Fair Grove is a city in Greene 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 1,582 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

A post office called Fair Grove has been in operation since 1856. The community was named for a grove of trees near the original town site that reminded the early settlers of Fairgrove,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, from where they migrated. The Boegel and Hine Flour Mill-Wommack Mill was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1986.

Geography

Fair Grove is located at (37.380992, -93.150996). Fair Grove is located approximately north of

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

U.S. Route 65 U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of ...

MODOT The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT, ) is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Missouri under the guidance of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. MoDOT designs, ...

upgraded the four lane Highway 65 south to Springfield, connecting with four lanes south to

Branson Branson may refer to: Places ;Canada * Branson, Toronto ;United States * Branson, Missouri, a popular tourist destination in the Ozark Mountains * Branson, Colorado * Branson City, California * The Branson School, in Ross, California * Warrenpoi ...

and Buffalo. 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 city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,393 people, 529 households, and 389 families residing in the city. 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 RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 580 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.4%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.5%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 529 households, of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.5% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.1% were from 45 to 64; and 11.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,107 people, 405 households, and 309 families residing in the city. The

was 357.1 people per square mile (137.9/km²). There were 421 housing units at an average density of 135.8 per square mile (52.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.19%

, 0.18% Native American, 0.18%

, and 1.45% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.36% of the population. There were 405 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were

living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.18. In the city the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the city in 2000 was $36,761, and the median income for a family was $41,167. Males had a median income of $30,688 versus $21,447 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 city was $16,765. About 6.4% of families and 6.8% of the population were 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 7.1% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Fair Grove R-10 School District is a K-12 school district located at 132 N. Main Street in Fair Grove. The school district is again for the ninth year out of 10 and for the last four years Accredited with Distinction in Performance. This is the highest accreditation awarded by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The school enrollment is 1,140 students in the learning centers: grades PreK–4, 5–8, and 9–12. In addition to the basic courses, instruction is provided through classes of remediation, special needs, enrichment, college preparatory, advanced, vocational courses, area vocational school, dual credit and distant learning courses with nearby universities. This district far exceeds the educational opportunities required by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. In 2007, voters approved a tax bond for new construction projects and for renovation of current space. In the summer of 2008 the construction was completed on the new Middle School that was built in 2007 as a result of the tax bond. The New Middle School was opened for the 2008–09 school year. As of May 2013, Fair Grove completed a new FEMA storm shelter / safe room that the school and community can utilize during a tornado warning. The safe room was featured on the Today show on May 22, 2013 as reported b
GoFairGrove.com
Fair Grove's main source for photos, news and information. Fair Grove made national news in 2009 due to part of the school being destroyed during the May 2009 Southern Plains derecho event and the community has since taken steps to help protect the school and its students.

Arts and culture

The most notable event that takes place in Fair Grove each year is the Fair Grove Heritage Reunion. This always takes place the last full weekend in September. This

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

has its roots with the original Fair Grove Fair in the early 1900s and 1910s, and more recently with the Fair Grove Arts and Crafts Festival which started in 1978. Dan and Betty Manning organized a gathering of 12 local craftsmen to sell their wares on the square. That first year, Granny Poke, in a bedraggled cookshack, fired up her wood stove to cook a batch of

brown beans Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model use ...

, poke greens, homemade fruit cobbler and

cornbread Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are st ...

. A short parade began the two-day event, with a small crowd attending. A few men of the town gathered at the mill to learn log splitting and shingle riving, and Sassafras tea, pawpaws and

hickory nuts Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...

were available, just for the asking. Since those early years, the organizers of that first festival have seen many changes and improvements. Today, the crowd estimate during the Fair Grove Heritage Reunion is 40,000 to 50,000 on Saturday and around 30,000 on Sunday. The number of booths have increased to almost 400, with many featuring demonstrations, such as

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...

bobbin lace Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually de ...

and soap making. The two-day event still includes a parade and a church service in front of the historic mill. Activities abound throughout the show area. Some of the favorites include corn grinding in the Boegel & Hine Flour Mill, working draft teams, an antique tractor rodeo,

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

and

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two pos ...

obstacle course and wheat threshing. Primitive gasoline engines and steam-powered engines are furnished through the Early Day Gas Engines and Tractor Association, Branch 16 and The Ozark Steam Engine Association. Demonstrations of corn shredders and a corn shellers also occur throughout the day. The 2012 the Festival had an estimated 80,000 attendance. In 2007, the festival parade was the longest ever (over 3 hours long) in celebration of the festival's 40th Anniversary.

References

External links

City of Fair Grove Homepage

Fair Grove News, Photos, Events & Information

Fair Grove Chamber of Commerce Homepage

Fair Grove Historical Society Homepage
{{authority control Cities in Greene County, Missouri Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri Cities in Missouri