Oregon County, Missouri

Oregon County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,635.[1] Its county seat is Alton.[2] The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named for the Oregon Territory in the northwestern United States.

"Oregon County" redirects here. Not to be confused with Oregon Country.

Oregon County
County
Oregon County Courthouse in Alton
Oregon County Courthouse in Alton
Map of Missouri highlighting Oregon County
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Map of the United States highlighting Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°41′N 91°24′W
Country United States
State Missouri
FoundedFebruary 14, 1845
Named forOregon Territory
SeatAlton
Largest cityThayer
Area
 • Total792 sq mi (2,050 km2)
 • Land790 sq mi (2,000 km2)
 • Water1.7 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,635
 • Density11/sq mi (4.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th

Home to a large area of the Mark Twain National Forest, Oregon County contains more national forest acreage than any county in the state of Missouri. It also contains the Irish Wilderness, the largest federally protected wilderness area in the state. Hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding opportunities abound on the Ozark Trail and the White's Creek Trail. Canoeing, kayaking, jonboating, and fishing are popular on the Eleven Point River, which is Missouri's only National Wild and Scenic River.

Eleven Point State Park is under development east of Alton, Missouri that includes 6 miles of Eleven Point River frontage.

Grand Gulf State Park, just west of Thayer, includes a karst window, a collapsed karst canyon.

History

Oregon County was created in 1845, at a time when the Oregon boundary dispute was a major issue.[3]

Geography

The county has a total area of 792 square miles (2,050 km2), of which 790 square miles (2,000 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4] Arkansas is located to the south of Oregon County.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18501,432—
18603,009110.1%
18703,2879.2%
18805,79176.2%
189010,46780.7%
190013,90632.9%
191014,6815.6%
192012,889−12.2%
193012,220−5.2%
194013,3909.6%
195011,978−10.5%
19609,845−17.8%
19709,180−6.8%
198010,23811.5%
19909,470−7.5%
200010,3449.2%
201010,8815.2%
20208,635−20.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2015[9]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there was 10,344 people, 4,263 households, and 3,018 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km2). There were 4,997 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.61% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 2.88% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Approximately 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Oregon County were 29.7% American, 13.4% English, 13.1% Irish, and 13.0% German.

There were 4,263 households, out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 92.80 men.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,119, and the median income for a family was $31,637. Males had a median income of $22,304 versus $16,353 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,043. About 16.30% of families and 22.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.20% of those under age 18 and 20.00% of those age 65 or over. Of the state's 115 counties, in 2010 Oregon ranked last in terms of poverty.[11][12]

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2010), Oregon County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Oregon County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (46.0%), National Association of Free Will Baptists (30.1%), and Churches of Christ (9.1%).[13]

2020 Census
Oregon County Racial Composition[14]
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 7,990 92.5%
Black or African American (NH) 25 0.3%
Native American (NH) 65 0.75%
Asian (NH) 8 0.1%
Pacific Islander (NH) 0 0%
Other/Mixed (NH) 430 5%
Hispanic or Latino 117 1.35%

Politics

Local
Oregon County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor Doug Bridges Republican
Circuit Clerk Betty Grooms Republican
County Clerk Tracy Bridges Democratic
Collector Misty Hower Democratic
Commissioner
(Presiding)		 David Stubblefield Republican
Commissioner
(District 1)		 Jason Kemper Republican
Commissioner
(District 2)		 Terry Cline Republican
Coroner Tom Clary Democratic
Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kelley Republican
Public Administrator Becky Granger Republican
Recorder Dawn Holman Democratic
Sheriff Eric King Republican
Surveyor Scott Simer Democratic
Treasurer Linda Parrott Republican

Political control at the county level is currently divided between the Democratic and Republican parties.

State

All of Oregon County is a part of the 143rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently represented by Jeffrey Pogue (R-Salem).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 143 — Oregon County (2016)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jeffrey Pogue 3,801 100.00%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 143 — Oregon County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jeffrey Pogue 1,948 100.00% +35.32%
Missouri House of Representatives — District 143 — Oregon County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jeffrey Pogue 2,767 64.68%
Democratic Shane Van Steenis 1,511 35.32%

All of Oregon County is a part of Missouri's 33rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Mike Cunningham (R-Rogersville).

Missouri Senate — District 33 — Oregon County (2016)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Cunningham 3,833 100.00%
Missouri Senate — District 33 — Oregon County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Mike Cunningham 3,428 100.00%
Past Gubernatorial Elections Results
Year Republican Democratic Third Parties
2020 80.42% 3,770 17.92% 840 1.66% 78
2016 66.82% 3,081 30.04% 1,385 3.14% 145
2012 50.01% 2,200 46.85% 2,061 3.14% 138
2008 38.07% 1,742 59.22% 2,710 2.71% 124
2004 55.76% 2,579 42.16% 1,950 2.08% 96
2000 45.82% 1,938 51.70% 2,187 2.48% 105
1996 38.02% 1,466 59.23% 2,284 2.75% 106
1992 39.27% 1,635 60.73% 2,529 0.00% 0
1988 53.00% 1,978 46.60% 1,739 0.40% 15
1984 52.93% 2,087 47.07% 1,856 0.00% 0
1980 40.12% 1,542 59.82% 2,299 0.05% 2
1976 37.19% 1,350 62.73% 2,277 0.08% 3

Federal
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Oregon County (2016)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Roy Blunt 3,031 65.45% +17.88
Democratic Jason Kander 1,385 29.91% -16.59
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 105 2.27% -3.66
Green Johnathan McFarland 53 1.14% +1.14
Constitution Fred Ryman 57 1.23% +1.23
U.S. Senate — Missouri — Oregon County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Akin 2,095 47.57%
Democratic Claire McCaskill 2,048 46.50%
Libertarian Jonathan Dine 261 5.93%

Oregon County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith (R-Salem) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau). Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Oregon County (2016)[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 3,447 77.50% +17.05
Democratic Dave Cowell 876 19.69% -4.52
Libertarian Jonathan Shell 125 2.81% +1.15
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Oregon County (2014)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jason T. Smith 1,458 60.45% +1.40
Democratic Barbara Stocker 584 24.21% -6.35
Constitution Doug Enyart 76 3.15% -6.11
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 40 1.66% +0.53
Independent Terry Hampton 254 10.53% +10.53
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Oregon County (Special Election 2013)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican James T. Smith 574 59.05% -11.37
Democratic Steve Hodges 297 30.56% +5.19
Constitution Doug Enyart 90 9.26% +9.26
Libertarian Bill Slantz 11 1.13% -3.08
U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 8th Congressional District — Oregon County (2012)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Jo Ann Emerson 3,061 70.42%
Democratic Jack Rushin 1,103 25.37%
Libertarian Rick Vandeven 183 4.21%

Political culture
United States presidential election results for Oregon County, Missouri[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 3,847 81.18% 823 17.37% 69 1.46%
2016 3,671 78.64% 865 18.53% 132 2.83%
2012 2,886 65.28% 1,419 32.10% 116 2.62%
2008 2,652 57.77% 1,811 39.45% 128 2.79%
2004 2,769 59.26% 1,823 39.01% 81 1.73%
2000 2,521 59.56% 1,568 37.04% 144 3.40%
1996 1,502 39.10% 1,795 46.73% 544 14.16%
1992 1,402 33.10% 2,258 53.31% 576 13.60%
1988 1,717 45.59% 2,042 54.22% 7 0.19%
1984 1,979 49.41% 2,026 50.59% 0 0.00%
1980 1,523 39.07% 2,326 59.67% 49 1.26%
1976 1,122 30.23% 2,564 69.07% 26 0.70%
1972 2,118 61.04% 1,352 38.96% 0 0.00%
1968 1,213 34.03% 1,726 48.43% 625 17.54%
1964 992 25.44% 2,908 74.56% 0 0.00%
1960 1,974 50.51% 1,934 49.49% 0 0.00%
1956 1,436 36.75% 2,472 63.25% 0 0.00%
1952 1,804 38.03% 2,926 61.68% 14 0.30%
1948 1,214 27.86% 3,133 71.91% 10 0.23%
1944 1,573 36.46% 2,734 63.38% 7 0.16%
1940 1,826 33.60% 3,593 66.12% 15 0.28%
1936 1,461 29.40% 3,504 70.50% 5 0.10%
1932 786 17.77% 3,599 81.37% 38 0.86%
1928 1,662 46.82% 1,884 53.07% 4 0.11%
1924 896 25.70% 2,231 63.98% 360 10.32%
1920 1,319 39.57% 1,961 58.84% 53 1.59%
1916 660 25.92% 1,799 70.66% 87 3.42%
1912 486 18.12% 1,688 62.94% 508 18.94%
1908 729 30.31% 1,550 64.45% 126 5.24%
1904 693 33.72% 1,215 59.12% 147 7.15%
1900 652 26.42% 1,768 71.64% 48 1.94%
1896 576 24.36% 1,783 75.39% 6 0.25%
1892 318 19.64% 1,118 69.05% 183 11.30%
1888 360 23.61% 1,157 75.87% 8 0.52%

At the presidential level, Oregon County was solidly Democratic from its founding in 1845 through 1996; in 1960, Richard Nixon became the first Republican ever to carry the county, but, aside from Nixon's landslide over McGovern in 1972, it would not go Republican again until 2000, when it voted for George W. Bush.[17] It voted Republican again in the next two elections, 2004 and 2008, although the Republican vote share shrank slightly in both elections. In 2012, Mitt Romney became the first Republican since 1972 to break 60% in the county; in 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to exceed 70%; and in 2020, Trump became the first Republican to exceed 80%. The county has voted Republican for six elections straight as of 2020.

Like most rural areas throughout Southeast Missouri, voters in Oregon County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Oregon County with 87.09 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 Oregon County with 56.78 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 Oregon 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 Oregon County with 73.14 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.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
Main articles: 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary and 2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary

In the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Oregon County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 989, than any candidate from either party in Oregon County during the 2008 presidential primary.

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Oregon County, 72.0% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 9.1% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools
  • Alton R-IV School District - Alton[18]
    • Alton Elementary School (K-06)
    • Alton High School (07-12)
  • Couch R-I School District - Myrtle[19]
    • Couch Elementary School (K-06)
    • Couch High School (07-12)
  • Oregon-Howell R-III School District - Koshkonong[20]
    • Koshkonong Elementary School (K-06)
    • Koshkonong High School (07-12)
  • Thayer R-II School District - Thayer[21]
    • Thayer Elementary School (K-06)
    • Thayer High School (07-12)

Public libraries
  • Oregon County Library District[22]

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated places

See also

References
  1. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. Eaton, David Wolfe (1917). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 337.
  4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  8. "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 17, 2014.
  9. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  11. "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  12. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  13. "Oregon County (Missouri)". The Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report. 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  14. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Oregon County, Missouri".
  15. "County Results - State of Missouri - 2016 General Election - November 8, 2016 - Official Results". Missouri Secretary of State. December 8, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  17. "County winners, 1836-2016". Google Docs. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  18. http://alton.k12.mo.us/
  19. http://www.couch.k12.mo.us/
  20. http://koshkonong.k12.mo.us/
  21. http://thayer.k12.mo.us/
  22. Breeding, Marshall. "Oregon County Library District". Libraries.org. Retrieved May 8, 2017.

36.69°N 91.40°W / 36.69; -91.40

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