Lincoln County, Missouri

Lincoln County, Missouri
Location in the state of Missouri
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded	December 14, 1818
Named for	Benjamin Lincoln, a Major General during the American Revolutionary War.
Seat	Troy
Largest city	Troy
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	640.41 sq mi (1,659 km²) 630.49 sq mi (1,633 km²) 9.92 sq mi (26 km²), 1.55%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	52,566 79.6/sq mi (30.7/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.lcmo.us

An old barn in rural Lincoln County

Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 52,566. Its county seat is Troy.

History

According to Goodspeed's History of Lincoln County, Missouri (1888), it was named by Major Christopher Clark, the first permanent white settler, when he addressed the Territorial Legislature saying, "I was born, sir, in Link-Horn County, N. C, I lived for many years in Link-Horn County in old Kain-tuck. I wish to die in Link-Horn County, in Missouri; and I Move, therefore, that the blank in the bill be filled with the name Link-Horn." The motion was carried unanimously and the clerk, not adopting the frontier parlance of the Major, wrote "Lincoln" in the blank space of the bill. Others say it was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Notable residents

• Oliver Winfield Killam - Oil industrialist and former Oklahoma state legislator.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 640.41 square miles (1,658.7 km²), of which 630.49 square miles (1,633.0 km²) (or 98.45%) is land and 9.92 square miles (25.7 km²) (or 1.55%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Pike County (north)
• Calhoun County, Illinois (east) across the Mississippi River
• St. Charles County (southeast)
• Warren County (southwest)
• Montgomery County (west)

Major highways

• U.S. Route 61
• Route 47
• Route 79

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	1,662		—
1830	4,059		144.2%
1840	7,449		83.5%
1850	9,421		26.5%
1860	14,210		50.8%
1870	15,960		12.3%
1880	17,426		9.2%
1890	18,346		5.3%
1900	18,352		0%
1910	17,003		−7.4%
1920	15,956		−6.2%
1930	13,929		−12.7%
1940	14,395		3.3%
1950	13,478		−6.4%
1960	14,783		9.7%
1970	18,041		22.0%
1980	22,193		23.0%
1990	28,892		30.2%
2000	38,944		34.8%
2010	52,566		35.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,944 people, 13,851 households, and 10,554 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 15,511 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.13% White, 1.74% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 37.7% were of German, 17.0% American, 10.9% Irish and 7.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 13,851 households out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.80% were non-families. 19.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county the population was spread out with 30.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 21.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,592, and the median income for a family was $47,747. Males had a median income of $35,564 versus $23,270 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,149. About 6.20% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.60% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Cave Chain of Rocks Corso Elsberry

Foley Fountain N' Lakes Hawk Point Moscow Mills

Old Monroe Olney Silex Troy

Truxton Whiteside Winfield

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Missouri

Notable natives and residents

• Carl C. Rasmussen (1901–52), Los Angeles, City Council member, born in Lincoln County

External links

• Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Lincoln County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books