Cassville is a city in Flat Creek Township, Barry County,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') 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 border ...

, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population of Cassville was 3,186. Cassville is one of the primary markets and job centers for an estimated 14,000 people living in the surrounding area. 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 Barry County.

History

The land which would be called Cassville 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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1845. A post office was set up the same year. The community was named after

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...

, a former United States Senator and Secretary of War. Cassville was incorporated on March 3, 1847. During the forced removal of the Cherokee people along the Trail of Tears, a group traveling the northern route made a stop in Cassville, Missouri. According to the journal of Reverend Daniel S. Butrick, who accompanied the Cherokee on their journey. This event is one of many documented instances of violence against Cherokee people during their forced relocation under the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The Trail of Tears resulted in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee due to exposure, disease, and mistreatment by both U.S. government agents and civilians. Cassville served as the Confederate capital of Missouri for one week from October 31 to November 7, 1861. This ended abruptly when the duly elected governor of the State, Claiborne F. Jackson, and his political and military allies were pushed further south by the invading Union army.

The Battle of Pea Ridge The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place during the American Civil War near Leetown, Arkansas, Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. United States, Feder ...

later secured Missouri for the Union. The city was connected by rail via the Cassville & Exeter Railroad from July 4, 1896 to September 11, 1956. The Cassville Ranger Station Historic District, Natural Bridge Archaeological Site, and six sites in Roaring River State Park are listed on 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 ...

Demographics

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 3,266 people, 1,275 households, and 848 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 1,402 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.8%

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 ...

, 0.4%

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 ...

, 1.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 1.8% 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 4.6% of the population. There were 1,275 households, of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,890 people, 1,194 households, and 770 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,307 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.30%

, 0.03%

, 0.73% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 1.11% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population. There were 1,194 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,351, and the median income for a family was $34,074. Males had a median income of $22,952 versus $19,120 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 $16,660. About 12.3% of families and 15.4% 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 21.4% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The City of Cassville is managed by four-member Board of Aldermen (City Council) with Jon Horner serving as the Mayor. Richard Asbill serves as City Administrator. Roaring River Spring

Education

Cassville R-IV School District operates one elementary school, one middle school, one intermediate school, and Cassville High School. Cassville has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, a branch of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library. Crowder College offers two-year degree programs in Cassville. Since August 2022 the Cassville school uses

corporal punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...

again.

Transportation

The city owns a small general aviation airport two miles northwest of Cassville, named the Cassville Municipal Airport.

Notable people

Clete Boyer Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer (February 9, 1937 – June 4, 2007) was an American professional baseball third baseman — who occasionally played shortstop and second base — in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Athletics (1955–57) ...

- Major League Baseball player * Gene Brown - Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) * Mary Easley - Oklahoma Senator (2004-2010), Oklahoma Representative (1997-2004), teacher * Scott Fitzpatrick - Missouri State Auditor, Missouri State Treasurer, Missouri State Representative * Durward G. Hall - U.S. House Representative from Missouri's 7th District * Sara Lampe - Missouri House Repesentative * Melissa McFerrin - Head Coach of the Memphis Tigers women's basketball team,

Tigers Women's Basketball player * Curtis F. Marbut - Director of the Soil Survey Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture * Emory Melton - Missouri State Senator 29th district * David Sater - Missouri State Senator, Missouri House Representative

Geography

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 , all land. Located in the

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

, Cassville and its surrounding area have a densely forested hilly terrain. The city, itself, sits on Flat Creek. Located south of Cassville, Roaring River State Park is a popular recreation spot for hiking, fishing, and camping.

Climate

Climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

subtype for this climate is " Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).Climate Summary for Cassville, Missouri
/ref>

References

External links

City of Cassville

Chamber of Commerce
* Historic maps of Cassville in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

{{authority control Cities in Barry County, Missouri County seats in Missouri Cities in Missouri 1845 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1845