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Franklin County, Missouri
Franklin County MO Courthouse 20140920 pano1
The Franklin County Courthouse in Union
Seal of Franklin County, Missouri
Seal
Map of Missouri highlighting Franklin County
Location in the state of Missouri
Map of the U.S
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded December 11, 1818
Named for Benjamin Franklin
Seat Union
Largest city Washington
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

931 sq mi (2,411 km²)
923 sq mi (2,391 km²)
8.0 sq mi (21 km²), 0.9
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

104,682
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.franklinmo.org

Franklin County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 104,682.[1] Its county seat is Union.[2] The county was organized in 1818 and is named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.[3][4]

Franklin County is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area and contains some of the city's exurbs. It is located along the south side of the Missouri River.

The county has wineries that are included in the Hermann AVA (American Viticultural Area) and is part of the region known as the Missouri Rhineland, which extends on both sides of the Missouri River.

History[]

Occupied by succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples, this area was populated by the historic Osage tribe at the time of European encounter. The region was first settled by Europeans during the rule of the Spanish Empire. The Spanish log fort San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803) was built in present-day Washington. After the American Revolutionary War, migrants from the new United States started moving West. Among them were the family and followers of Daniel Boone, an explorer from Kentucky who settled the area starting in 1799. For the next two decades, most settlers came from the Upper South, especially Kentucky and Virginia, bringing their slaves with them to work the land.

In 1833 substantial numbers of German immigrant families began settling in the area, and soon they outnumbered the slave owners in the county. The German newcomers were opposed to slavery, and their sons would become Union supporters during the U.S. Civil War. Former governor and then Confederate General Sterling Price led his cavalry though the county during his Missouri raid of 1864.

Before the war Franklin County had served by steamboats that moved freight and passenger traffic on the Missouri River. Afterwards, it became a railroad transportation center. Manufacturing industries were established at the end of the Civil War and successive ones have continued.

Bias Vineyard, near the small city of Berger, is located within the Hermann American Viticultural Area (AVA), designated in 1983. Röbller Vineyard and Winery near New Haven is also in the Hermann AVA. Wineries along both sides of the Missouri River are part of the Missouri Rhineland, whose vineyards were started by German immigrants in the mid-19th century. Before Prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Everything was closed down except for limited production of wine allowed for religious purposes. The state's wine industry had to be completely rebuilt, which has been taking place since the 1960s.

The rural county has had severe problems with local production, distribution and consumption of methamphetamine. The struggles of the county with adverse effects of the drug, was explored in a 2005 A&E documentary entitled Meth: A County in Crisis.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 931 square miles (2,410 km2), of which 923 square miles (2,390 km2) is land and 8.0 square miles (21 km2) (0.9%) is water.[5] It is the fourth-largest county in Missouri by land area and third-largest by total area.

The center of the Missouri River forms the nominal northern border of the county, although the river has changed its course since boundaries were first established: a portion of St. Charles County near St. Albans is now south of the river, while a portion of Franklin County near Augusta is north of the river.

The Bourbeuse River flows for 107 miles through the county. It cuts a deep, narrow valley and is very crooked. It empties into the Meramec River near Union. This river is mostly undeveloped, with limited access and few bridges over it. During low water, a number of fords allow crossing.

The county is located in the Ozarks region, with steep hills and deep valleys, caves, springs, and sinkholes characteristic of karst areas. The underlying rock is typically carbonate, including limestone and dolomite. Mining activity in the county included ores of lead, copper, zinc, and deposits of refractory clay. The soils in most of the county tend to be thin, rocky red clay, and are poor for most agriculture, while the soil near the Missouri River is dark, rich, and thick, and used primarily for row crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans. Much of the county is covered with thick forests, reestablished since the 1920s.

Urbanization is increasing in the county, especially surrounding Washington and Union, and along Interstate 44. St. Albans is now a continuation of the suburban region of St. Louis County while the majority of the county retains a rural character and includes extensive wilderness areas, typical of exurban areas.

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • I-44 (MO) Interstate 44
  • US 50 U.S. Route 50
  • US 66 U.S. Route 66 (1926–79)
  • MO-30 Route 30
  • MO-47 Route 47
  • MO-100 Route 100
  • MO-185 Route 185

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 2,379
1830 3,484 46.4%
1840 7,515 115.7%
1850 11,021 46.7%
1860 18,085 64.1%
1870 30,098 66.4%
1880 26,534 −11.8%
1890 28,056 5.7%
1900 30,581 9.0%
1910 29,830 −2.5%
1920 28,427 −4.7%
1930 30,519 7.4%
1940 33,868 11.0%
1950 36,046 6.4%
1960 44,566 23.6%
1970 55,116 23.7%
1980 71,233 29.2%
1990 80,603 13.2%
2000 93,807 16.4%
2010 101,492 8.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 93,807 people, 34,945 households, and 25,684 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile (39/km2). There were 38,295 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile (16/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.47% White, 0.94% Black or African American, 0.27% Asian, 0.24% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Approximately 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.9% were of German, 13.0% American, 10.7% Irish and 7.7% English ancestry.

There were 34,945 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,392, and the median income for a family was $62,969. Males had a median income of $35,849 versus $23,344 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,529. About 4.50% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

Economy[]

The unemployment rate in Franklin County is 2.9% as of December 2018, below state and national averages.

Manufacturing accounts for the most (23.8%) employment in Franklin County, primarily in the cities of Washington and Union, followed by trade, transportation and utilities (18.8%), education and health care (17.7%), and construction (11.3%).

The biggest employers in Franklin County are the manufacturing firms of Magnet LLC, Cardinal Brands Hazel Division, GDX Automotive, Sporlan Valve Company, Esselte, Silgan, Buddeez, and Meramec Group Inc. as well as the Meramec Valley R-III School District in the public education sector and Schatz Underground Cable Inc. in the construction industry. Small farms and wineries also greatly contribute to the economy in Franklin County.

Education[]

The highest educational attainment in Franklin County consists of the following:

  • High School Graduates: 59.1%
  • Associate Degree: 10.6%
  • Bachelor's Degree: 10.9%
  • Graduate Degree: 7.5%

Public schools[]

  • New Haven Public School District - New Haven
    • New Haven Elementary School (K–6)
    • New Haven Middle School (7–8)
    • New Haven High School (9–12)
  • Meramec Valley R-III School DistrictPacific
    • Meramec Valley Community School (Pre-K) – Pacific
    • Meramec Valley Early Childhood Center (Pre-K) – Pacific
    • Truman Elementary School (K–5) – Pacific
    • Robertsville Elementary School (K–5) – Robertsville
    • Zitzman Elementary School (K–5) – Pacific
    • Nike Elementary School (K–5) – Catawissa
    • Coleman Elementary School (K–5) – Villa Ridge
    • Riverbend School (8) – Pacific
    • Meramec Valley Middle School (6–7) – Pacific
    • Pacific High School (9–12) – Pacific
  • St. Clair R-XIII School DistrictSt. Clair
    • St. Clair Elementary School (K–2)
    • Edgar Murray Elementary School (3–5)
    • St. Clair Jr. High School (6–8)
    • St. Clair High School (9–12)
  • [1]Spring Bluff
    • Spring Bluff R-XV (k-8)
  • Sullivan School DistrictSullivan
    • Sullivan Primary School (Pre-K–1)
    • Sullivan Elementary School (2–5)
    • Sullivan Middle School (6–8)
    • Sullivan High School (9–12)
  • Union R-XI School DistrictUnion
    • Beaufort Elementary School (K–6) – Beaufort
    • Central Elementary School (K–3) – Union
    • Clark-Vitt Elementary School (4–6) – Union
    • Union Middle School (7–8) – Union
    • Union High School (9–12) – Union
  • Washington School DistrictWashington
    • Family Resource Center (Pre-K) – Washington
    • Washington West Elementary School (Pre-K–6) – Washington
    • South Point Elementary School (K–6) – Washington
    • Marthasville Elementary School (K–6) – Marthasville
    • Labadie Elementary School (K–6) – Labadie
    • Clearview Elementary School (Pre-K–6) – Union
    • Campbellton Elementary School (K–6) – New Haven
    • Augusta Elementary School (Pre-K–06) – Augusta
    • Washington Middle School (7–8) – Washington
    • Washington High School (9–12) – Washington
  • Franklin County R-II School District – New Haven
    • Franklin County Elementary School (K–8) – New Haven
  • Lonedell R-XIV School DistrictLonedell
    • Lonedell Elementary School (K–8) – Lonedell
  • Owensville R-II School DistrictGerald
    • Gerald Elementary School (K–5) – Gerald
  • Strain-Japan R-XVI School District - Sullivan
    • Strain-Japan Elementary School (K-08) - Sullivan

Private schools[]

Alternative schools[]

  • Autumn Hill State School (K–12) – Union – Handicapped/Special needs
  • Franklin County Special Education Cooperative (Pre-K–12) – St. Clair – Special Education
  • Four Rivers Career Center (9–12) – Washington – Vocational/Technical

Colleges/universities[]

Public libraries[]

  • Gerald Area Library[11]
  • Scenic Regional Library[12]
  • Sullivan Public Library[13]
  • Washington Public Library[14]

Crime[]

Rural Franklin County has had problems with the local production and consumption of methamphetamine and was featured in an A&E documentary entitled Meth: A County in Crisis (2005).

Politics[]

Local[]

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Franklin County. Republicans hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.

Franklin County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Tom Copeland Republican
Circuit Clerk Bill D. Miller Republican
County Clerk Tim Baker Republican
Collector Doug Trentmann Republican
Commissioner
(Presiding)
Tim Brinker Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)
Todd Boland Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)
Dave Hinson Republican
Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Becker Republican
Public Administrator Mary Jo Straatmann Democratic
Recorder Jennifer Metcalf Republican
Sheriff Steve Pelton Republican
Treasurer Debbie Aholt Republican

State[]

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2016 55.99% 28,069 41.61% 18,756 6.60% 3,306
2012 48.08% 22,335 49.23% 22,869 2.69% 1,252
2008 46.82% 22,896 51.29% 25,082 1.89% 921
2004 56.33% 25,557 42.31% 19,195 1.36% 617
2000 54.75% 21,336 41.61% 16,216 3.64% 1,418
1996 46.18% 15,540 50.44% 16,973 3.38% 1,137

Political culture[]

United States presidential election results for Franklin County, Missouri[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 38,058 70.76% 14,569 27.09% 1,156 2.15%
2016 35,430 70.20% 12,341 24.45% 2,701 5.35%
2012 29,396 62.64% 16,347 34.83% 1,186 2.53%
2008 27,355 55.31% 21,256 42.98% 847 1.71%
2004 26,429 58.32% 18,556 40.95% 333 0.73%
2000 21,863 55.78% 16,172 41.26% 1,159 2.96%
1996 13,715 40.66% 13,908 41.23% 6,111 18.12%
1992 11,477 31.82% 13,431 37.24% 11,156 30.93%
1988 16,611 58.06% 11,891 41.56% 108 0.38%
1984 18,669 69.18% 8,319 30.82% 0 0.00%
1980 15,210 56.69% 10,480 39.06% 1,142 4.26%
1976 12,242 50.29% 11,695 48.04% 405 1.66%
1972 13,785 64.87% 7,464 35.13% 0 0.00%
1968 9,823 50.77% 7,566 39.10% 1,960 10.13%
1964 8,313 38.17% 13,464 61.83% 0 0.00%
1960 11,610 52.93% 10,324 47.07% 0 0.00%
1956 11,605 58.04% 8,391 41.96% 0 0.00%
1952 11,367 56.82% 8,610 43.04% 27 0.13%
1948 7,725 49.57% 7,822 50.19% 38 0.24%
1944 9,325 60.84% 5,958 38.88% 43 0.28%
1940 10,283 58.58% 7,237 41.22% 35 0.20%
1936 7,708 48.42% 7,565 47.52% 647 4.06%
1932 5,369 38.37% 8,479 60.60% 144 1.03%
1928 7,831 58.92% 5,429 40.84% 32 0.24%
1924 6,253 59.31% 3,384 32.10% 906 8.59%
1920 8,712 74.25% 2,814 23.98% 207 1.76%
1916 4,325 62.36% 2,468 35.59% 142 2.05%
1912 2,424 43.32% 2,239 40.02% 932 16.66%
1908 4,049 60.91% 2,423 36.45% 175 2.63%
1904 3,738 60.90% 2,278 37.11% 122 1.99%
1900 3,686 57.49% 2,652 41.37% 73 1.14%
1896 3,797 56.46% 2,904 43.18% 24 0.36%
1892 2,987 52.38% 2,498 43.80% 218 3.82%
1888 3,261 55.45% 2,579 43.85% 41 0.70%



At the presidential level, Franklin County is fairly independent-leaning, but, like many exurban and mostly rural counties, its voters often favor Republican and conservative issues. While southerner Bill Clinton narrowly carried the county both times in 1992 and 1996, George W. Bush strongly carried Franklin County in 2000 and 2004. Like many of the rural counties in Missouri, Franklin County favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008.

Like most predominantly rural areas, voters in Franklin County generally strongly support socially and culturally conservative principles and therefore tend to support Republican candidates. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman; the measure overwhelmingly passed Franklin County with 76.89 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.[16]

In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state; it failed in Franklin County with 56.13 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 Franklin County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters have advanced some populist causes such as 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 Franklin County with 77.61 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 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.

Communities[]

Cities[]

Villages[]

  • Charmwood
  • Leslie
  • Miramiguoa Park
  • Oak Grove Village
  • Parkway

Census-designated places[]

  • Gray Summit
  • Lake St. Clair
  • Stanton
  • Villa Ridge

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Anaconda
  • Beaufort
  • Beemont
  • Boles
  • Campbellton
  • Catawissa
  • Champion City
  • Clover Bottom
  • Dissen
  • Dundee
  • Elmont
  • Etlah
  • Gildehouse
  • Hemker
  • Huff
  • Jaegers Shop
  • Japan
  • Jeffriesburg
  • Kiel
  • Kohl City
  • Krakow
  • Labadie
  • Lonedell
  • Luebbering
  • Lyon
  • Maupin
  • Monday
  • Moselle
  • Mount Hope
  • Neier
  • Noser Mill
  • Oetters
  • Port Hudson
  • Robertsville
  • Spring Bluff
  • St. Albans
  • Strain

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29071.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. p. 131. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ. 
  4. ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 166. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ. 
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt. 
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mo190090.txt. 
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  11. ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Gerald Area Library". Libraries.org. https://librarytechnology.org/library/20454. 
  12. ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Scenic Regional Library". Libraries.org. https://librarytechnology.org/library/20298. 
  13. ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Sullivan Public Library". Libraries.org. https://librarytechnology.org/library/20448. 
  14. ^ Breeding, Marshall. "Washington Public Library". Libraries.org. https://librarytechnology.org/library/20304. 
  15. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  16. ^ "Missouri Marriage Definition, Amendment 2 (August 2004)" (in en). https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_Marriage_Definition,_Amendment_2_(August_2004). 

Further reading[]

Historical Review of Franklin County, Missouri, 1818–1968. (Melvin B. Roblee & Vera L. Osiek, editors) (1968). Union, Missouri: Franklin County Sesqui-centennial Corporation.

External links[]

Coordinates: 38°25′N 91°05′W / 38.41, -91.08


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Franklin County, Missouri. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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