loyd Grisham, a man who helped build a railroad spur here from the Belmont Branch Railroad around 1910.
- Hahn - Previously known as North Zalma, it is located on Route H just south of the Route FF intersection about halfway between Marble Hill and Zalma. It was founded in 1875 by Jacob Hahn and Harmon Gray. The Hahn Post Office started sometime in 1895 and existed until January 31, 1954.
- Hurricane - Located near the intersection of County Road 328 and County Road 330 south of Patton.
- Laflin - Located at the end of Route U northeast of Leopold, there once was a station here on the Belmont Branch Railroad. It is named after Sylvester M. Laflin, a director of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad. The Laflin Post Office existed from January 4, 1871-April 15, 1954.
- LeopoldLeopold, MissouriLeopold is an unincorporated community in eastern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located four miles east on Highway N about seven miles southeast of Marble Hill. The community consists of roughly 65 residents and has one of the smallest public high schools in the...
- Lixville - Located at the intersection of Route K and Route KK north of Sedgewickville, it is named after the Lix family although there are disparities between which member. Some say it is named after Henry Lix who received a land patent on January 3, 1856; others claim it is named after Louis W. Lix, the first postmaster of the office that existed from November 25, 1895-April 15, 1945.
- Lodge - Previously known as Sumac, the post office that once operated here changed its name to Lodge around 1880. It is located on Route DD near the Madison County line.
- Mayfield - Located at the end of Route JJ southeast of Patton.
- North Patton - Located on Highway 51 north of Patton Junction and Patton.
- PattonPatton, MissouriPatton is an unincorporated community in northern Bollinger County in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located on State Highway 51 about one mile south of the intersection with Route 72 along Little Whitewater Creek and 15 miles north of Marble Hill, Missouri.Patton is part of the...
- Patton Junction - Located at the intersection of Highway 51 and Highway 72 north of Patton.
- Sank - Located on County Road 528 just north of Highway 51 about halfway in between Zalma and the Highway 51-91 Junction.
- Schlatitz - Located on Highway 51 just west of Dongola and east of Sank not far from Zalma.
- Scopus - Located at the intersection of Route B and Route M northeast of Marble Hill, today Scopus is a small little community that consists of a tiny convenience store. A state-licensed daycare, Little Rascals, also exists in Scopus.
- Shrum - Located on County Road 306 east of Bessville.
- SturdivantSturdivant, MissouriSturdivant is an unincorporated community in extreme southern Bollinger County, Missouri, United States. It is located about sixteen miles north of Dexter along State Highway V. The zip code is 63782...
- Tallent - Located at the intersection of Route A and Route YY.
Extinct towns
- Bollinger Mill - Located just off Route EE northwest of Sedgewickville on Whitewater River, it was named after Mathias Bollinger, brother of George Frederick Bollinger, who established the mill here sometime around 1815. The mill was purchased by John Hermann Dolle in 1853 and operated by the Dolle family until 1936 when it was sold to Terry Bollinger.
- Burg - Located somewhere between Zalma and Gipsy on Route E, the Pioneer Cooperage Company operated a lumber mill here from about 1906-1911 after which the company was moved to Coldwater in Wayne County when the timber played out. The town died soon thereafter.
- Castor - Located at the end of Route MM near the Wayne County line.
- Castor Bridge - Located on Castor River near the end of County Road 615 southeast of Zalma, it used to be where the river crossed between Zalma and Greenbrier on the Zalma Branch Railroad.
- Castor Station - Also known as simply just "Castor," it is located on a county road southwest of Brownwood near the Castor River. There used to be a point on the Cape Girardeau Southwestern Line here.
- Choat - Located on County Road 702 southwest of Grassy, it was named after Postmaster Albert Choat who also owned a store here.
- Clippard - Located somewhere northeast of Laflin, possibly near a county road crossing of Granny Creek. Some sources, however, place Clippard Post Office a few miles south of Laflin.
- Ezra - Located possibly near County Road 916 east of Route HH northwest of Patton, it is named after Ezra Martin, who was a popular local schoolteacher. The Ezra Post Office was in existence from October 30, 1908-September 30, 1913.
- Heitmans Mill - Located on Whitewater River just south of the Perry County line near the junction of County Road 920 and County Road 930.
- Huskey - Also spelled Husky, it is located on Highway 34 near the bridge over Hog Creek. The post office here existed from August 4, 1887-October 22, 1891 and then again from May 5, 1899-August 31, 1907.
- Huxie - Previously known as Need More, it is located somewhere between Hahn and Marble Hill. It was named after William J. Huxie, a sawmill operator.
- Loyd - Located somewhere east of Marquand, possibly near the end of Route YY.
- LutesvilleLutesville, MissouriLutesville was a city in Bollinger County, Missouri. It was adjacent to and southwest of Marble Hill on Route 51 and Route 34. In 1869, the city was laid out to secure a St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway depot location...
- Precinct - Located north of Patton at the intersection of Highway 51 and Route NN.
- Richardson - Located at the end of County Road 644 along the Diversion Channel east of Greenbrier, there used to be a station on the Zalma Branch Railroad between Greenbrier and Brownwood.
- Rose - Located somewhere west of Mayfield.
- Scheperville - Located south of Marble Hill along Highway 51, it was named after Frederick Scheper, the first postmaster.
- Sitzke Store - Also known as Twin Bridges, it was located at the intersection of Highway 34 and Route MM along the Castor River. Today it is home to Twin Bridges Park, a popular camping and swimming spot along the river.
- Storis - Also known as Stores, there used to be a station on an old railroad branch between Richardson and Brownwood.
- Trowel - Located somewhere north of Schlatitz, probably somewhere in the woods.
- Younts Store - Located at the intersection of Route A and O northeast of Marquand.
- Zephyr - Located somewhere west of Hahn.
Townships
Bollinger County is divided into eight townshipsTownship (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
:
|
Scopus Township, Bollinger County, Missouri Scopus Township is one of eight townships in Bollinger County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,348.-Geography:Scopus Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements... Union Township, Bollinger County, Missouri Union Township is one of eight townships in Bollinger County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,035.-Geography:Union Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements... Wayne Township, Bollinger County, Missouri Wayne Township is one of eight townships in Bollinger County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,415.-Geography:Wayne Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Zalma... Whitewater Township, Bollinger County, Missouri Whitewater Township is one of eight townships in Bollinger County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 911.-Geography:Whitewater Township covers an area of and contains one incorporated settlement, Sedgewickville... |
Crime
Although it is not as prevalent in Bollinger County as it is in more urbanUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
areas, the county is not immune from crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. As reported by the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department, there were no murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s, six rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
s, no robberies
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, 44 assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
s, 54 burglaries
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, 84 theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
s, and three auto thefts
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
reported in the county in 2004-2005.
According to the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department Sex Offenders Registry, there are 18 registered sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s—17 males and one female—residing in Bollinger County.
While Missouri has the notorious reputation as the state with the most methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
lab busts in the United States, the number of lab incidents in Bollinger County is significantly lower and basically nonexistent when compared to the regional and statewide average. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, there were no methamphetamine lab busts reported in Bollinger County in 2008.
A growing concern among residents in Bollinger County, however, is underage drinking and driving while intoxicated.
Climate and Weather
Missouri generally has a humid continental climate with cool to cold winters and long, hot summers. Due to its location in the interior United States, Missouri often experiences extremes in temperatures. Not having either large mountains or oceans nearby to moderate its temperature, its climate is alternately influenced by air from the cold ArcticArctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and the hot and humid Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. In the southern part of the state, particularly 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...
, the climate borders on a humid subtropical climate. Therefore, Bollinger County, which is located above the Bootheel, can be said to have more of a humid continental climate sometimes influenced by a humid subtropical climate. Average temperatures in Bollinger County range from 22 °F (-5.6 °C) in January to 89 °F (31.7 °C) in July. According to Weather.com, some weather facts about Bollinger County include the following:
- On average, the warmest month in Bollinger County is July.
- The highest recorded temperature in Bollinger County was 108 °F (42.2 °C) in 1954.
- January is the average coolest month in Bollinger County.
- The lowest recorded temperature in Bollinger County was -27 °F in 1951.
- The maximum average precipitation in Bollinger County occurs in March (4.91 inches).
The historical area-adjusted tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
activity in Bollinger County is near the Missouri state average but is 1.7 times above the U.S. national average. Tornadoes in the county have caused one fatality and 24 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004. On April 27, 2002, an F3 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 158-206 mph killed a teenage boy in between Hahn and Marble Hill and injured 16 people and caused $4 million in damages.
Local
Politics at the local level in Bollinger County is predominantly controlled by the Republican PartyRepublican 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...
. In fact, all but three of Bollinger County’s elected officials are Republicans.
State
| 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... |
56.05% 3,232 | 42.06% 2,425 | 1.89% 109 |
| 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... |
67.25% 3,902 | 31.76% 1,843 | 0.98% 57 |
| 2000 | 61.76% 3,190 | 36.98% 1,910 | 1.26% 65 |
| 1996 | 47.96% 2,372 | 51.11% 2,528 | 0.93% 46 |
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...
, all of Bollinger County is a part of Missouri’s 156th District and is currently represented by State Representative
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...
Shelley Keeney
Shelley Keeney
Shelley Keeney is a state representative from the U.S. state of Missouri currently serving her first term in the Missouri House of Representatives. She succeeded the seat originally held by former Speaker of the House Rod Jetton...
(R-Marble Hill), a former school teacher and legislative aide to Rod Jetton
Rod Jetton
Rod Jetton is a U.S. politician. He was a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives who has represented Missouri's 156th District from 2001 to 2009 and was Speaker of the Missouri House from 2005 to 2009.-Early life:Jetton was born in De Soto, Missouri, to Bill and Judy Jetton...
, the former Speaker of the House. Keeney defeated Michael Winder (D-Marquand
Marquand, Missouri
Marquand is a small town located in eastern Madison County, Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town's population was 251; a July 2007 estimate, however, showed the population to be 264...
), an ironworker, by 8.36 points—54.18 to 45.82 percent—in the November 4, 2008 general election. The 156th District includes all of Bollinger and Madison counties as well as most of Wayne County.
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 Bollinger County is a part of Missouri's 27th 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...
Jason Crowell
Jason Glennon Crowell
Jason Glennon Crowell is a state senator from the U.S. state of Missouri currently serving his second term in the Missouri Senate. He succeeded the seat previously held by Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder...
(R-Cape Girardeau). Crowell defeated Linda Sanders (D-Jackson) in the November 4, 2008 general election. The 27th Senatorial District includes all of 0Bollinger, Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Cape Girardeau County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 75,764. While the largest city in the county is Cape Girardeau, the county seat is actually Jackson, which was the first city named in honor of President...
, Madison
Madison County, Missouri
Madison County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 11,800. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,276. Its county seat and largest city is Fredericktown...
, Mississippi
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...
, Perry
Perry County, Missouri
Perry County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,132. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 18,743. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 from Ste...
and Scott
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...
counties.
Federal
In the U.S. House of RepresentativesUnited 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...
, Bollinger County is a part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently 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).
Political Culture
| 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 | 68.67% 3,972 | 29.22% 1,690 | 2.11% 122 |
| 2004 | 69.58% 4,102 | 29.75% 1,754 | 0.66% 39 |
| 2000 | 65.87% 3,487 | 31.96% 1,692 | 2.17% 115 |
| 1996 | 47.95% 2,420 | 40.50% 2,044 | 11.55% 583 |
At the presidential level, Bollinger County is a reliably Republican stronghold. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win Bollinger County was Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in Election 1976
United States presidential election, 1976
The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic...
. Since then, voters in Bollinger County have strongly backed the Republican candidates for president. 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....
carried Bollinger County by more than a two-to-one margin in Election 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...
. 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 Bollinger County by similar margins both times 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....
and 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...
.
Like most rural areas, Bollinger County in general strongly support 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 and therefore tend to vote Republican. 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 Bollinger County with 88.78 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 Bollinger County with 67.72 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 Bollinger 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 Bollinger County with 66.71 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 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)
Voters in Bollinger County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.- Hillary Rodham Clinton received more votes, a total of 971, than any candidate from either party in Bollinger County during the 2008 presidential primary. Bollinger County was Clinton's sixth strongest county in Missouri.
Tourism & Attractions
A part of Missouri's River Heritage Region, Bollinger County has several historical points of interest.- The Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, located in Marble Hill, houses a growing collection of natural history specimens and Native American artifacts from Missouri and other artifacts from around the world. The museum is home to "the Missouri dinosaur."
- The Massey Log House, built in 1869, located in Marble Hill.
- The Alma Fisher One-Room School in Marble Hill.
- The Cat Ranch Art Guild, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts in the county, is located in Marble Hill. It was started in memory of Tom Runnels, a local artist, sculptor and writer who died of brain cancer on September 3, 2000. The Guild's name is taken from Tom and his wife Saundra Runnels's property, which is called The Cat Ranch. The Guild is owned and operated by President Jeannie Eddleman, Runnels's niece and a former art teacher in the Zalma R-5 School District.
- St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold has one of the oldest pipe organs west of the Mississippi River.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Bollinger County, Missouri
External links
- City of Marble Hill Website
- Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Bollinger County from 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...
Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books