Lawrence County is located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, in the area of the Ozarks. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,001. Its county seat is Mount Vernon. The county was organized in 1845 and named for James Lawrence, a naval officer from the War of 1812 known for his battle cry, "Don't give up the ship!"

A previous Lawrence County, established in 1815 with its county seat at what is now Davidsonville Historic State Park in Arkansas, covered much of what is now southern Missouri and the northern third of Arkansas. When the Arkansas Territory was created from Missouri Territory in 1819, some of that earlier county became organized as Lawrence County, Arkansas.

Just before that, in 1818, Missouri divided its part of the old Lawrence County into Wayne County and Madison County; with population increases, those counties were later divided into others, including the present Lawrence County.

Racial history Following the Reconstruction era, southwestern Missouri became increasingly hostile to African Americans, and whites attacked blacks in Lawrence and other counties, seeking to expel them from the region. An African-American man was lynched in Verona, Missouri on January 26, 1894; his name was not recorded."Lynching in Missouri", Saline County, Missouri/MOGenWeb Project, 1996-2018; accessed April 12, 2018 On August 19, 1901, three men were lynched by a white mob in the county seat, Pierce City, in Lawrence County. The mob also burned down some black homes, and drove roughly 30 families, a total of 300 African Americans, out of the city altogether. Whites took over their properties and the African Americans were never compensated for losses.

As a result of such incidents, many African Americans left Southwest Missouri in the early 20th century.Kimberly Harper, White Man's Heaven: The Lynching and Expulsion of Blacks in the Southern Ozarks, 1894-1909, University of Arkansas Press, 2012Lynching in America/ Supplement: Lynchings by County, 3rd edition , Montgomery, Alabama: Equal Justice Initiative, 2015, p. 7 The extrajudicial murders were part of a pattern of discrimination, repeated violence and intimidation of African Americans in southwest Missouri from 1894 to 1909. Whites in Greene conducted a mass lynching of three African-Americans in 1906 in the courthouse square.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water. Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge is located in Lawrence County.

Adjacent counties Dade County (north) Greene County (northeast) Christian County (southeast) Stone County (southeast) Barry County (south) Newton County (southwest) Jasper County (west)

Major highways

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Lawrence County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)28,61729,66733,21335,14032,40198.77%98.12%94.34%90.96%85.26%Black or African American alone (NH)92468831340.03%0.08%0.19%0.21%0.35%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1032712523013330.36%0.90%0.72%0.78%0.88%Asian alone (NH)5856791241710.20%0.19%0.22%0.32%0.45%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census71040xx0.02%0.03%0.11%Other race alone (NH)2271311910.08%0.02%0.04%0.03%0.24%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census3775211,844xx1.07%1.35%4.85%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1642111,1952,4442,9870.57%0.70%3.39%6.33%7.86%Total28,97330,23635,20438,63438,001 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,001, and the median age was 40.0 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.4 males age 18 and over.

There were 14,599 households in the county, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 16,219 housing units, of which 10.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.6% were owner-occupied and 28.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.4%.

28.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.5% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup (allocating Hispanics to the various racial categories) of the county was 87.2% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.6% from some other race, and 7.2% from two or more races, with 7.9% of the population identifying as Hispanic or Latino of any race.

+Lawrence County Racial CompositionRaceNum.Perc.White (NH)32,40185.26%Black or African American (NH)1340.35%Native American (NH)3330.9%Asian (NH)1710.45%Pacific Islander (NH)400.11%Other/Mixed (NH)1,9355.1%Hispanic or Latino2,9877.86%

2000 census

As of the 2000 census of 2000, there were 35,204 people, 13,568 households, and 9,728 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 14,789 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.68% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Approximately 3.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,568 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,239, and the median income for a family was $36,846. Males had a median income of $27,309 versus $18,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,399. About 11.00% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.50% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education Public schools include Pierce City High School.

Communities Cities Aurora Marionville Miller Monett Mount Vernon (county seat) Pierce City Stotts City Verona

Villages Freistatt Halltown Hoberg

Census-designated place Chesapeake

Other unincorporated places

Albatross Bowers Mill Clarkson Elliott Grays Point Heatonville Lawrenceburg Logan McKinley Minden Olinger Opal Orange Paris Springs Junction Phelps Plew Red Oak Rescue Round Grove Spencer Stinson

Politics

Local The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Lawrence County. Republicans hold all elected positions in the county.

State + Past Gubernatorial Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties202479.21% 14,34518.77% 3,3992.02% 365202079.58% 14,17617.88% 3,1852.54% 452201669.34% 11,56526.87% 4,4823.79% 632201257.51% 9,02239.91% 6,2612.58% 405200849.15% 8,11847.94% 7,9182.91% 482200470.22% 11,06928.55% 4,5001.23% 194200058.24% 7,44739.93% 5,1061.82% 233199654.20% 6,69542.13% 5,2043.68% 454

Lawrence County is divided into two legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, both of which are held by Republicans.

District 157 — Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove). Consists of most of the entire county.

District 158 — Scott Fitzpatrick (R-Shell Knob). Consists of a part of the southwest corner of the county, including about half of Pierce City.

All of Lawrence County is a part of Missouri's 29th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by David Sater (R-Cassville.

Federal

All of Lawrence County is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is currently represented by Billy Long (R-Springfield) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Voters in Lawrence County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) received more votes, a total of 2,628, than any candidate from either party in Lawrence County during the 2008 presidential primary.

See also List of counties in Missouri National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, Missouri

References

Further reading Spilman, John F. "History of Sylvan School, Lawrence County, Missouri." Missouri Historical Review 50 (October 1955): 30-43. online formed 1q852; now part of Pierce City schools.

External links Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Lawrence County from University of Missouri Special Collections and Archives, Plat Books of Missouri Counties Collection, Plat Book of Lawrence County, Missouri https://web.archive.org/web/20110811072206/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29109.html