Carthage is a city in
Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 15,522 as of the
2020 census. It is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Jasper County
and is nicknamed "America's
Maple Leaf City."
History
Jasper County was formed in 1841. Carthage was chosen as the county seat, the area cleared and the town
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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...
ted in 1842. The city was named after the ancient city-state of
Carthage
Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...
, one of the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...
's main rivals (in what is now
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
). By the time of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, there were over 500 residents, a brick and stone courthouse, and several businesses.
The area was divided over slavery, and almost all of the African-Americans in the county at the time were slaves. The
Battle of Carthage, fought on July 5, 1861, was a clash between Union troops from St. Louis and Confederate troops led by the pro-Southern Missouri Governor
Claiborne Fox Jackson. The "Second Battle of Carthage" occurred in October 1863 when Union troops confronted Confederate troops north of town and forced them to return to Arkansas. The town experienced minor skirmishes and attacks throughout the war; pro-Confederate guerrillas burned most of the city (including the courthouse) in September 1864. Historical accounts, such as ''Jasper County, Missouri in the Civil War'' (1923) by Col. Ward L. Schrantz, document the regional warfare.
The area grew rapidly following the Civil War. The
Missouri and Western Railway arrived in 1872. Town residents started a foundry, furniture factory, woolen and grain mills, a plow works and numerous liveries and other businesses.
Leggett & Platt, now a
Fortune 500
The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...
company still based in Carthage, was founded in 1883. Nearby lead mines and limestone quarries also contributed significant wealth and Carthage became one of the most prosperous towns in the area. Residents poured their money into ornate Victorian-style homes, many of which are now part of the Carthage South District, which was named to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1982. The Jasper County Courthouse, also on the National Register of Historic Places, was built of Carthage stone in 1894–95. There is a mural inside the courthouse depicting the history of Jasper County. Growth in Carthage can be documented through
Sanborn maps, many of which are available online.
Numerous local buildings, in addition to the courthouse, were built in the late 19th and early 20th century out of stone from local quarries. The limestone is hard enough to be polished into "Carthage marble" and was used in both the interior and exterior of the state capitol building in
Jefferson City, Missouri. The quarries known today as the
Carthage Underground, a commercial space that utilizes but a small portion of the extensive uncharted quarries nearby.
In 1925, Ozark Wesleyan College merged three Methodist colleges into one institution and built a campus in the center of town. The college operated only a few years before closing. The campus was home to Our Lady of the Ozarks College from 1944 to 1971 and now houses the
Vietnamese-American Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
religious
Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix. This Vietnamese order of priests and brothers came from
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and settled in Carthage in 1975, immediately following the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. In the monastery of this Vietnamese congregation,
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục died in 1984.
U.S. Highways
66 and 71 came through town in the 1920s, and for a time the town saw a stream of cross-country traffic. Route 66 intersected with
U.S. Route 71 at the present intersection of Central and Garrison Avenue. The original owners of a
Boots Court motel at this crossroads promoted a
drive-in restaurant with a
KDMO AM radio broadcast, "Breakfast at the Crossroads of America", named as a reference to the two major highways of the era. Route 66 was eventually re-routed, then replaced in the 1960s with
Interstate 44 running south of town.
In the late 20th century, the town began actively courting tourism, emphasizing its history (the Battle of Carthage, Victorian architecture, and Route 66), as well as its proximity to the
Precious Moments hotel and store, along with the popular country music destination
Branson.
Geography
Carthage is located south of the
Spring River along
US Route 71.
Joplin is approximately twelve miles to the southwest and
Neosho is about 17 miles to the south.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics
Carthage is part of the
Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Area.
2020 census
The
2020 United States census counted 15,522 people, 5,209 households, and 3,458 families in Carthage. The population density was 1,303.3 per square mile (503.3/km). There were 5,763 housing units at an average density of 483.9 per square mile (186.9/km). The racial makeup was 62.83% (9,753)
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.35% (210)
black or African-American, 1.84% (285)
Native American, 1.23% (191)
Asian, 0.51% (79)
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 24.14% (3,747) from
other races, and 8.1% (1,257) from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race was 31.0% (4,561) of the population.
Of the 5,209 households, 39.8% had children under the age of 18; 42.2% were married couples living together; 32.8% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 29.0% consisted of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.3.
28.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 96.3 males.
The 2016–2020 5-year
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimates show that the median household income was $39,938 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,637) and the median family income was $42,784 (+/- $5,358). Males had a median income of $27,714 (+/- $5,657) versus $24,612 (+/- $3,574) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,340 (+/- $1,862). Approximately, 27.7% of families and 33.8% 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 52.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those ages 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 14,378 people, 5,169 households, and 3,419 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 5,753 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.6%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.5%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.0%
Native American, 1.0%
Asian, 0.6%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 18.9% from
other races, and 3.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 25.6% of the population.
There were 5,169 households, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were
married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.26.
The median age in the city was 32 years. 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 13.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
2000 census
At the 2000
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
,
there were 12,668 people, 4,813 households and 3,157 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,217 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.46%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 2.39%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.05%
Native American, 1.59%
Asian, 0.21%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 6.65% from
other races, and 4.94% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 18.27% of the population.
There were 4,813 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were
married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.
25.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $32,557 and the median family income was $37,927. Males had a median income of $29,315 compared with $21,442 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $15,281. About 12.7% of families and 19.2% 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 23.5% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Major area employers include
Leggett & Platt, a former Fortune 500 corporation manufacturing household durables, which is headquartered in the town, H.E. Williams, Inc. (a manufacturer of commercial and industrial lighting fixtures), Otts Foods,
Schreiber Foods, and
Goodman Manufacturing (all producing various food products) and the Carthage Underground, formerly a quarry, which now serves as a storage area with climate control for various products. Carthage was well known in the early 20th century for the fine-grained, extremely dense grey limestone, "Carthage Marble", which came from that mine and was used for numerous public buildings throughout the US, including the Capitol Building in
Jefferson City and the Jasper County Courthouse.
Carthage has several food manufacturers and processing plants in and around the city. These plants produce a great deal of
slaughterhouse waste.
Changing World Technologies and its subsidiary Renewable Environment Solutions built the first operational commercial
thermal conversion plant in the United States to take advantage of the large amount of feedstock for the thermal conversion process made available by the many food rendering plants in the area in 2003.
In January 2008, a new city-owned hospital, McCune-Brooks, opened and the old facility has been renovated for use by the Carthage Water and Electric Plant. The new
Carthage High School opened in 2009.
The
Dyno Nobel plant in Carthage is the only facility manufacturing
dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
in North America.
Education and extracurricular activities
It is in the
Carthage R-IX School District.
[ ]
Text list
/ref> It operates five elementary schools (Pleasant Valley, Steadley, Fairview, Mark Twain, and Columbian), an intermediate center, a 6th Grade Center, Carthage Jr. High School, and Carthage Senior High School. It also operates a Technical Center that offers courses to both current high schoolers and community members. This primarily includes an in depth practical nursing program, construction
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
and carpentry classes, and forklift certifications. The school district has 5,062 students as of the 2023-2024 school year.
The town has a lending library, the Carthage Public Library. It opened in 1905 after receiving a grant of $25,000 from Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...
and passing a tax vote to support the library 831 to 94 and was built using Carthage Marble. The library was renovated and expanded upon in starting in 2006 and ending in 2008. In late 2020, an annex named the Steadley Family Legacy Center opened that functioned as a maker space for the community providing 3D printers and other hands on tools for creating.
Arts and culture
As noted above, Carthage was the site of the Battle of Carthage, the first official engagement of the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, on July 5, 1861. Local groups stage reenactments of the battle, near the grounds of the State Historic Site which commemorates the event.
Carthage is located on Historic U.S. Route 66. The original alignment around town is still marked, and several old businesses built to cater to travelers can still be seen.
Since 1966, Carthage has held a festival each October called the Maple Leaf Festival. The week-long festival is named for the many maple trees that grow in the town, whose leaves change into bright colors such as red, orange, and yellow in the fall.
Since 1978, Carthage has hosted the annual Marian Days celebration for Vietnamese American Catholics. The event, which typically draws 50,000 to 70,000 attendees, takes place on the campus of the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix.
Carthage is also the home of the Precious Moments Park and Chapel, a tourist attraction with paintings and oversized depictions of the popular porcelain figurines.
Histories of Carthage include Ward L. Schrantz's ''Jasper County Missouri in the Civil War'' (Carthage, Missouri: The Carthage, Missouri Kiwanis Club, 1923), ''History of Jasper County, Missouri'' (Des Moines, Iowa: Mills & Company, 1883) and ''Images of America: Carthage, Missouri'' (Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2000).
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
homes of Carthage are featured in '' It Wasn't A Dream, It Was A Flood'', a 1974 autobiographical, 16mm short film about poet Frank Stanford.
Composer James Scott, regarded as one of the three most important composers of classic ragtime, lived in Carthage from 1901 to 1906. Scott attended Lincoln High School and worked in the music store of Charles L. Dumars. Demand for the music of Scott, who began to compose while living in Carthage, convinced Dumars to publish Scott's "A Summer Breeze" in 1903.[Jasen David A. and Trebor Jay Tichenor (1978). ''Rags and Ragtime''. Dover.]
Government
The government of Carthage is represented by a Mayor-council government. Carthage is divided into five wards, each represented by two members. Ward 1 is currently represented by Brandi Ensor and Robin Harrison. Ward 2 is represented by Trudy Blankenship and Dave Armstrong, and Ward 3 is represented by Ceri Otero and Robin Blair. Ward 4 is currently represented by Ed Hardesty and Alan Snow. And Ward 5 is currently represented by Mark Elliff and Ed Barlow.
Carthage is in Missouri's 7th congressional district and has been represented in the United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
by Eric Burlison since 2023.
In the Missouri House of Representatives, Carthage is in the 163rd District and has been represented by Cody Smith since 2017. In the Missouri Senate, Bill White has represented the Joplin-Carthage area in the Missouri State Senate District 32 since 2019.
The Carthage Police Department is the law enforcement agency in the city of Carthage. Currently the police chief of Carthage is Bill Hawkins.
Notable people
* Gideon Winans Allen, (1835–1912), member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
.
* Raymond P. Ayres, (b. 1944), American military officer who held the rank of Lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
* Annie White Baxter (1894–1944), first female elected official in Missouri, first woman elected county clerk in the United States
* Marcus B. Bell (1893–1981), U.S. Army brigadier general
* Emily Newell Blair (1877–1951), American writer, suffragist, national Democratic Party political leader, a founder of the League of Women Voters, and feminist
* Jann Carl (b. 1960), television personality, ''Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...
''
* Frances Crowe (1919–2019), peace activist
* Tom Flanigan (b. 1953), former member of the Missouri House of Representatives
* Carl Hubbell (1903–1988), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Giants.
* Janet L. Kavandi (b. 1959), astronaut ( STS-91, STS-99, STS-104)
* Celia Kaye, (b. 1942), actress
* Preston Lacy, (b. 1969), stunt performer, actor, comedian and one of the stars of the reality stunt show '' Jackass''
* David Newell, (1905–1980) was primarily known as an American character actor,
* Marlin Perkins (1905–1986), zoologist, naturalist and host of ''Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom''
* Haven Shepherd (b. 2003), Paralympic swimmer
* Belle Starr (Myra MayBelle Shirley) (1848–1889), famous Wild West outlaw
* Bertha Teague (1906–1991), basketball coach, member of Basketball Hall of Fame
* Richard M. Webster (1922–1990), former Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and member of the Missouri Senate
* William L. Webster, (b. 1953), former Missouri Attorney General
* Charles Wright, (b. 1964), former football player.
* Felix Wright, (b. 1959), NFL football player.
References
External links
City of Carthage official website
Carthage Chamber of Commerce
Carthage Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control
Cities in Missouri
Cities in Jasper County, Missouri
County seats in Missouri
Joplin, Missouri, metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1842
1842 establishments in Missouri
Missouri in the American Civil War