Humansville, Missouri

Humansville, Missouri
—  City  —
Location of Humansville, Missouri
Coordinates: 37°47′44″N 93°34′42″W
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Polk
Area
• Total	1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
• Land	1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	965 ft (294 m)
Population (2009)
• Total	1,020
• Density	794.0/sq mi (306.6/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	65674
Area code(s)	417
FIPS code	29-33706
GNIS feature ID	0719986

Humansville is a city in Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,020 at the 2009 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Humansville is located at 37°47′44″N 93°34′42″W (37.795645, -93.578354). It sits on Brush Creek and the line of the old Kansas City, Clinton, and Southern Railway. It is 18 miles northwest of Bolivar, the seat of Polk County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land. As of the 2000 census there were 946 people living in the city.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 946 people, 389 households, and 219 families residing in the city. The population density was 794.0 people per square mile (306.9/km²). There were 465 housing units at an average density of 390.3 per square mile (150.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.20% White, 0.42% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 389 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,821, and the median income for a family was $29,018. Males had a median income of $21,181 versus $14,423 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,051. About 11.9% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

History

Humansville was named for James Human, who settled in the area in 1834. During the U.S. Civil War, the town was home to a garrison of 150 federal troops. During Shelby's Raid of 1863, Confederates surrounded and overwhelmed the outpost, leaving 17 killed and wounded.

The town was incorporated in 1873 but did not elect its first mayor (J.H. Washburn) until 1886.

Notable natives

• Zoe Akins, (1886–1958), became a successful poet, playwright, and screenwriter.
• Edgar Buchanan (1903–1979), who had a long career in movies and television. He portrayed Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction in the 1960s.
• James B. Potter, Jr. (born 1931), Los Angeles City Council member, 1963–71

References

• Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, by Howard Louis Conrad, 1901. Page 324.
• Woman's Who's Who of America, by John William Leonard, 1914. Page 40.

External links

• Historic maps of Humansville in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri