Lawson, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Lawson is a city in Clay and Ray counties in the U.S. state
of Missouri
. The population was 2,473 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 2.11%, is water.
of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 818 households, and 624 families residing in the city. The population density
was 838.3 people per square mile (323.3/km²). There were 852 housing units at an average density of 305.7 per square mile (117.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.65% White, 0.30% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.39% from other races
, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 818 households out of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples
living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,875, and the median income for a family was $49,018. Males had a median income of $38,875 versus $22,273 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,438. About 6.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
(now a Missouri state park and National Historic Landmark
) and Ray County's longest continuously in-print newspaper, The Lawson Review. KC-10L, a Nike missile
base, is located a mile east of Lawson (Nov 1959 - Feb 1964). Tactical Airsoft Base (TAB) uses the base to host airsoft
and paintball
games.
over the previous three years in excess of $89,000 from city funds. During the investigations several other issues were uncovered and publicly recognized, such as an annual financial audit not having been completed for several years. To complicate the situation, over-spending and financial mismanagement when added to the theft left the city approximately $500,000 short of funds, prompting citizens to initiate a petition audit with the state of Missouri to review the city's procedures in more depth. Audit findings were released to citizens in a special town hall meeting in September 2007.
In the April 2007 election, several new faces ran for city council, taking seat at the next regular council meeting. Promptly, workshops began to collect and organize information of, about, and affecting the city's operations, procedures, and finances. The transition of the new city council occurred in the midst of the state's auditing activities in the city. Shortly following the auditors' completion of research on-site within the city, but before the results of the state's audit could be presented to the citizens, both the mayor, George Green, and City Administrator, John Tracy, resigned within a week of each other. Green cited health reasons for stepping down. While the exact details of Tracy's resignation have not been made a part of public record, as it occurred during a closed-session special meeting of the council, it has been reported that he was required to clean out his office and is not allowed to return to city hall. The council already has additional workshops scheduled to continue their progress in directing the city toward more open communication with the public. In November 2007, the council hired a new city administrator with the assistance of the Mid-America Regional Council
(MARC).
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The population was 2,473 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Lawson is located at 39°26′16"N 94°12′29"W (39.437848, -94.207973).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 2.11%, is water.
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 2,336 people, 818 households, and 624 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 838.3 people per square mile (323.3/km²). There were 852 housing units at an average density of 305.7 per square mile (117.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.65% White, 0.30% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.39% 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 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 818 households out of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,875, and the median income for a family was $49,018. Males had a median income of $38,875 versus $22,273 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 $17,438. About 6.8% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Lawson is home to Ray County's oldest bank, Lawson Bank, founded in 1883. The bank recovered from a devastating fire in 1914 and still stands at 4th & Penn today. Other sites in Lawson include the historic Watkins MillWatkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site
Watkins Mill, in Lawson, Missouri, is a preserved woolen mill dating to the mid-19th century. Designated a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966, the mill is protected as Missouri's Watkins Mill State Historic Site which preserve its machinery and business records as well as the building...
(now a Missouri state park and National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
) and Ray County's longest continuously in-print newspaper, The Lawson Review. KC-10L, a Nike missile
Project Nike
Project Nike was a U.S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953...
base, is located a mile east of Lawson (Nov 1959 - Feb 1964). Tactical Airsoft Base (TAB) uses the base to host airsoft
Airsoft
Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms.Gameplay varies in style and composition but often range from short-term skirmishes, organized scenarios, military simulations, historical reenactments, to competition target shooting events...
and paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
games.
Community and government
The community has been labeled by some as a hotbed of corruption after City Clerk Rhonda Minnick was charged in August 2006 and convicted in April 2007 for theft and forgeryForgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
over the previous three years in excess of $89,000 from city funds. During the investigations several other issues were uncovered and publicly recognized, such as an annual financial audit not having been completed for several years. To complicate the situation, over-spending and financial mismanagement when added to the theft left the city approximately $500,000 short of funds, prompting citizens to initiate a petition audit with the state of Missouri to review the city's procedures in more depth. Audit findings were released to citizens in a special town hall meeting in September 2007.
In the April 2007 election, several new faces ran for city council, taking seat at the next regular council meeting. Promptly, workshops began to collect and organize information of, about, and affecting the city's operations, procedures, and finances. The transition of the new city council occurred in the midst of the state's auditing activities in the city. Shortly following the auditors' completion of research on-site within the city, but before the results of the state's audit could be presented to the citizens, both the mayor, George Green, and City Administrator, John Tracy, resigned within a week of each other. Green cited health reasons for stepping down. While the exact details of Tracy's resignation have not been made a part of public record, as it occurred during a closed-session special meeting of the council, it has been reported that he was required to clean out his office and is not allowed to return to city hall. The council already has additional workshops scheduled to continue their progress in directing the city toward more open communication with the public. In November 2007, the council hired a new city administrator with the assistance of the Mid-America Regional Council
Mid-America Regional Council
The Mid-America Regional Council serves as the Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the bistate Kansas City region. MARC encourages cooperation and collaboration on issues that extend beyond the jurisdiction of a single city, county or state...
(MARC).
External links
- Lawson Police Department
- Lawson Chamber of Commerce
- The Lawson Review
- Lawson R-XIV School District
- Historic maps of Lawson in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...