Arrow Rock, Missouri
| Arrow Rock, Missouri | |
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| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 39°4′12″N 92°56′51″W / 39.07°N 92.9475°WCoordinates: 39°4′12″N 92°56′51″W / 39.07°N 92.9475°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Saline |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| • Land | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 709 ft (216 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 56 |
| • Density | 592.5/sq mi (228.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 65320 |
| Area code(s) | 660 |
| FIPS code | 29-02044[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0713403[2] |
Arrow Rock is a village in Saline County, Missouri, United States. The population was 79 as of the 2000 Census (56 as of the 2010 Census). The musical Tom Sawyer (1973), based on the novel by Mark Twain, was filmed here. Arrow Rock Historic District has significant properties and the George Caleb Bingham House has been designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
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[edit] Geography
Arrow Rock is located at 39°4′12″N 92°56′51″W / 39.07°N 92.9475°W (39.070117, -92.947364)[3]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 79 people, 39 households, and 24 families residing in the town. The population density was 592.5 people per square mile (234.6/km²). There were 62 housing units at an average density of 465.0 per square mile (184.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White.
There were 39 households out of which 17.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.52.
In the town the population was spread out with 13.9% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 11.4% from 25 to 44, 35.4% from 45 to 64, and 35.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $35,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,344. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line.
[edit] Notable residents
- George Caleb Bingham
- Asa Finley
- Claiborne Fox Jackson
- Meredith Miles Marmaduke
- John S. Marmaduke, (1833–1887), born in Arrow Rock, was a general in the Confederate Army and later the Governor of Missouri.[4]
- Dr. John Sappington, popularized the use of quinine pills to treat malaria
[edit] History
In 1804 Lewis and Clark passed through Arrow Rock and noted the salt licks around the Missouri River. The town was formed by European-American settlers in 1829, when westbound settlers and traders decided they liked the area. They originally called the settlement Philadelphia, but in 1833 changed its name to Arrow Rock. Native Americans used to gather flint from the area to make arrowheads.
Due to Arrow Rock's location on the Missouri River and along the Santa Fe Trail, a large number of travelers passed through. Joseph Huston, originally from Virginia, began construction on a two-story brick building in 1834, which became known as the Old Tavern. The Old Tavern was a general store and tavern, and also served as a hotel. “By 1860, Arrow Rock had become Saline County’s most important river port, with a population of more than 1,000. Nearly half that number were African Americans.” (The Village of Arrow Rock 2007). The town has preserved the Old Tavern, the stone gutters on Main Street, and other early structures.
These historical forces contributed to local legislative oddities that persist to this day. In 1863, a shipment of supplies for Union outposts on the western frontier ran aground on a mud flat exposed by a drought's shifting of the Missouri River. Proprietors of the Old Tavern claimed the supplies under a uniquely Western interpretation of maritime law, and offloaded the shipment as day turned into night. The most fungible goods - five hundred pounds of coffee beans and sundry associated grinders - were removed first, along with the tactically prudent small arms ammunition. When authorities arrived the following morning to dispute the claims, they found the local citizenry overly alert and well-armed. In the ensuing firefight, a stray round glancing off the native flint struck sparks which ignited several kegs of gunpowder remaining aboard the stranded barge. Both sides quickly terminated the dispute.
It is rumored that the errant shot was fired by the Mayor while under the influence of fresh-brewed coffee laced with quinine and other anti-malarials, which caused his hands to tremble and his aim to be poor. In the aftermath of this event, the Mayor blamed the entire incident on the unaccustomed richness of the coffee. He arranged for the local grinding of coffee beans to be outlawed, as a rider to legislation designed to smooth over the state and federal implications of the matter while saving face for the community. To this day, the coffee grinding prohibition remains in effect.
[edit] Historic properties
Along with the Old Tavern, Arrow Rock has several other significant historic properties. The J.P. Sites Gun Shop, dated back to 1830, began as a cottage. It was remodeled in the mid 1870s, adding two bedrooms upstairs. The J.P. Sites Gun Shop was home to Arrow Rock's gunsmith. Other historic properties include the Log Cabin, the Miler House, the Brown Lodge, the Christian Church, the Lawless House, the Brown Chapel, and the Post Office. The George Caleb Bingham House has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
[edit] Excavations
Dr. Timothy E. Baumann, of Missouri Valley College, has conducted excavations within the community, exploring African-American life and culture. His excavations span the periods of slavery and post-emancipation. He has worked on homes of enslaved African Americana at two plantations, as well as on a post-Civil War African-American community. There he did research on multiple households, a schoolhouse, a church, a Masonic lodge, and a speakeasy. Dr. Baumann is the museum consultant for Friends of Arrow Rock, Inc.
[edit] Parks
Arrow Rock is home to one of Missouri's State Historic Sites, Arrow Rock State Historic Site. This park overlooks the Missouri River.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
“The Villages of Arrow Rock: A Bit of History.” 28 April 2008. <http://www.arrowrock.org/history.htm>. Retrieved April 14, 2008. "Missouri Valley College" 2005. Dr. Timothy E. Baumann. <http://www.moval.edu/faculty/baumannt/index.asp> Retrieved April 14, 2008.
[edit] External links
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