Charleston, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Charleston is a city in Mississippi County
, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Mississippi County
and it is a home to a local correctional facility.
and Ohio River
at Bird's Point, Missouri
(11 miles east on U.S. Route 60
). Its history has been tied to traffic on the rivers.
Settlement initially occurred on the north side in what in 1805 was called Matthews Prairie.
In 1837 Joseph Moore laid out the community after buying 22.5 acres (91,054.4 m²) for $337. According to town lore Moore promised to name the town for his brother Charles if he helped. At various times it was called St. Charles Prairie and Carlos Prairie before ultimately being named Charleston.
In 1845 it was selected the county seat.
On September 1, 1861, Confederate General M. Jeff Thompson
robbed the Union Bank of Charleston. Thompson, who handed the cashier a note, gave the cashier an hour to get approval from superiors to give him keys to the vault. After receiving the money he left a receipt for $57,000 and discovered later that only $56,000 was in the bags.
The city was the epicenter of the October 31, 1895 6.6 earthquake
on the New Madrid Seismic Zone
. The quake damaged virtually all buildings in Charleston, creating sand volcano
es, cracked a pier on the Cairo Rail Bridge
and toppled chimneys in St. Louis, Missouri
, Memphis, Tennessee
, Gadsden, Alabama
and Evansville, Indiana
. The fate of specific buildings may also be traced by Sanborn Maps
of the town produced during this period. The quake is the biggest quake since the 1812 New Madrid earthquake, which at 8.3 was the biggest recorded quake in the Contiguous United States
. One of the most visible signs of the quake is Henson Lake south of Charleston, which was greatly expanded by the quake.
In 1901 the county courthouse was built. It was designed by J.B. Legg, who designed numerous buildings throughout Missouri including the Gasconade County, Missouri
and St. Charles County, Missouri courthouses. On February 10, 1997, the courthouse was damaged by fire and was subsequently torn down.
A new courthouse has since been constructed in the place of the former.
, Charleston has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 4,732 people, 1,834 households, and 1,228 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,011.8 people per square mile (390.4/km²). There were 1,957 housing units at an average density of 418.5 per square mile (161.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.11% White, 45.60% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 0.15% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.
There were 1,834 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
living together, 24.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,812, and the median income for a family was $28,178. Males had a median income of $25,908 versus $17,292 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,876. About 21.2% of families and 26.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.3% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
(directed by Roger Corman
and starring William Shatner
) were filmed in Charleston.
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...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is 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....
of Mississippi County
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...
and it is a home to a local correctional facility.
History
Charleston is the biggest town on the Missouri side near the confluence of the Mississippi RiverMississippi 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...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at Bird's Point, Missouri
Bird's Point, Missouri
Bird's Point is an unincorporated community in Mississippi County, Missouri. It lies on an island or former island in the Mississippi River, near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and is situated directly across from Cairo, Illinois. This is the point where the U.S...
(11 miles east on U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is an east–west United States highway, running from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast in Virginia to western Arizona. Despite the final "0" in its number, indicating a transcontinental designation, the 1926 route formerly ended in Springfield, Missouri, at its intersection...
). Its history has been tied to traffic on the rivers.
Settlement initially occurred on the north side in what in 1805 was called Matthews Prairie.
In 1837 Joseph Moore laid out the community after buying 22.5 acres (91,054.4 m²) for $337. According to town lore Moore promised to name the town for his brother Charles if he helped. At various times it was called St. Charles Prairie and Carlos Prairie before ultimately being named Charleston.
In 1845 it was selected the county seat.
On September 1, 1861, Confederate General M. Jeff Thompson
M. Jeff Thompson
Meriwether Jeff Thompson was a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard during the American Civil War. He served the Confederate Army as a cavalry commander, and had the unusual distinction of having a ship in the Confederate Navy named for him.-Early life:*Father: Meriwether Thompson b....
robbed the Union Bank of Charleston. Thompson, who handed the cashier a note, gave the cashier an hour to get approval from superiors to give him keys to the vault. After receiving the money he left a receipt for $57,000 and discovered later that only $56,000 was in the bags.
The city was the epicenter of the October 31, 1895 6.6 earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
on the New Madrid Seismic Zone
New Madrid Seismic Zone
The New Madrid Seismic Zone , sometimes called the New Madrid Fault Line, is a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes in the southern and midwestern United States, stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.The New Madrid fault system was responsible for the...
. The quake damaged virtually all buildings in Charleston, creating sand volcano
Sand volcano
A sand volcano or sand blow is a cone of sand formed by the ejection of sand onto a surface from a central point. The sand builds up as a cone with slopes at the sand's angle of repose. A crater is commonly seen at the summit...
es, cracked a pier on the Cairo Rail Bridge
Cairo Rail Bridge
Cairo Rail Bridge is the name of two bridges crossing the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois. The original was an 1889 George S. Morison through truss and deck truss bridge replaced by the current bridge in 1952. The second and current bridge is a through truss bridge that reused many of the original...
and toppled chimneys in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Gadsden, Alabama
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
and Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
. The fate of specific buildings may also be traced by Sanborn Maps
Sanborn Maps
Sanborn Maps is an American publisher of historical and current maps of U.S. cities and towns that were initially created to estimate fire insurance liabilities. The company's maps are frequently used for preservation and restoration efforts....
of the town produced during this period. The quake is the biggest quake since the 1812 New Madrid earthquake, which at 8.3 was the biggest recorded quake in the Contiguous United States
Contiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
. One of the most visible signs of the quake is Henson Lake south of Charleston, which was greatly expanded by the quake.
In 1901 the county courthouse was built. It was designed by J.B. Legg, who designed numerous buildings throughout Missouri including the Gasconade County, Missouri
Gasconade County, Missouri
Gasconade County is a county in the U.S. state of Missouri located on the south side of the Missouri River, which once served as the chief route of transportation in the state. Located in the area called the Missouri Rhineland, the county had a population of 15,342 as of the 2000 U.S. Census. A...
and St. Charles County, Missouri courthouses. On February 10, 1997, the courthouse was damaged by fire and was subsequently torn down.
A new courthouse has since been constructed in the place of the former.
Athletics
Charleston High School has won 10 state boys basketball state championships the most recent of which in 2007.Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Charleston has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,732 people, 1,834 households, and 1,228 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,011.8 people per square mile (390.4/km²). There were 1,957 housing units at an average density of 418.5 per square mile (161.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.11% White, 45.60% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), 0.15% 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 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.
There were 1,834 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 24.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,812, and the median income for a family was $28,178. Males had a median income of $25,908 versus $17,292 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,876. About 21.2% of families and 26.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.3% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over.
Trivia
Significant portions of the 1962 film The IntruderThe Intruder (1962 film)
The Intruder is a 1962 American film directed by Roger Corman, after a novel by Charles Beaumont, starring William Shatner. Also called Shame in US release, and The Stranger in the UK release...
(directed by Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
and starring William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
) were filmed in Charleston.
Notable people
- Charlie BabbCharlie BabbFor the baseball player, see Charlie Babb Charles David Babb was a safety for the Miami Dolphins . He is a graduate of Charleston High School in Charleston, Missouri. Both of Charlie's parents are deaf, making for an interesting home life for Charlie as a child....
, former Miami Dolphin - Ricky FrazierRicky FrazierRicky Frazier is a drafted American professional basketball player who was cut before ever playing. He was drafted by the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls in 1982. After transferring from St. Louis University in 1980, he played on three Big Eight Conference championship and NCAA...
, former basketball player - Betty Cooper HearnesBetty Cooper HearnesBetty Cooper Hearnes is a Democratic American politician from Missouri.She married Warren Hearnes, a recent West Point graduate, in 1947, while he was on leave from the Army, and was his partner throughout his career, including his two terms as Governor of Missouri and the drawn-out vendetta...
, Missouri politician - Warren E. HearnesWarren E. HearnesWarren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat...
, former Missouri Governor - Matt WhitesideMatt WhitesideMatthew Christopher Whiteside is a former baseball pitcher. He graduated from Charleston High School in Charleston, Missouri, lettering in baseball, football, and basketball, in 1986, and then he attended Arkansas State University, graduating with a degree in physical education...
, baseball player - John E. ScottJohn E. ScottJohn E. Scott has been a Democrat state senator from Missouri where he served as senate president pro tem from 1983 until 1988.-References:* Blunt, Matt "Official Manual State of Missouri, 2001-2002"...
, former state senate president pro tem
External links
- Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...