Commerce is a

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

village in Scott County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States. The population was 67 at the time of the 2010 census.

History

In 1788, the present site of Commerce was first occupied by French settlers, making Commerce apparently the third-oldest present site settlement in Missouri after

St Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and St. Charles. A trading post established in 1803 served as the center of commerce for the region, hence the name of the settlement. In 1823, the circuit court ordered a board of commissioners to be appointed to lay out lots here. From 1864 to 1878, Commerce was the county seat of Scott County. Commerce was one of the few areas in Scott County to have uninterrupted mail service during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

, as guerilla bands elsewhere made delivery unsafe for the northern carriers. Commerce, along with the German settlement of New Hamburg, were the two enclaves of Union sympathizers in Scott County during the war. On November 1, 1861, Colonel Oglesby landed in Commerce with about 3,000 men, where his soldiers soon exchanged shots with

M. Jeff Thompson Brigadier-General M. Jeff Thompson (January 22, 1826 – September 5, 1876), nicknamed "Swamp Fox," was a senior officer of the Missouri State Guard who commanded cavalry in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. The () w ...

. On December 29, 1861, Thompson raided Commerce. On February 21, 1862, General Pope landed here with 140 troops, but when he left a week later his force consisted of 26,153 men. The island in front of Commerce was known as Cat Island at least as early as Mark Twain's time; however, it has been absorbed by Powers Island to the south. Commerce was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

town, with a congregation established as early as 1825 and without a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul com ...

church until 1906.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 67 people, 30 households, and 18 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPop ...

was . There were 41 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 92.54%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

and 7.46%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

. There were 30 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 3.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the village was 46.5 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.5% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 22.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 56.7% male and 43.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 110 people, 42 households, and 30 families living in the village. The

was 344.0 people per square mile (132.7/km²). There were 49 housing units at an average density of 153.3 per square mile (59.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.36%

, 2.73%

, 0.91% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population. There were 42 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13. In the village the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $36,667, and the median income for a family was $48,750. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $16,607 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $17,552. There were no families and 4.3% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including no under eighteens and 28.6% of those over 64.

References

{{authority control Cities in Missouri Cities in Scott County, Missouri Missouri populated places on the Mississippi River