Lawson is a city in

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...

, Clinton, and

Ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gr ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

and part of the

Kansas City metropolitan area The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more th ...

. The population was 2,541 at the 2020 census.

Geography

Lawson is located at (39.437848, -94.207973). 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 2,473 people, 876 households, and 676 families living 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 937 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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% 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 ...

, and 1.4% from two or more races.

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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population. There were 876 households, of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% 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 ...

living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.8% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.21. The median age in the city was 33.1 years. 31.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 818 households, and 624 families living in the city. The

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%

, 0.30%

, 0.13% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.39% from

, and 1.16% from two or more races.

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

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 (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 $17,438. About 6.8% of families and 7.0% 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 ...

, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

History

Lawson was founded in 1870 and was named for New York businessman L. M. Lawson. A post office called Lawson has been in operation since 1876. Lawson is home to Ray County's oldest bank, Lawson Bank, founded in 1883. Interesting sites near Lawson include the historic Watkins Mill (now a Missouri state park and

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

) and KC-10L, a

Nike missile The United States Army's Nike Ajax was the world's first operational guided surface-to-air missile (SAM), entering service in 1954. Nike Ajax was designed to attack conventional bomber aircraft flying at high subsonic speeds and altitudes abov ...

base, located a mile east of Lawson (Nov 1959 - Feb 1964).

Community and government

Lawson is a fourth class city under Missouri statutes and has a governing body consisting of the Mayor and a four-member Board of Aldermen. Other decision making bodies include: the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Board of Adjustment and the Parks Board. The City Hall staff includes a City Administrator, City Clerk, staff, and a Municipal Court Clerk. There is a Director of Public Works with a small staff. The Chief of Police has seven officers. The City Attorney, Municipal Court Judge and Prosecutor serve on a contract basis. Regarding recreation, in addition to Watkins Mill, there is an 18-hole golf course and the Lawson City Lake north of the city limits. Lawson also has a baseball/softball complex and a small city park.

Education

Public education in Lawson is administered by Lawson R-XIV School District, which operates one elementary school, one middle school, and Lawson High School. Lawson has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamen ...

, the Lawson Community Branch Library.

References

External links

City of Lawson official website

Lawson Chamber of Commerce
* Historic maps of Lawson in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

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

{{authority control Cities in Clay County, Missouri Cities in Clinton County, Missouri Cities in Ray County, Missouri Cities in Missouri