| Douglas County, Missouri | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Missouri |
|
 Missouri's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | October 29, 1857 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Ava |
| Largest city | Ava |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
815 sq mi (2,110 km²) 815 sq mi (2,110 km²) 0 sq mi (0 km²), 0.01 |
| PopulationEst. - (2008) - Density |
13,438 16/sq mi (6/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Named for: U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas (D-Illinois) | |
Douglas County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 13,084. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 13,438. The largest city and county seat is Ava[1]. The county was officially organized on October 29, 1857, and is named after U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas (D-Illinois) and later Democratic presidential candidate.
Contents |
History
Previously, the county seat was located at Arno, Missouri, west of Ava. Prior to that, Vera Cruz (formerly called Red Bud) was the county seat. Vera Cruz is located on Bryant Creek, which flows through the middle of the county. After the American Civil War, during a period of general chaos, a group from the western part of the county broke into the Arno courthouse and removed the records back to Vera Cruz. Later in 1871, a new town site was selected, present-day Ava, near the location of the former U.S. Civil War military Post Office, Militia Spring. The location of this new town seemed to satisfy most of the residents of Douglas County to be their point of county government. Locally known as "Booger County," the history of Douglas County and the surrounding area has been colorfully described in the book In Search of Booger County - Ozark Folk Histories by Sandy Ray Chapin (2002) as well as in Baldknobbers - Vigilantes on the Ozarks Frontier by Mary Hartman and Elmo Ingenthron (1988).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 815 square miles (2,110 km²), of which, 815 square miles (2,110 km²) of it is land and 0 square miles (0 km²) of it (0.01%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Webster County (northwest)
- Wright County (north)
- Texas County (northeast)
- Howell County (east)
- Ozark County (south)
- Taney County (southwest)
- Christian County (west)
Major highways
National protected area
- Mark Twain National Forest (part)
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 13,084 people, 5,201 households, and 3,671 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 5,919 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.86% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Approximately 0.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Douglas County are 31.3% American, 13.2% English, 12.3% German, and 9.7% Irish, according to Census 2000.
There were 5,201 households out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.00% 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 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,335, and the median income for a family was $36,648. Males had a median income of $22,706 versus $17,060 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,710. About 12.90% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.80% of those under age 18 and 18.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
The county has only one incorporated town, which is the county seat, Ava.
Education
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Douglas County, 69.7% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 9.9% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.
Public Schools
- Ava R-I School District - Ava
- Ava Elementary School (PK-04)
- Ava Middle School (05-08)
- Ava High School (09-12)
- Plainview R-VIII School District - Ava
- Plainview Elementary School (K-08)
- Skyline R-II School District - Norwood
- Skyline Elementary School (K-08)
Private Schools
- Ava Victory Academy - Ava - (PK-06) - Non-denominational Christian
- Mt. Zion Bible Academy - Ava - (PK-12) - Church of God
Politics
Local
Politics at the local level in Douglas County is completely controlled by the Republican Party. All of Douglas County’s elected officeholders are Republicans.
| Office | Incumbent | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Assessor | Danny Gray | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | Kim Hathcock | Republican |
| Clerk | Karry Davis | Republican |
| Collector | Laura Stillings | Republican |
| Commissioner – District 1 | Richard Mitchell | Republican |
| Commissioner – District 2 | Danny Dry | Republican |
| Coroner | Mark Pearson | Republican |
| Presiding Commissioner | James D. “Butch” Linder | Republican |
| Prosecuting Attorney | Christopher D. Wade | Republican |
| Public Administrator | Linda Coonts | Republican |
| Recorder | Tina Boyd | Republican |
| Sheriff | Chris Degase | Republican |
| Surveyor | Ray Riggs | Republican |
| Treasurer | Kathy Potter | Republican |
State
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 45.27% 3,014 | 48.95% 3,259 | 5.78% 385 |
| 2004 | 70.08% 4,412 | 28.40% 1,788 | 1.52% 96 |
| 2000 | 63.53% 3,317 | 34.73% 1,813 | 1.74% 91 |
| 1996 | 61.03% 3,145 | 36.06% 1,858 | 2.91% 150 |
Douglas County is a part of Missouri’s 144th Legislative District and is currently represented in the Missouri House of Representatives by Rep. Tony Dugger (R-Hartville).
Douglas County is also a part of Missouri's 20th Senatorial District and is currently represented by State Senator Dan Clemens (R-Marshfield). In 2006, Clemens defeated Barbie Kreider-Adams (D) 64.49-35.51 percent; Douglas County backed Clemens with 69.37 percent while Kreider-Adams received 31.63 percent. The 20th Senatorial District consists of Christian, Douglas and Webster counties and parts of Greene County.
In Missouri's gubernatorial election of 2008, Governor of Missouri Jay Nixon (D) defeated former U.S. Representative Kenny Hulshof (R) with 58.40 percent of the total statewide vote. Nixon performed extremely well and won many of the rural counties in the state, including Douglas County. The former attorney general Nixon carried Douglas County with 48.95 percent of the vote to Hulshof’s 45.27 percent.
Federal
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Douglas County is represented by Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau) who represents much of Southern Missouri as part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District.
Political Culture
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 65.63% 4,405 | 31.88% 2,140 | 2.49% 167 |
| 2004 | 71.09% 4,498 | 27.52% 1,741 | 1.39% 88 |
| 2000 | 68.15% 3,599 | 29.27% 1,546 | 2.58% 136 |
| 1996 | 50.17% 2,601 | 33.64% 1,744 | 16.18% 839 |
Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Douglas County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. George W. Bush carried Douglas County in 2000 and 2004 by more than two-to-one margins, and like many other rural counties throughout Missouri, Douglas County strongly favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008. No Democratic presidential nominee has won Douglas County in over 50 years.
Like most rural areas throughout the Bible Belt in Southwest Missouri, voters in Douglas County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles which tend to strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Douglas County with 85.78 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Douglas County with 59.36 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Douglas County’s longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Douglas County with 71.97 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.
2008 Missouri Presidential Primary
In the 2008 Missouri Presidential Primary, voters in Douglas County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.
Democratic
Former U.S. Senator and now Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) won Douglas County over now President Barack Obama (D-Illinois) by an almost two-to-one margin with 62.32 percent of the vote while Obama received 34.21 percent of the vote. Although he withdrew from the race, former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-North Carolina) still received 2.94 percent of the vote in Douglas County.
Clinton had a large initial lead in Missouri at the beginning of the evening as the rural precincts began to report, leading several news organizations to call the state for her; however, Obama rallied from behind as the heavily African American precincts from St. Louis began to report and eventually put him over the top. In the end, Obama received 49.32 percent of the vote to Clinton’s 47.90 percent—a 1.42 percent difference. Both candidates split Missouri’s 72 delegates as the Democratic Party utilizes proportional representation.
Republican
Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) won Douglas County with 55.04 percent of the vote. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) finished in second place in Douglas County with 21.15 percent. Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) came in fourth place, receiving 11.07 percent of the vote behind libertarian-leaning U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) who finished third with 12.09 percent in Douglas County.
Huckabee slightly led Missouri throughout much of the evening until the precincts began reporting from St. Louis where McCain won and put him over the top of Huckabee. In the end, McCain received 32.95 percent of the vote to Huckabee’s 31.53 percent—a 1.42 percent difference. McCain received all of Missouri’s 58 delegates as the Republican Party utilizes the winner-take-all system.
- Mike Huckabee received more votes, a total of 1,343, than any candidate from either party in Douglas County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Primaries. He also received 16 more votes than the total number of votes cast in the entire Democratic Primary in Douglas County.
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Coordinates: 36°56′N 92°30′W / 36.93°N 92.50°W
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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