Piedmont is a city in northwestern
Wayne County in Southeast
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. Its population was 1,897 at the
2020 census. Part of the
Ozark Foothills Region, it is at the convergence of State Highways 34 and 49. Piedmont, transliterated as "foot of the mountain," is named for its position at the foot of Clark Mountain, a 1424-foot summit approximately two miles north of the town.
History
Piedmont was
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
ted in 1871 when the
Iron Mountain Railroad was extended south to that point. The community derives its name from the French ''pied'' and ''mont'', meaning "foot" and "mountain" respectively. A post office called Piedmont has been in operation since 1872.
Geography
Piedmont is located at .
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 , of which is land and is water.
Piedmont includes the neighborhood of
Beckville.
Nearby
Clearwater Lake, a flood-control lake that was constructed in the 1940s and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, brings substantial seasonal tourism to Piedmont for boating, fishing, and camping.
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 1,977 people, 823 households, and 500 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 993 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5%
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 ...
, 0.5%
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, 1.0%
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 ...
, 0.8% 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 1.1% 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 ...
or
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 1.4% of the population.
There were 823 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were
married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 42.9 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.3% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 1,992 people, 869 households, and 528 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 959 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.09%
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 ...
, 0.16%
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 ...
, 0.40%
Native American, 0.35%
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 ...
, 0.20% 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 0.80% 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 ...
or
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 0.60% of the population. Among the major first ancestries reported in Piedmont were 21.4%
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
, 11.6%
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 11.3%
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 8.6%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, 3.7%
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, and 2.5%
French.
There were 869 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were
married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,678, and the median income for a family was $23,500. Males had a median income of $27,120 versus $17,500 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 $11,976. About 24.3% of families and 26.5% 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 34.7% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Among residents 25 years of age and older in Piedmont, 36.1% possess a
high school diploma
A high school diploma or high school degree is a North American academic school leaving qualification awarded upon high school graduation. The high school diploma is typically obtained after a course of study lasting four years, from grade 9 to gra ...
or higher, 7.5% have a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
, and 3.9% hold a post-graduate/professional degree as their highest educational attainment.
Public schools
The Clearwater R-I School District serves the educational needs of most of the city's residents and nearby throughout most of western Wayne County. According to th
Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education there is one elementary school, one middle school and one senior high school in the district. During the 2008–2009 school year, there was a total of 1,110 students and 111 certified staff members enrolled in the Clearwater R-I School District. The school colors are orange and black and its mascot is the tiger.
* Clearwater Elementary School (PK-4)
* Clearwater Middle School (5-8)
* Clearwater High School (9-12)
Private schools
* Victory Baptist Academy (PK-12)
Library
Piedmont has a lending library, the Piedmont Public Library.
Government
City/local
The City of Piedmont is governed by Mayor William H. "Bill" Kirkpatrick and a four-member city council. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) at Piedmont City Hall, 115 W. Green Street.
Piedmont Elected City Officials
* Mayor: William H. "Bill" Kirkpatrick
* Ward I Aldermen: Morgan Robinson and Karin Townsend
* Ward II Aldermen: Kyle Allen and Roger Bishop
* City Collector: Bill McMurry
* Chief of Police: Richard Sanders
Piedmont Appointed City Officials
* City Clerk: Tammy Thurman
* City Treasurer: Dennis Ross
* City Attorney: Robert Ramshur
State
Piedmont is a part of Missouri's 144th Legislative District and is currently represented by
Chris Dinkins (R-
Annapolis, Missouri
Annapolis is a city located in southern Iron County, Missouri, Iron County, Missouri, United States. The population was 250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
Annapolis was laid out in 1871, and according to tradition, named af ...
). In the
Missouri Senate
The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two ye ...
, State Senator Wayne Wallingford (R-
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau ( , french: Cap-Girardeau ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540. The city is one of two principal citi ...
) represents Piedmont as part of Missouri's 27th Senatorial District.
Federal
Piedmont is included in
Missouri's 8th congressional district
Missouri's 8th congressional district is one of 435 congressional districts in the United States and one of eight congressional districts in the state of Missouri. The district encompasses rural Southeast Missouri and South Central Missouri as w ...
and is currently represented 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 ...
by
Jason T. Smith (R-
Salem, Missouri
Salem is the county seat of Dent County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,608 at the 2020 census, which allows Salem to become a Class 3 city in Missouri; however, the city has chosen to remain a Class 4 city under Missouri Revise ...
).
Climate
Piedmont has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa'').
Arts and culture
Piedmont was once known for its two nearby drive-in theaters, the Pine Hill Drive-In and the 21 Drive-In near Van Buren. Pine Hill Drive-In closed in 2015.
Since 1977 Piedmont has hosted an Ozark Heritage Fall Festival annually in mid-October, which showcases traditional Ozark culture and handicrafts, and is one of the highest attended in the region.
Notable people
*
Robert Banks, award-winning chemist and co-inventor of "crystalline polypropylene" and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
* Chester Barnett, screenwriter and actor during silent film era who wrote
The Ancient Mariner (1925) and appeared in over 175 films including
The Wishing Ring (1914)
* George W. Stivers, United States Marine Corps aviator who disappeared as part of
Flight 19
Flight 19 was the designation of a group of five General Motors TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle on December 5, 1945, after losing contact during a United States Navy overwater navigation training flight fr ...
in 1945.
[https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/GEORGE_W._STIVERS,_JR.,_CAPT,_USMC]
References
External links
City of Piedmont websiteWayne County Journal Banner* Historic maps of Piedmont in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collectionat the
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 ...
{{authority control
Cities in Wayne County, Missouri
1871 establishments in Missouri
Cities in Missouri