Centralia is a city in Boone County 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 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 ...

. The population was 4,541 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population of 4,244 in 2018. A very small portion of the city lies in Audrain County. The Boone County portion of Centralia (which forms the majority of the city) is part of the Columbia

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 ...

, while a small part in Audrain County is part of the

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Centralia is located at (39.209657, -92.136300). 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 4,027 people, 1,601 households, and 1,063 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 RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,755 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 o ...

, 1.0%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.5% 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 1.3% 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 1.6% of the population. There were 1,601 households, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age in the city was 38 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 66 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,774 people, 1,505 households, and 1,032 families living in the city. The

was 1,492.0 people per square mile (575.9/km²). There were 1,648 housing units at an average density of 651.5 per square mile (251.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.11%

, 1.14%

, 0.42% Native American, 0.08%

, 0.21% from

, and 1.03% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.82% of the population. There were 1,505 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,475, and the median income for a family was $40,671. Males had a median income of $30,399 versus $21,115 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 $17,583. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% 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 3.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Centralia R-VI School District operates four schools: Chance Elementary School (grades PK-2), Centralia Intermediate School (grades 3-5), Chester Boren Middle School (grades 6-8), and Centralia High School (grades 9-12). Centralia Intermediate School is the newest building of the four, having opened for classes in August 2009. It was constructed in order to deal with the district's increasing enrollment. This new technology-rich building contains 15 classrooms, each with 12 computers. The town has a lending library, the Centralia Public Library.

History

City Origin

Centralia was laid out in 1857 and was named after its central location on the North Missouri Railroad from

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves b ...

, and from the fact that it was located near the center of a vast prairie between

and

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

, and between Columbia and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

Civil War

On September 27, 1864, 22 unarmed

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

soldiers returning home on leave were pulled from a train in Centralia and executed by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

bushwhackers under William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson. A Union force pursuing the guerrillas was ambushed, and about 150 were killed; some were executed, and some were tortured first. Many of the bodies were mutilated, then stuffed with the remains of decaying cattle bones. The incident came to be known as the Centralia Massacre.

The A.B. Chance Company

The A.B. Chance Company was founded in 1907 by Albert Bishop Chance. He invented the first practical

earth anchor An earth anchor is a device designed to support structures, most commonly used in geotechnical and construction applications. Also known as a ground anchor, percussion driven earth anchor or mechanical anchor, it may be impact driven into the gr ...

. The company played a vital role in the growth of Centralia. Over the course of nearly 120 years, Chance has delivered pole line hardware, switches, cutouts and fuse links in addition to anchors, foundations, hot line tools, fiberglass and rubber products to the world-wide electricity transmission and distribution industry. Acquired by Hubbell in 1994, the Chance brand is manufactured in Centralia, Missouri. The company still plays a major role in Centralia's economy with employing 860 people.

Registered Historic Places

The following Centralia locations have been 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 ...

: *

Albert Bishop Chance House and Gardens The Chance House and Gardens is a historic home and garden located at Centralia, Missouri. The house was built in 1904, and is a two-story, Queen Anne style frame dwelling on a raised brick basement. It features a broad verandah and porte coch ...

* Chatol

Anchor Fest

Due to Centralia's rich history in earth anchors, there is a yearly celebration traditionally held the weekend after Memorial Day. It is looked at as a great time of year to kick off the summer and have fun enjoying the rides, great food, funnel cakes, arts and crafts and of course live music. There is also a parade of high school bands, local organizations, tractors and classic cars.

Notable people

* Albert Bishop Chance, inventor of the

, mayor, and founder of the A.B. Chance Company.

References

External links

City of Centralia official website

Centralia Area Chamber of Commerce
* Historic maps of Centralia in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at 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 Audrain County, Missouri Cities in Boone County, Missouri Cities in Missouri Cities in Columbia metropolitan area (Missouri) Columbia metropolitan area (Missouri) 1857 establishments in Missouri