Carroll County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,495. 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 Carrollton. The county was organized on January 2, 1833, from part of Ray County and named for

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an Irish-American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic si ...

, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Livingston County (north) * Chariton County (east) * Saline County (southeast) * Lafayette County (southwest) * Ray County (west) * Caldwell County (northwest)

Major highways

U.S. Route 24 U.S. Route 24 (US 24) is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is in Independence Township, Mic ...

* U.S. Route 65 * Route 10 * Route 139

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 10,285 people, 4,169 households, and 2,880 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 15 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 4,897 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.95%

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 o ...

, 1.72%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.27% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.14% 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 0.79% from two or more races. Approximately 0.71% of the population were

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 forme ...

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. 32.7% were of

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 ...

, 25.3% American, 11.8%

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 ...

and 9.2%

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 ...

ancestry. There were 4,169 households, out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.20% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 20.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,643, and the median income for a family was $36,773. Males had a median income of $26,135 versus $17,468 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 $15,522. About 9.70% of families and 13.70% 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 17.00% of those under age 18 and 12.80% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Carroll County is sometimes regarded as being on the northern edge of the

Bible Belt The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's a ...

, with evangelical Protestantism being the most predominant religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Carroll County who adhere to a religion are

Southern Baptists The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wo ...

(55.73%), United Methodists (11.01%), and Lutherans (LCMS) (9.69%).

2020 Census

Education

Public schools

Bosworth R-V School District
– Bosworth **Bosworth Elementary School (PK-06) **Bosworth High School (07-12)
Carrollton R-VII School District
– Carrollton **Adams-Dieterich Elementary School (K-04) **Adams Primary School (PK-01) **Carrollton Elementary School (02-04) **Carrollton Middle School (05-08) **Carrollton High School (09-12) *Hale R-I School District –

Hale Hale may refer to: Places Australia *Hale, Northern Territory, a locality *Hale River, in southeastern Northern Territory Canada *Hale, Ontario, in Algoma District United Kingdom * Hale, Cumbria, a hamlet near Beetham, Cumbria *Hale, Greater Man ...

**Hale Elementary School (PK-06) **Hale High School (07-12)
Norborne R-VIII School District
– Norborne **Norborne Elementary School (K-05) **Norborne High School (06-12)
Tina-Avalon R-II School District
– Tina **Tina-Avalon Elementary School (PK-06) **Tina-Avalon High School (07-12)

Public libraries

*Carrollton Public Library *Norborne Public Library

Politics

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Carroll County. Republicans hold all but three of the elected positions in the county.

State

All of Carroll County is a part of Missouri's 39th District in the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

and is currently represented b
Peggy McGaugh
(R- Carrollton). All of Carroll County is a part of Missouri's 21st District 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 ...

and is currently represented b
Denny Hoskins
(R- Warrensburg).

Federal

All of Carroll County is included in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and is currently represented by

Sam Graves Samuel Bruce Graves Jr. (born November 7, 1963) is an American politician serving as the United States representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches across most of the northern third of t ...

(R- Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Graves was elected to an eleventh term in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

over Democratic challenger Gena Ross. Carroll County, along with the rest of the state of Missouri, is represented in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

Josh Hawley Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...

(R- Columbia) and

Roy Blunt Roy Dean Blunt (born January 10, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator for Missouri, a seat he was first elected to in 2010. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd Missouri Secr ...

(R- Strafford). Blunt was elected to a second term in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

over then-Missouri Secretary of State

Jason Kander Jason David Kander (born May 4, 1981) is an American attorney, author, veteran, and politician. A Democrat, he served as the 39th secretary of state of Missouri, from 2013 to 2017. He had previously served as a member of the Missouri House of R ...

Political culture

At the presidential level, Carroll County has become solidly Republican in recent years. Carroll County strongly favored

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

in both

and

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Carroll County in 1996 with a plurality of the vote, and a Democrat hasn't won majority support from the county's voters in a presidential election since

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

. Like most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in Carroll County generally adhere to socially and culturally

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. Despite Carroll County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing

populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...

causes. In 2018, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition A) concerning

right to work The right to work is the concept that people have a human right to work, or engage in productive employment, and should not be prevented from doing so. The right to work is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized ...

, the outcome of which ultimately reversed the right to work legislation passed in the state the previous year. 63.63% of Carroll County voters cast their ballots to overturn the law.

Missouri presidential preference primaries

2020

The 2020 presidential primaries for both the Democratic and Republican parties were held in Missouri on March 10. On the Democratic side, former

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Joe Biden (D-

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

) both won statewide and carried Carroll County by a wide margin. Biden went on to defeat

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

in the general election. Incumbent

(R-

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

) faced a primary challenge from former

Massachusetts Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuset ...

Bill Weld William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945) is an American attorney, businessman, author, and politician who served as the 68th Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. A Harvard and Oxford graduate, Weld began his career as legal counsel to ...

, but won both Carroll County and statewide by overwhelming margins.

2016

The 2016 presidential primaries for both the Republican and Democratic parties were held in Missouri on March 15. Businessman

(R- New York) narrowly won the state overall, but carried a majority of the vote in Carroll County. He went on to win the presidency. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

(D- New York) narrowly won statewide, but Senator Bernie Sanders (I-

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

) carried a majority in Carroll County.

2012

The 2012 Missouri Republican Presidential Primary's results were nonbinding on the state's national convention delegates. Voters in Carroll County supported former U.S. Senator

Rick Santorum Richard John Santorum ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and was the Senate's third ...

(R-

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

), who finished first in the state at large, but eventually lost the nomination to 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 ...

Mitt Romney (R-

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

). Delegates to the congressional district and state conventions were chosen at a county caucus, which selected a delegation favoring Santorum. Incumbent

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

easily won the Missouri Democratic Primary and renomination. He defeated Romney in the general election.

2008

In 2008, the Missouri Republican Presidential Primary was closely contested, with Senator John McCain (R-

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

) prevailing and eventually winning the nomination. Carroll County gave McCain his highest vote share of any county in Missouri. Then- Senator

(D- New York) received more votes than any candidate from either party in Carroll County during the 2008 presidential primary. Despite initial reports that Clinton had won Missouri,

(D-

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

), also a Senator at the time, narrowly defeated her statewide and later became that year's Democratic nominee, going on to win the presidency.

Communities

Cities

* Bogard * Bosworth * Carrollton (county seat) * De Witt *

* Norborne

Village

* Tina

Unincorporated communities

* Bridge Creek * Coloma *

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

* Little Compton * Mandeville * Miami Station * Miles Point * Plymouth *

Roads A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

* Standish * Stet * Sugartree * Wakenda * White Rock

Townships

* Carrollton Township * Cherry Valley Township * Combs Township * De Witt Township * Egypt Township * Eugene Township * Fairfield Township * Hill Township * Hurricane Township * Leslie Township * Moss Creek Township * Prairie Township * Ridge Township * Rockford Township * Stokes Mound Township * Sugartree Township * Trotter Township * Van Horn Township * Wakenda Township * Washington Township

Notable people

* Lewis Eldon Atherton, historian 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 ...

* Amanda Austin, painter and sculptor *

Leon E. Bates Leon E. Bates Sr. (December 3, 1899 – July 25, 1972) was an American labor union leader with the United Auto Workers union (UAW) from 1937 to 1964 when he retired as an "International Representative" of the UAW. He was one of the first African-A ...

, UAW leader *

James Johnson Duderstadt James Johnson Duderstadt was the President of the University of Michigan from 1988 to 1996. Duderstadt was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1987 for significant contributions to nuclear science and engineering relating t ...

, President of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

(1988-1996) * James Fergason, inventor and business leader in electronics known for work with LCD * Francis Doyle Gleeson, Roman Catholic bishop * Don Martin, NFL player and coach * John C. McQueen, Major general, USMC, decorated veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

* James Shields, only person in U.S. history to serve in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

representing three different states: Illinois (1849-1849; 1849–1855), Minnesota (1858-1859), and Missouri (1879-1879) * Robert Simpson, athlete *

Barbara Sinatra Barbara Ann Blakeley Oliver Marx Sinatra (March 10, 1927 – July 25, 2017) was an American model, showgirl, socialite and the fourth wife of Frank Sinatra. Early life Barbara Ann Blakeley was born on March 10, 1927 in Bosworth, Missou ...

, wife of

Zeppo Marx Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979) was an American comedic actor, theatrical agent, and engineer. He was the youngest and last survivor of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers f ...

and later Frank Sinatra * Claude T. Smith, American band conductor, composer, and educator

References

External links

Carroll County Historical Society

from

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
Carroll County Sheriff's Office
{{authority control Missouri counties 1833 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1833