Lawrence County is located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of

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 ...

, in the area of the Ozarks. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,634. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Mount Vernon. The county was organized in 1845 and named for James Lawrence, a naval officer from the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

known for his battle cry, "Don't give up the ship!" A previous Lawrence County, established in 1815 with its county seat at what is now Davidsonville Historic State Park in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, covered much of what is now southern Missouri and the northern third of Arkansas. When the Arkansas Territory was created from Missouri Territory in 1819, some of that earlier county became organized as Lawrence County, Arkansas. Just before that, in 1818, Missouri divided its part of the old Lawrence County into Wayne County and Madison County; with population increases, those counties were later divided into others, including the present Lawrence County.

Racial History

Following the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

, southwestern Missouri became increasingly hostile to African Americans, and whites attacked blacks in Lawrence and other counties, seeking to expel them from the region. An African-American man was lynched in

Verona, Missouri Verona is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. The population was 619 at the 2010 census, later estimated to be 826 as of July 1, 2020. History A post office called Verona has been in operation since 1857. The town site was platt ...

on January 26, 1894; his name was not recorded. On August 19, 1901, three men were lynched by a white mob in the county seat,

Pierce City Pierce City, formerly Peirce City, is a city in southwest Lawrence County, Missouri, Lawrence and northwest Barry County, Missouri, Barry counties, in southwest Missouri, United States. The population was 1,292 at the 2010 United States Census, 201 ...

, in Lawrence County. The mob also burned down some black homes, and drove roughly 30 families, a total of 300 African Americans, out of the city altogether. Whites took over their properties and the African Americans were never compensated for losses. As a result of such incidents, many African Americans left Southwest Missouri in the early 20th century. Kimberly Harper, ''White Man's Heaven: The Lynching and Expulsion of Blacks in the Southern Ozarks, 1894-1909''
University of Arkansas Press, 2012''Lynching in America''/ ''Supplement: Lynchings by County, 3rd edition''
, Montgomery, Alabama: Equal Justice Initiative, 2015, p. 7 The extrajudicial murders were part of a pattern of discrimination, repeated violence and intimidation of African Americans in southwest Missouri from 1894 to 1909. Whites in Greene conducted a mass lynching of three African-Americans in 1906 in the courthouse square.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Dade County (north) * Greene County (northeast) *

Christian County Christian County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Christian County, Illinois * Christian County, Kentucky * Christian County, Missouri Christian County is located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. ...

(southeast) * Stone County (southeast) * Barry County (south) *

Newton County Newton County is the name of six counties in the United States. All except for Arkansas (and perhaps Mississippi) are named for Sgt. John Newton, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War who became a fictionalized hero. Many counties share a bo ...

(southwest) *

Jasper County Jasper County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. All are named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, a hero of the Revolutionary War. Five counties share a boundary with a Newton County, named for John Newton John ...

(west)

Major highways

* Interstate 44 * ''

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

'' (1926–1985) * Route 39 * Route 96 * Route 97 * Route 266

National protected area

Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge The Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge is a 40-acre (16-ha) National Wildlife Refuge located in Lawrence County, Missouri, 20 mi (32 km) west of Springfield. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the land in 1991 to ...

Demographics

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 2000, there were 35,204 people, 13,568 households, and 9,728 families residing in the county. 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 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 14,789 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.68%

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 ...

, 0.27%

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 o ...

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 ...

, 0.76% Native American, 0.22%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.67% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Approximately 3.39% of the population were

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. There were 13,568 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% 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, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,239, and the median income for a family was $36,846. Males had a median income of $27,309 versus $18,990 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 county was $15,399. About 11.00% of families and 14.10% 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 19.50% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Education

Public schools

Aurora R-VIII School District
– Aurora **Pate Early Childhood Center (PK-02) **Robinson Elementary School (03-04) **Robinson Intermediate School (05-06) **Aurora Junior High School (07-08) **Aurora High School (09-12)
Marionville R-IX School District
– Marionville **Marionville Elementary School (PK-05) **Marionville Middle School (06-08) **Marionville High School (09-12)
Miller R-II School District
– Miller **Central Elementary School (K-06) **Miller High School (07-12)
Mt. Vernon R-V School District
– Mt. Vernon **Mt. Vernon Elementary School (PK-02) **Mt. Vernon Intermediate School (03-05) **Mt. Vernon Middle School (06-08) **Mt. Vernon High School (09-12)
Pierce City R-VI School District
–

**Central Elementary School (PK-05) **Pierce City Middle School (06-08) **Pierce City High School (09-12)
Verona R-VII School District
–

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

**Verona Elementary School (PK-06) **Verona High School (07-12)

Private schools

Aurora Christian Academy
– Aurora (K-12) –

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 compete ...

(Special Education Emphasis) *Harvest Christian Academy – Aurora (K-12) –

Nondenominational Christian Nondenominational Christianity (or non-denominational Christianity) consists of churches which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligning with a specific Christian d ...

Round Grove Christian Academy
– Miller (PK-09) –

Trinity Lutheran School
–

Freistatt Freistatt is a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russ ...

(PK-08) –

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

St. Mary’s Catholic School
–

(PK-08) –

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Public libraries

*Barry-Lawrence Regional Library

Politics

Local

The

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

completely controls politics at the local level in Lawrence County. Republicans hold all elected positions in the county.

State

Lawrence County is divided into two legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, both of which are held by Republicans. *District 157 �
Mike Moon
(R- Ash Grove). Consists of most of the entire county. *District 158 �
Scott Fitzpatrick
(R- Shell Knob). Consists of a part of the southwest corner of the county, including about half of Pierce City. All of Lawrence County is a part of Missouri's 29th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented b
David Sater
(R- Cassville.

Federal

All of Lawrence County is included in

Missouri's 7th Congressional District Missouri's 7th congressional district consists of Southwest Missouri. The district includes Springfield, the home of Missouri State University, and the popular tourist destination city of Branson. Located along the borders of Kansas, Oklahoma ...

and is currently represented by Billy Long (R-

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 ...

) in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Political culture

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Voters in Lawrence County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomina ...

(R-

) received more votes, a total of 2,628, than any candidate from either party in Lawrence County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Communities

Cities

* Aurora * Marionville * Miller *

Monett Monett is the most-populous city in the Barry County, Missouri, Barry and Lawrence County, Missouri, Lawrence counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The city is located in the Ozark Mountains, Ozarks, just south of Interstate 44 in Missouri, Inte ...

* Mount Vernon (county seat) *

* Stotts City *

Villages

* Halltown * Hoberg

Census-designated place

Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...

Other unincorporated places

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...

* Bowers Mill * Clarkson * Elliott * Grays Point * Heatonville * Lawrenceburg *

Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gover ...

* McKinley *

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...

* Olinger *

Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

* Orange * Paris Springs Junction * Phelps * Plew * Red Oak *

Rescue Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an accident or a dangerous situation. Tools used might include search and rescue dogs, mounted search and rescue ho ...

* Round Grove * Spencer * Stinson

References

External links

Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Lawrence County
from

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books * https://www.webcitation.org/609AsaFfq?url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29109.html {{coord, 37.11, -93.83, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990 1845 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1845