Saline County is located along the Missouri River in the U.S. state of

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 2010 census, the population was 23,370. 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 ...

is Marshall. The county was established November 25, 1820, and named for the region's salt springs. Settled primarily by migrants from the Upper South during the nineteenth century, this county was in the region bordering the Missouri River known as " Little Dixie". In the antebellum years, it had many plantations operated with the forced labor of enslaved workers. One-third of the county population was African American at the start of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, but their proportion of the residents has declined dramatically to little more than five percent. Saline County comprises the Marshall, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Saline County was occupied for thousands of years by succeeding cultures of Missouri Native Americans. Saline County was organized by European-American settlers on November 25, 1820, and was named from the

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...

of the springs found in the region. After periods of conflict as settlers competed for resources and encroached on their territory, the local Native Americans, including the

Osage nation The Osage Nation ( ) ( Osage: 𐓁𐒻 𐓂𐒼𐒰𐓇𐒼𐒰͘ ('), "People of the Middle Waters") is a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Great Plains. The tribe developed in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys around 700 BC along ...

, were forced by the U.S. government to move to reservations in Indian Territory, first in Kansas and then in Oklahoma. Saline County was among several along the Missouri River that were settled primarily by migrants from the Upper South states of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. The settlers quickly started cultivating crops similar to those in

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...

and Kentucky:

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of '' Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants ...

and

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

; they had brought enslaved people with them to central Missouri, or purchased them from slave traders. These counties settled by southerners became known as " Little Dixie." By the time of the Civil War, one-third of the county population was

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 ...

; most of them were enslaved laborers on major

plantations A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

, particularly for labor-intensive tobacco cultivation. In 1847 the state legislature had prohibited any African Americans from being educated. After the war,

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom ...

and other residents had a hunger for education. The state's new constitution established public education for all citizens for the first time. It was segregated, in keeping with local custom. Each township with 20 or more African-American students were supposed to establish a school for them, but rural areas lagged in the number of schools and jurisdictions underfunded those for blacks. By the early 20th century, Saline County had eighteen schools for black students.''Rural and Small Town Schools in Missouri''
Dept. of Natural Resources, State Historic Preservation Officer, 2002, p. 10, accessed 15 March 2015 The remaining black schools from the

Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sou ...

era have been studied by the State Historic Preservation Office and many are being nominated to 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 ...

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 (1.5%) is water. It is located along the Missouri River.

Adjacent counties

* Carroll County (northwest) * Chariton County (northeast) * Howard County (east) * Cooper County (southeast) * Pettis County (south) * Lafayette County (west)

Major highways

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

* U.S. Route 65 * Route 20 * Route 41 * Route 127 * Route 240

National protected area

* Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

The largely rural county reached its peak of population in 1930, and has slowly declined since then since mechanization of farming has meant that fewer workers are needed; from about 1910 to the 1970s, African Americans often moved to larger urban areas for work and better social conditions. At the 2000

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 ...

, there were 23,756 people, 9,015 households and 6,013 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 31 per square mile (12/km²). There were 10,019 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.03%

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 ...

, 5.39%

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 ha ...

, 0.31% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.21%

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 ...

, 2.09% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Approximately 4.42% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race. 28.7% 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 ...

, 18.2%

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 ...

, 9.8%

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 ...

and 9.3% Irish ancestry. There were 9,015 households, of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.90% 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 ...

living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.60% 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 Age distribution was 24.30% under the age of 18, 12.00% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males. The median household income was $32,743, and the median family income was $39,234. Males had a median income of $27,180 versus $19,431 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 $16,132. About 10.50% of families and 13.20% 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 18.90% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Education

Public schools

*Gilliam C-4 School District – Gilliam **Gilliam Elementary School (K-08)
Hardeman R-X School District
– Marshall **Hardeman Elementary School (PK-08)
Malta Bend R-V School District
– Malta Bend **Malta Bend Elementary School (PK-05) **Malta Bend High School (06-12)
Marshall School District
– Marshall **Eastwood Elementary School (PK-03) **Benton Elementary School (K-01) **Northwest Elementary School (K-04) **Southeast Elementary School (K-02) **Bueker Middle School (05-08) **Marshall High School (09-12) *Orearville R-IV School District –

Slater A slater, or slate mason, is a tradesperson who covers buildings with slate. Tools of the trade The various tools of the slater's trade are all drop-forged Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localiz ...

**Orearville Elementary School (K-08)
Slater Public Schools
–

**Slater Elementary School (PK-08) **Slater High School (09-12)
Sweet Springs R-VII School District
– Sweet Springs **Sweet Springs Elementary School (PK-06) **Sweet Springs High School (07-12)

Private schools

Calvary Baptist School
– Marshall (PK-10) –

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 c ...

(Alternative School)
St. Peter Catholic School
– Marshall (K-09) –

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 let ...

Post-secondary

Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 students. Mis ...

– Marshall – A private, four-year

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

university.

Public libraries

*Marshall Public Library *Slater Public Library *Sweet Springs Public Library

Politics

Local

The Democratic Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Saline County. Democrats hold all but four of the elected positions in the county.

State

Saline County is divided into two legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, both represented by Republicans. *District 48 �
Dave Muntzel
(R- Boonville). Consists of the communities of Arrow Rock, Gilliam, Miami, Nelson, and Slater. *District 51 �
Dean Dohrman
(R- La Monte). Consists of the communities of Blackburn, Emma, Grand Pass, Malta Bend, Marshall, Mt. Leonard, and Sweet Springs. All of Saline County is a part of Missouri's 21st District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented b
Denny Hoskins
(R- Warrensburg).

Federal

All of Saline County is included in

Missouri's 5th Congressional District Missouri's 5th congressional district has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, the former Mayor of Kansas City, since 2005. The district primarily consists of the inner ring of the Kansas ...

, which is represented by

Emanuel Cleaver Emanuel Cleaver II (born October 26, 1944) is a United Methodist pastor and American politician who has represented in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005. Cleaver represents a district that includes the southern three-fourths of Kan ...

(D-

Kansas City 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 ...

) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Communities

Cities

* Blackburn (small part in Lafayette County) * Emma (partly in Lafayette County) * Malta Bend * Marshall (county seat) *

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

* Nelson *

* Sweet Springs

Villages

* Arrow Rock * Gilliam * Grand Pass * Mount Leonard

Unincorporated communities

* Blue Lick * Elmwood * Fairville * Hardeman * Herndon * Marshall Junction * McAllister Springs *

Napton Napton on the Hill, often referred to locally as just Napton, is a village and civil parish east of Southam in Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 1,144. Manor The toponym Napton is der ...

* New Frankfort * Norton * Orearville * Pennytown * Ridge Prairie * Saline City * Salt Springs * Shackleford * Sharon

References

External links

from

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 ...

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
Saline County Sheriff's Office
{{authority control Little Dixie (Missouri) Missouri counties on the Missouri River 1820 establishments in Missouri Territory Populated places established in 1820