Watson is a village in Nishnabotna Township, Atchison 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 61 at the 2020 census. It is the westernmost settlement in the state of Missouri, about 120 miles northwest of

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 t ...

History

Watson 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 1869. and incorporated in 1874. The village was named after a railroad official. A post office was established at Watson in 1869, and remained in operation until 1965.

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 village has a total area of , all land. Watson is located in the

Missouri River Valley The Missouri River Valley outlines the journey of the Missouri River from its headwaters where the Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers flow together in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River in the State of Missouri. At long th ...

at the junction of the

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States–based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1995. Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroad ...

and Missouri Route A. It is approximately 7 miles northwest of Rock Port and 8 miles south-southeast of

Hamburg, Iowa Hamburg is a city in Fremont County, Iowa, Fremont County, Iowa, United States, that is the most southwestern city in Iowa, hugging the borders of Missouri to the south and Nebraska to the west. It is situated between the Nishnabotna River, Nish ...

Peru, Nebraska Peru is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 648 at the 2020 census. Peru State College is located in Peru. History The first attempt to settle the community took place in 1853, by some residents of Peru, Illi ...

lies about 5.5 west across the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

. It is the closest settlement in Missouri to

McKissick Island McKissick Island (also known as McKissick's Island) is a former island in the Missouri River that is part of Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. It is now fully east of the river, which is Nebraska's normal eastern border, and it can only ...

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 100 people, 40 households, and 28 families living in the village. 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 47 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 100.0%

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 ...

. There were 40 households, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the village was 38.7 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 54.0% male and 46.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 121 people, 40 households, and 32 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 58 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.17%

, and 0.83% 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 2.48% of the population. There were 40 households, out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.38. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 120.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $27,750, and the median income for a family was $28,500. Males had a median income of $28,594 versus $23,000 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 village was $13,753. There were 9.4% of families and 7.4% of the population living 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 15.2% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Education

It is in the Rock Port R-II School District.
Text list
/ref> Rock Port High School is the zoned comprehensive high school.

Notable person

Current

Missouri Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Missouri (SCOMO) is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820 and is located at 207 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitutio ...

Judge Zel Fischer grew up in Watson.

References

{{authority control Villages in Atchison County, Missouri Villages in Missouri 1874 establishments in Missouri Populated places established in 1874