Chillicothe is a city in the state of Missouri and 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 Livingston 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. The population was 9,107 at the 2020 census. The name "Chillicothe" is

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

for "big town". Chillicothe is known as "The Home of Sliced Bread".

History of Chillicothe and Livingston County

This territory was originally settled by

indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

of the Americas. The Osage and

were in the territory at the time of earliest European contact, which was mostly by French explorers and traders. By 1800 the

and

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

had migrated here. The Shawnee came from the

Ohio Country The Ohio Country (Ohio Territory, Ohio Valley) was a name used for a loosely defined region of colonial North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and south of Lake Erie. Control of the territory and the region's fur trade was disputed i ...

, where they had been under pressure before the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

from aggressive

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

and later encroaching European Americans. Displacing the Osage, the Shawnee had a major village known as ''Chillicothe'' about a mile from the present-day city, named after their historic capital in their traditional lands in Ohio. '' Chillicothe'' was also the name of a major

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary * Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...

of the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

. Other Native American tribes in the area were the Sauk and

Meskwaki The Meskwaki (sometimes spelled Mesquaki), also known by the European exonyms Fox Indians or the Fox, are a Native American people. They have been closely linked to the Sauk people of the same language family. In the Meskwaki language, th ...

, and

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

, all of whom hunted in the area. In the early 19th century, European-American migration to Missouri increased. The original survey of Chillicothe by United States citizens was filed for record August 31, 1837, and a resurvey of the same was filed August 5, 1859. Chillicothe was incorporated as a city by an act of the General Assembly, approved March 1, 1855. It was selected as the County seat by commissioners and the first term of the county court began on May 7, 1838. In August of that year an order was made to erect the first Court House, the cost not to exceed $5,000, in the Public Square; The first

circuit court Circuit courts are court systems in several common law jurisdictions. It may refer to: * Courts that literally sit 'on circuit', i.e., judges move around a region or country to different towns or cities where they will hear cases; * Courts that s ...

for the trial of civil and criminal causes was held on the 3d of July 1887.HARRY W. GRAHAM, " 'THE HIGHWAY CITY': CHILLICOTHE, MISSOURI"
"CHILLICOTHE AND LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MISSOURI", Compiled by J.D. Smith, ''The Chillicothe Constitution'', 24 Jun 1916, accessed 23 Dec 2009 Livingston was settled by emigrants from the older counties and others from the

Upper South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, ...

states of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and

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. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, as well as

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

and other "Old Northwest" states, as the westward migration continued. Prior to completion of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad in 1859, the city was minimally developed with cheap frame houses, with little pretense of architectural beauty or design. The building materials being hewed and sawed from the oak and walnut timber surrounding the town, as timber originally covered the site. The

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

gave an impetus for town improvements. Soon two and three-story brick business buildings were constructed in place of the former frame structures. From 1865 to 1870, the city improved rapidly, then a lull lasted until 1875, when the erection of the beautiful three-story, $36,000 school building was started, now known as "Middle School." From that time on Chillicothe made a slow, steady growth up to 1886, when the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was built through here. That year also saw the introduction of the "Water Works" and electric lights. The city continued to modernize in the early 20th century. Chillicothe was located along the first railroad completed across the State of Missouri on February 13, 1859 by the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, later becoming the

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwest, Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of ...

. The

Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...

completed a line to

Brunswick, Missouri Brunswick is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, Chariton County, Missouri, United States. Its population was 801 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Brunswick, by official state proclamation, is the Pecan Capital of Missouri. The Mi ...

in 1871. Passenger rail served the town for over a century. The last passenger train passed through Chillicothe in 1971, when the

American Royal Zephyr The ''American Royal Zephyr'' was a streamlined passenger train service operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Kansas City. This CB&Q ''Zephyr'' was named for the American Royal, one of the Midwest's large ...

between Chicago and Kansas City was discontinued. The tracks eastward toward Brookfield were abandoned in the early 1980s and have been mostly removed. The 1909 Depot was owned by the City of Chillicothe until 2016, when it was sold to Wabash BBQ to be used as a restaurant. The restaurant has since closed.

Missouri Training School for Girls

The Missouri Training School for Girls (1889-1981) was the correctional facility of the Missouri Division of Youth Services. It opened in 1889. In 1956, the school received all of the black girls after the Missouri Training School for Negro Girls in

Tipton Tipton is an industrial town in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It had a population of 38,777 at the 2011 UK Census. It is located northwest of Birmingham and southeas ...

closed.Annual Report Fiscal Year 2014

Archive
. Missouri Division of Youth Services. Retrieved on December 19, 2015. p. 32. The school closed in 1981.Annual Report Fiscal Year 2014

Archive
. Missouri Division of Youth Services. Retrieved on December 19, 2015. p. 34.

Geography

Chillicothe is located in central Livingston County. The Grand River flows past approximately one mile south of the city and the confluence of the

Thompson River The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches, the South Thompson River and the North Thompson River. The river ...

with the Grand is about three miles to the southwest. The city is served by

U.S. Route 36 U.S. Route 36 (US 36) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that travels approximately from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an inte ...

U.S. Route 65 U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of I ...

and

Missouri Route 190 Route 190 is a highway in northern Missouri. Its eastern (or southern) terminus is at U.S. Route 65 north of Chillicothe; its western (or northern) terminus is at Route 146 west of Trenton. Route description The northern terminus of Route ...

. 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.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 9,107 people, 3,608 households, and 2,044 families in Chillicothe. The population density was 1,277.3 per square mile (492.8/km). There were 4,114 housing units at an average density of 577.0 per square mile (222.6/km). The racial makeup was 90.63% (8,254)

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 ...

, 3.38% (308) black or African-American, 0.32% (29) Native American, 0.83% (76) Asian, 0.01% (1)

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 ...

, 0.55% (50) from other races, and 4.27% (389) 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 2.3% (212) of the population. Of the 3,608 households, 27.5% had children under the age of 18; 40.0% were married couples living together; 34.4% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 35.5% consisted of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.8. 18.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 67.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 60.9 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 $45,496 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,506) and the median family income was $56,488 (+/- $8,384). Males had a median income of $34,937 (+/- $3,959) versus $25,867 (+/- $3,033) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $30,715 (+/- $1,036). Approximately, 14.1% of families and 16.0% 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 18.5% of those under the age of 18 and 16.3% 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 9,515 people, 3,612 households, and 2,146 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 4,108 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.5%

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 ...

, 3.7%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 3,612 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% 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, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 41.3% male and 58.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 8,968 people, 3,608 households, and 2,197 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 4,060 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.86%

, 3.69%

, 0.41% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population. There were 3,608 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. school districts. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,053, and the median income for a family was $40,163. Males had a median income of $29,070 versus $19,745 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 $16,172. About 9.6% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the

, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The

Chillicothe R-II School District Chillicothe may refer to: *Chalahgawtha, a division of the Shawnee tribe *Chillicothe, Ohio **Chillicothe Turnpike, a highway **Chillicothe Paints, a collegiate summer baseball team *Chillicothe, Illinois *Chillicothe, Iowa *Chillicothe, Missouri * ...

provides preschool through 12th grade education as well as some other educational programs to students in and around Chillicothe. ;PK-12th grade: * Chillicothe Early Learning Center (PK) * Chillicothe Elementary School (K-05) * Chillicothe Middle School (06-08) * Chillicothe High School (09-12) ;Other programs and campuses: * Hornet Academy * Grand River Technical School * Litton Agri-Science Learning Center ;Private schools * Bishop Hogan Memorial School (PK-8), operated by

St. Columban Catholic Church, Chillicothe This is the history of St. Columban parish in Chillicothe, Missouri. The first St. Columban church was built in 1858 by John Joseph Hogan, who became the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Joseph, Diocese of Saint Joseph in 1868. ...

;Public library The town has a lending library, the Livingston County Library. The town has a children library, the Lillian DesMarias Youth Library.

Media

Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune The ''Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published on Wednesdays in Chillicothe, Missouri, United States. It is owned by CherryRoad Media. Founded in 1860 as the weekly ''Chillicothe Constitution'', the paper has been publis ...

, established in 1889 * KCHI Radio- KCHI-AM transmission on 1010 kHz and

KCHI-FM KCHI-FM (102.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary music format. It is licensed to Chillicothe, Missouri, United States. The station is currently owned by Leatherman Communications and features programming from Citadel Bro ...

on 102.5 MHz. * KRNW Radio (88.9-an FM repeater station which co-broadcasts Northwest MO State University's flagship station KXCV's programming-NPR affiliated) * KULH Radio (105.9 The Wave) Christian Radio station

In popular culture

* Chillicothe is known as "The Home of Sliced Bread". On July 7, 1928, the Chillicothe Baking Company began selling pre-sliced bread "at quality grocers in the area", marking the first time sliced bread was available commercially in the world. They used the Rohwedder Bread Slicer, a machine created by Iowa inventor,

Otto Frederick Rohwedder Otto Frederick Rohwedder (July 28, 1880 – November 8, 1960) was an American inventor and engineer who created the first automatic bread-slicing machine for commercial use. It was first used by the Chillicothe Missouri Baking Company. Early l ...

Notable people

Shawn Ryan Shawn Ryan (born October 11, 1966) is an American screenwriter and television producer. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including '' The Shield'' (2002–2008), '' The Unit'' (2006–2009), '' Lie to Me'' (2009– ...

, Navy SEAL and podcaster *

Moses Alexander Moses Alexander (November 13, 1853 – January 4, 1932) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 11th governor of Idaho, the second elected Jewish governor of a U.S. state, and the first who actually practiced that religion. ...

, 11th

governor of Idaho A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' may ...

Bower Slack Broaddus Bower Slack Broaddus (May 30, 1888 – December 10, 1949) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma and the U ...

, judge *

Courtney W. Campbell Courtney Warren Campbell (April 29, 1895 – December 22, 1971) was an American lawyer, World War I veteran, and politician who served one term as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, from 1953 to 1955. He repres ...

congressman A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

* Ray and Faye Copeland, serial killers *

William Lincoln Garver William Lincoln Garver was an American architect, civil engineer, author, socialist leader, and political candidate from Missouri. He was primarily an architect by trade, and learned while working under his uncle, architect Morris Frederick Bell ...

, architect, author, and socialist politician *

Claude B. Hutchison Claude Burton Hutchison (April 9, 1885 – August 25, 1980) was an American botanist, agricultural economist, educator, and politician who served as the mayor of Berkeley, California, from 1955 to 1963. Early life Hutchison was born on April ...

, botanist and politician *

Mike Lair Michael Lair (February 26, 1946 – September 5, 2017) was an American politician and former educator from the state of Missouri. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Lair was first elected to the Missouri House of Representative ...

, politician and teacher *

Jerry Litton Jerry Lon Litton (May 12, 1937 – August 3, 1976) was an American politician from Missouri who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Missouri's 6th congressional district from 1973 until his death in ...

, congressman * Charles H. Mansur, congressman *

Shirley Collie Nelson Shirley Collie Nelson (born Shirley Angelina Simpson; March 16, 1931 – January 27, 2010) was an American country music and rockabilly singer, yodeler, guitarist and songwriter. From 1963 to 1971, she was the second wife of country star Willie N ...

, country music artist/actress * Henry Moses Pollard, congressman *

John Quinn John or Jack Quinn may refer to: Politicians and lawyers *John Quinn (advocate) (1954–2022), Attorney General of the Isle of Man *John Quinn (collector) (1870–1924), lawyer, collector of manuscripts and paintings, friend of T. S. Eliot and Ezr ...

, politician * William Y. Slack,

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

general and politician * Stephen J. Stein, American historian of religion * Clarence Edwin Watkins, publisher *

Caleb Hearon Caleb Hearon (born January 24, 1995) is an American comedian, writer and actor. He performed stand-up regularly in Chicago and also performed at iO Theater until relocating to Los Angeles in 2020. Hearon was a writer for the series ''Human Resour ...

, comedian, writer, and actor

References

External links

*
"Livingston County History"
Livingston County Library

Official Website

* Historic maps of Chillicothe 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 Missouri Cities in Livingston County, Missouri County seats in Missouri Populated places established in 1855 1855 establishments in Missouri Missouri placenames of Native American origin