Marion County
County
Marion County courthouse in Palmyra
Marion County courthouse in Palmyra
Map of Missouri highlighting Marion County
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°49′N 91°37′W / 39.81°N 91.62°W / 39.81; -91.62
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedDecember 23, 1826
Named forFrancis Marion
SeatPalmyra
Largest cityHannibal
Area
 • Total444 sq mi (1,150 km2)
 • Land437 sq mi (1,130 km2)
 • Water7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  1.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total28,525
 • Density64/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district6th
Websitehttp://marioncountymo.com/

Marion County is a county located in the northeastern portion of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,525.[1] Its county seat is Palmyra.[2] Unique from most third-class counties in the state, Marion has two county courthouses, the second located in Hannibal.[3] The county was organized on December 23, 1826[4][5] and named for General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," who was from South Carolina and served in the American Revolutionary War.[6] The area was known as the "Two Rivers Country" before organization.

Marion County is part of the Hannibal, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Quincy-Hannibal, IL-MO Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 444 square miles (1,150 km2), of which 437 square miles (1,130 km2) is land, and 7.4 square miles (19 km2) (1.7%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties

Major Roadways

Transit

Railroads

History

Marion County was created by the state legislature in 1845 from parts of Ralls and Shelby Counties. It was settled from Virginia and Kentucky by farmers looking for cheap farmland; some owned slaves. It was named after Francis Marion, a general in the Revolutionary War. The county seat is Palmyra, which was established in 1833 and became a locally important river port on the Mississippi. By the late 1800s, the county was the center of a thriving agricultural community. Tobacco was the main crop, though cotton, wheat, barley, oats, and hay were also grown. Livestock included horses, mules, and cattle.[8]

The best known native son is Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) born in 1835, in the village of Florida. His youthful experiences in Hannibal became the setting for the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.[9] Other prominent locals included Governor John S. Phelps, and Confederate General A.P. Morehead. The region was bitterly divided in the Civil War but Unionist elements prevailed. Palmyra was the site of a skirmish in 1862, and the county was the site of several other battles and raids. Today, Marion County continues to be primarily an agricultural county. It is home to a number of historic sites and buildings, with a major tourist industry focused on Mark Twain characters and settings.[10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18304,837—
18409,62398.9%
185012,23027.1%
186018,83854.0%
187023,78026.2%
188024,8374.4%
189026,2335.6%
190026,3310.4%
191030,57216.1%
192030,226−1.1%
193033,49310.8%
194031,576−5.7%
195029,765−5.7%
196029,522−0.8%
197028,121−4.7%
198028,6381.8%
199027,682−3.3%
200028,2892.2%
201028,7811.7%
202028,525−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010[15]

As of the census[16] of 2010, there were 28,781 people, 11,066 households, and 7,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 inhabitants per square mile (25/km2). There were 12,443 housing units at an average density of 28 units per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.26% White, 4.62% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Approximately 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.5% were German, 25.6% American, 11.0% Irish, and 10.3% English ancestry.

There were 11,066 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,774, and the median income for a family was $41,290. Males had a median income of $30,935 versus $20,591 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,964. About 9.30% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.30% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Marion County Racial Composition[17]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 24,930 87.4%
Black or African American (NH) 1,363 4.8%
Native American (NH) 67 0.23%
Asian (NH) 165 0.58%
Pacific Islander (NH) 16 0.05%
Other/Mixed (NH) 1,468 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 516 1.8%

Education

Public schools

Private schools

Post-secondary

Public libraries

Hannibal Free Public Library[18]

  • Palmyra Bicentennial Public Library[19]

Communities

Cities and towns

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

Politics

Marion County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Mark Novak Democratic
Circuit Clerk Cheryl Damron (Division I) / Chris Tate (Division II) Republican
County Clerk Marla Meyers Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 David Lomax Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Steve Begley Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Larry Welch Republican
Coroner Rick Jones Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Luke A Bryant Republican
Public Administrator Wendy Howe Democratic
Recorder Harla Friez Democratic
Sheriff Jimmy Shinn Republican
Surveyor John D. Janes Independent
Treasurer Joelle Fohey Democratic

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 75.91% 10,082 22.70% 3,015 1.39% 185
2016 65.84% 8,484 31.86% 4,105 2.30% 297
2012 53.03% 6,380 44.83% 5,394 2.14% 257
2008 58.82% 7,341 39.77% 4,964 1.41% 176
2004 67.03% 8,292 31.77% 3,930 1.20% 148
2000 50.05% 5,832 48.88% 5,696 1.07% 125
1996 31.55% 3,388 66.68% 7,161 1.78% 191

Marion County is in Missouri's 5th district in the Missouri House of Representatives, represented by Lindell F. Shumake (R-Hannibal).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 5 — Marion County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lindell F. Shumake 9,532 74.88% +0.24
Democratic O.C. Latta 3,197 25.12% -0.24
Missouri House of Representatives — District 5 — Marion County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lindell F. Shumake 5,089 74.64% +12.30
Democratic C. Leroy Deichman 1,729 25.36% -12.30
Missouri House of Representatives — District 5 — Marion County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lindell F. Shumake 7,445 62.34%
Democratic Tom Shively 4,497 37.66%

All of Marion County is a part of Missouri's 18th District in the Missouri Senate; it is represented by Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown).

Missouri Senate — District 18 — Marion County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Brian Munzlinger 5,630 100.00%

Federal

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Marion County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 8,239 64.11% +11.46
Democratic Jason Kander 4,115 32.02% -11.77
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 277 2.16% -1.40
Green Johnathan McFarland 128 1.00% +1.00
Constitution Fred Ryman 93 0.72% +0.72
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Marion County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Akin 6,350 52.65%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 5,281 43.79%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 429 3.56%

Marion County is included in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and is represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 6th Congressional District - Marion County (2016)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Sam Graves 9,405 74.46% +0.30
Democratic David M. Blackwell 2,915 23.08% -0.76
Libertarian Russ Lee Monchil 193 1.53% -0.47
Green Mike Diel 118 0.93% +0.93
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 6th Congressional District — Marion County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Sam Graves 5,008 74.16% +9.76
Democratic Bill Hedge 1,610 23.84% -9.88
Libertarian Russ Lee Monchil 135 2.00% +0.12
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 6th Congressional District — Marion County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Sam Graves 7,462 64.40%
Democratic Kyle Yarber 3,907 33.72%
Libertarian Russ Lee Monchil 218 1.88%
United States presidential election results for Marion County, Missouri[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 9,915 74.13% 3,202 23.94% 259 1.94%
2016 9,419 72.80% 2,994 23.14% 525 4.06%
2012 7,923 65.17% 4,031 33.16% 204 1.68%
2008 7,705 61.38% 4,703 37.47% 145 1.16%
2004 7,815 62.76% 4,568 36.68% 70 0.56%
2000 6,550 55.93% 4,993 42.63% 169 1.44%
1996 4,653 43.40% 4,924 45.93% 1,144 10.67%
1992 4,762 40.41% 5,156 43.76% 1,865 15.83%
1988 5,034 47.16% 5,617 52.62% 23 0.22%
1984 6,831 59.42% 4,666 40.58% 0 0.00%
1980 6,036 49.53% 5,890 48.33% 260 2.13%
1976 5,501 47.17% 6,124 52.51% 38 0.33%
1972 7,197 63.31% 4,171 36.69% 0 0.00%
1968 4,732 41.62% 5,416 47.64% 1,221 10.74%
1964 3,605 30.25% 8,314 69.75% 0 0.00%
1960 6,431 48.76% 6,758 51.24% 0 0.00%
1956 5,657 45.14% 6,874 54.86% 0 0.00%
1952 6,162 42.10% 8,457 57.78% 18 0.12%
1948 3,802 29.37% 9,122 70.47% 20 0.15%
1944 4,560 34.68% 8,575 65.21% 14 0.11%
1940 5,892 37.62% 9,723 62.09% 45 0.29%
1936 4,628 29.39% 11,068 70.29% 51 0.32%
1932 4,123 28.40% 10,293 70.89% 103 0.71%
1928 7,664 57.34% 5,679 42.49% 24 0.18%
1924 5,408 43.98% 5,739 46.67% 1,150 9.35%
1920 4,660 40.36% 6,719 58.20% 166 1.44%
1916 2,759 37.28% 4,534 61.26% 108 1.46%
1912 1,693 28.65% 3,471 58.74% 745 12.61%
1908 2,554 37.71% 3,982 58.80% 236 3.48%
1904 2,433 42.22% 3,127 54.27% 202 3.51%
1900 2,490 38.16% 3,927 60.17% 109 1.67%
1896 2,699 39.93% 4,008 59.30% 52 0.77%
1892 2,154 36.47% 3,634 61.52% 119 2.01%
1888 2,294 39.02% 3,365 57.24% 220 3.74%

Historically a Democratic county in the 20th century, with the exception of Republican landslides in 1972 and 1984, Marion County has been reliably Republican since 2000. The last Democrat to receive 40% or more of the vote was Al Gore that same year.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 1,587, than any candidate from either party in Marion County during the 2008 presidential primary.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Marion County, Missouri". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Marion County, Missouri". 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Marion County Collection Descriptions". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  5. ↑ "A Short History of Marion County". MOGenWeb. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  6. ↑ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 193.
  7. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  8. ↑ Thomas C. Hines, The History of Marion County, Missouri: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests (1912).
  9. ↑ Paul A. Shackel, "America’s home town: fiction, Mark Twain, and the re‐creation of Hannibal, Missouri." International Journal of Heritage Studies 17.3 (2011): 197-213. online
  10. ↑ Robert L. Allen and F. Charles Petrillo, eds., History of Marion County, Missouri (1999).
  11. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  15. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  17. ↑ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Marion County, Missouri".
  18. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Hannibal Free Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  19. ↑ Breeding, Marshall. "Palmyra Bicentennial Public Library". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  20. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018.

Further reading

  • History of Marion County, Missouri: written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources (1884) full text

39°49′N 91°37′W / 39.81°N 91.62°W / 39.81; -91.62

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