Carterville is a city in Jasper 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 1,855 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

While one James Carter settled in Jasper County in 1841, the land on which Carterville was built was originally owned by his son, James Gilbert Leroy Carter, who created a farm in the 1860’s. The town considers itself founded in 1875, when a post office called Carterville opened that year. However, the settlement was not officially incorporated until 1882. Early Carterville was little more than a lead-mining camp, one of many in the

tri-state mining district The Tri-State district was a historic lead-zinc mining district located in present-day southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma. The district produced lead and zinc for over 100 years. Production began in the 1850s and 1860s ...

in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma. It nevertheless thrived, and at one time had a population of over 12,000 residents, making it larger than nearby Webb City. When interurban transportation came to the mining district in 1889, it was in the form of a

horsecar A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is a tram or streetcar pulled by a horse. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public transport, public rail transport, ...

line (other sources say a mule road) between Webb City and Carterville. That operation was absorbed in 1892 by the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company, later the

Southwest Missouri Railroad Company The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company was a rail carrier in the tri-state mining region of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. An outgrowth of passenger streetcar lines with 94 miles of track, it became a smal ...

, and by 1894 an electrified streetcar line linked Carterville to Webb City and Joplin in one direction, and

Prosperity Prosperity is the flourishing, thriving, good fortune and successful social status. Prosperity often produces profuse wealth including other factors which can be profusely wealthy in all degrees, such as happiness and health. Competing notions ...

in the other. Two additional rail lines, that of the

Missouri Pacific Railway The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

and the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railway, ran down the west border of Carterville. The town began its decline in size after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, when the mining industry began to dry up.

Geography

Carterville's main street is the former

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

. 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 city has a total area of , all land.

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 1,891 people, 712 households, and 511 families living in the city. 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 800 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.2%

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 ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 2.0% 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 3.9% of the population. There were 712 households, of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% 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, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% 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 3.08. The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27% were from 25 to 44; 24.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,850 people, 702 households, and 499 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 792 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.70%

, 0.16%

, 0.59% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.16%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.11% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population. There were 702 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13. In the city the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,595, and the median income for a family was $34,539. Males had a median income of $26,581 versus $18,276 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 city was $12,924. About 10.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were 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 18.1% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in the

Webb City R-VII School District The School District of Webb City R-7 (or Webb City R-7 School District) is a school district headquartered in Webb City, Jasper County, Missouri, USA. The Webb City R-7 School District was ranked 3rd nationally in its class in 2010. The schoo ...

.
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Webb City High School Webb City High School (or WCHS) is a public high school located in Webb City, Missouri, founded in 1877. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is the only traditional high school in the School District of Webb City R-7. Webb City ...

is the district's comprehensive high school.

Gallery

Image:Old Rock Filling Station.jpg, Historic Old Rock filling station on Route 66 in Carterville, MO Image:Carterville Gymnasium.jpg, Inside view of Carterville Gymnasium

References

External links

City of Carterville Web Site
* https://www.census.gov/ {{authority control Cities in Jasper County, Missouri Joplin, Missouri, metropolitan area Cities in Missouri