Oregon County, Missouri

Oregon County, Missouri
Location in the state of Missouri
Missouri's location in the U.S.
Founded	1845
Named for	Oregon Territory
Seat	Alton
Largest city	Thayer
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	791.59 sq mi (2,050 km²) 791.40 sq mi (2,050 km²) 0.18 sq mi (0 km²), 0.02%
PopulationEst.  - (2008)  - Density	10,264 13/sq mi (5/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

Oregon County is a county located in South Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 10,344. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 10,264. Its county seat is Alton. The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named for the Oregon Territory in the northwestern United States.

Home to a large area of the Mark Twain National Forest, Oregon County contains more National Forest land than any other county in Missouri. It also contains the Irish Wilderness, the largest federally protected wilderness area in the state. Hiking and backpacking opportunities abound on the Ozark Trail and the White's Creek Trail. Canoeing and fishing are popular on the Eleven Point River, which is Missouri's only National Wild and Scenic River.

Grand Gulf State Park is a Missouri state park just west of Thayer which includes a collapsed karst canyon.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 791.59 square miles (2,050.2 km²), of which 791.40 square miles (2,049.7 km²) (or 99.98%) is land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km²) (or 0.02%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Shannon County (north)
• Carter County (northeast)
• Ripley County (east)
• Randolph County, Arkansas (southeast)
• Sharp County, Arkansas (south)
• Fulton County, Arkansas (southwest)
• Howell County (west)

Major highways

• U.S. Route 63
• U.S. Route 160
• Route 19
• Route 99
• Route 142

National protected area

• Mark Twain National Forest (part)

History

During the American Civil War, men from Oregon County marched off to fight for the Confederate States of America on three separate occasions.

In July 1861, the Second Infantry Regiment of McBride's Seventh Division, Missouri State Guard was formed. Oregon County men made up Companies A, D, F, and G. On August 10, 1861 they fought at the Battle of Wilson's Creek near Springfield and were victorious.

In early 1862 the Missouri State Guard was disbanded and regular Confederate Army units were formed. During February and March 1862, Oregon County men were mustered into companies D and I of the Fourth Missouri Infantry. The Fourth Missouri was sent to Mississippi where they engaged in the Battle of Corinth on October 3-4, 1862. The valiant Oregon County men suffered heavy losses to disease and battle casualties and finally surrendered with 30,000 other Confederates at the Siege of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.

In the late winter and spring of 1864, Major Matthew G. Norman began organizing another regiment of troops. These men would join Northern Arkansas men led by Lt. Colonel James H. Tracy to form Fristoe's Regiment in the Missouri Cavalry. Colonel Edward T. Fristoe of Rappahannock, Virginia would lead his command on the ill-fated Missouri Invasion of General Sterling Price in the fall of 1864.

Other units that Oregon County men joined were the Freeman's Regiment, the Missouri Cavalry, and the Fifteenth Missouri Cavalry Regiment from neighboring Ripley County. Only a handful of Oregon County men joined the Union Army. The county suffered greatly during the war from raids of Union troops as well as the atrocities of bushwhackers.

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Oregon County, 72.0% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 9.1% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public Schools

• Alton R-IV School District - Alton
  • Alton Elementary School (K-06)
  • Alton High School (07-12)
• Couch R-I School District - Myrtle
  • Couch Elementary School (K-06)
  • Couch High School (07-12)
• Oregon-Howell R-III School District - Koshkonong
  • Koshkonong Elementary School (K-06)
  • Koshkonong High School (07-12)
• Thayer R-II School District - Thayer
  • Thayer Elementary School (K-06)
  • Thayer High School (07-12)

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), OregonCounty is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Oregon County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (36.10%), National Association of Free Will Baptists (34.45%), and Churches of Christ (9.81%).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,344 people, 4,263 households, and 3,018 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5/km²). There were 4,997 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.61% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 2.88% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Approximately 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Oregon County were 29.7% American, 13.4% English, 13.1% Irish, and 13.0% German, according to Census 2000.

There were 4,263 households out of which 29.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,119, and the median income for a family was $31,637. Males had a median income of $22,304 versus $16,353 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,043. About 16.30% of families and 22.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.20% of those under age 18 and 20.00% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

Alton Bardley Couch

Koshkonong Myrtle Thomasville

Thayer

Politics

Local

Politics at the local level in Oregon County is predominantly controlled by the Democratic Party. In fact, all but two of Oregon County's elected officeholders are Democrats.

Office	Incumbent	Party
Assessor	Charles Lon Alford	Democratic
Circuit Clerk & Ex Officio Recorder	Dorothy Barton	Democratic
Clerk	Gary Hensley	Democratic
Collector	Jerry Richardson	Democratic
Commissioner – District 1	Johnny D. Wrenfrow	Democratic
Commissioner – District 2	Edward Casey	Republican
Coroner	Tom Clary	Democratic
Presiding Commissioner	Leo Warren	Democratic
Prosecuting Attorney	Fred O’Neill	Democratic
Public Administrator	Mike Crawford	Republican
Sheriff	George Underwood	Democratic
Surveyor	Scott Simer	Democratic
Treasurer	Kim Hollis	Democratic

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2008	38.07% 1,742	59.22% 2,710	2.71% 124
2004	55.76% 2,579	42.16% 1,950	2.08% 96
2000	45.82% 1,938	51.70% 2,187	2.48% 105
1996	38.02% 1,466	59.23% 2,284	2.75% 106

In the Missouri House of Representatives, all of Oregon County is a part of Missouri’s 153rd District and is currently represented by Mike Dethrow (R-Alton). Dethrow is term limited and is finishing out his last term. He will be succeeded by fellow Republican Steve Cookson in the next legislative session in January 2011.

Missouri House of Representatives - District 153 - Oregon County (2010)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Steve Cookson	2,133	61.52	-38.48
	Democratic	George Meyers	1,175	33.89	+33.89
	Constitution	Rory Calhoun	159	4.59	+4.59

In the Missouri Senate, all of Oregon County is a part of Missouri's 33rd District and is currently represented by State Senator Chuck Purgason (R-Caulfield). In 2008, Purgason defeated Eric Reeve (D) 67.31-32.69 percent in the district. The 33rd Senatorial District consists of Camden, Howell, Laclede, Oregon, Shannon, Texas, and Wright counties.

Missouri Senate - District 33 - Oregon County (2008)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Chuck Purgason	2,709	61.03
	Democratic	Eric Reeve	1,730	38.97

Federal

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Oregon County is represented by Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau) who represents all of Southeast Missouri as part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District.

U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 - Oregon County (2010)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Jo Ann Emerson	2,150	61.04	-5.03
	Democratic	Tommy Sowers	1,218	34.58	+3.27
	Independent	Larry Bill	79	2.24	+2.24
	Libertarian	Rick Vandeven	75	2.13	+0.77

Political Culture

Past Presidential Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2008	57.77% 2,652	39.45% 1,811	2.78% 128
2004	59.26% 2,769	39.01% 1,823	1.73% 81
2000	59.56% 2,521	37.04% 1,568	3.40% 144
1996	39.10% 1,502	46.73% 1,795	14.16% 544

At the presidential level, Oregon County is a fairly independent-leaning or battleground county. While George W. Bush carried Oregon County in 2000 and 2004, the margins of victory were smaller than in many of the other rural areas. Bill Clinton also carried Oregon County both times in 1992 and 1996. Like most of the other rural counties in Missouri, Oregon County favored John McCain over Barack Obama in 2008.

Like most rural areas throughout Southeast Missouri, voters in Oregon County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Oregon County with 87.09 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Oregon County with 56.78 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Oregon County’s longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Oregon County with 73.14 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

Missouri Presidential Preference Primary (2008)

In the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary, voters in Oregon County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.

• Former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 989, than any candidate from either party in Oregon County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary.

Oregon County, Missouri
2008 Republican primary in Missouri
John McCain	242 (20.47%)
Mike Huckabee	696 (58.88%)
Mitt Romney	134 (11.34%)
Ron Paul	101 (8.54%)

Oregon County, Missouri
2008 Democratic primary in Missouri
Hillary Rodham Clinton	989 (71.77%)
Barack Obama	332 (24.09%)
John Edwards (withdrawn)	42 (3.05%)

See also

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

External links

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