Washington County, Missouri

Washington County, Missouri
Washington County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 23,514. The county seat and largest city is Potosi. The county was officially organized on August 21, 1813, and was named in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
History
The French explorers Renault and La Motte entered the area of present-day Potosi in 1722–23. However, no permanent settlements were made until 1763, when François Breton settled near Potosi and began to operate a mine bearing his name. The Bellview Valley, near Caledonia and Belgrade, was settled in 1802 by the families of William and Helen Watson Reed, their sons, Robert, Joseph, and Thomas Reed, William Reed's brother and nephew, Joseph and William Reed, Annanias McCoy, and Benjamin Crow. Washington County was officially organized on August 21, 1813, out of Ste. Genevieve County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Franklin County (north)
Jefferson County (northeast)
St. Francois County (east)
Iron County (south)
Crawford County (west)
National protected area
Mark Twain National Forest (part)
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,344 people, 8,406 households, and 6,237 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,894 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.47% White, 2.48% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Approximately 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,406 households, out of which 36.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.60% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 106.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,001, and the median income for a family was $38,193. Males had a median income of $27,871 versus $18,206 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,095. About 17.10% of families and 20.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.40% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or older.
Religion
According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Washington County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Washington County who adhere to a religion are Roman Catholics (36.73%), Southern Baptists (21.74%), and Baptist Missionary Association of America (16.86%).
2020 Census
Politics
Local
Republicans hold a sizeable majority of the elected positions in the county.
State
Washington County is divided into three legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives.
District 118 – Currently represented by Mike McGirl (R-Potosi) and consists of the northeastern part of the county and includes Cadet, Mineral Point, Old Mines, Richwoods, Tiff, and part of Potosi.
District 119 – Currently represented by Nate Tate (R-St. Clair). Consists of the northwestern part of the county, including Pea Ridge.
District 144 – Currently represented by Chris Dinkins (R-Annapolis). Consists of the southern parts of the county including Belgrade, Caledonia, Courtois, Hopewell, Irondale, and part of Potosi.
All of Washington County is a part of Missouri's 3rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Elaine Gannon (R-De Soto).
Federal
Washington County is included in Missouri's 8th Congressional District and is currently represented by Jason T. Smith (R-Salem) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to finish out the remaining term of U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau). Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.
Political culture
At the presidential level, Washington County was a fairly independent-leaning or battleground county for many years, however, it has voted increasingly more Republican in recent elections. While George W. Bush carried Washington County in 2004, he narrowly lost the county to Al Gore in 2000, and both times the margins of victory were significantly closer than in many of the other rural areas. Bill Clinton also carried Washington County both times in 1992 and 1996 by convincing double-digit margins, and unlike most of the other rural counties in Missouri, Washington County was one of only nine counties in Missouri that favored Barack Obama over John McCain. Obama won Washington County by just five votes in the 2008 election.
Like most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in Washington County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles but are more moderate or populist on economic issues, typical of the Dixiecrat philosophy. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Washington County with 81.37 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 Washington County with 56.48 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 Washington 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 Washington County with 81.47 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. In 2018, Washington County rejected Proposition A which would have made Missouri a right to work state with 82.1 percent of the vote.
Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)
In the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Washington County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally.
Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 2,345, than any candidate from either party in Washington County during the 2008 presidential primary. She also received more votes, almost double, than the total number of votes cast in the entire Republican Primary in Washington County. Washington County was Clinton's fifth strongest county in Missouri; she only did better in Dunklin, Wayne, Carter and Ripley counties.
Education
Among adults 25 years of age and older in Washington County, 62.5% possess a high school diploma or higher, while 7.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.
Public schools
Kingston K-XIV School District – Cadet
Kingston Elementary School (PK-05)
Kingston Middle School (06-08)
Kingston High School (09-12)
Potosi R-III School District – Potosi
Potosi Pre-School (PK)
Potosi Elementary School (PK-03)
Trojan Intermediate School (04-06)
John A. Evans Middle School (07-08)
Potosi High School (09-12)
Richwoods R-VII School District – Richwoods
Richwoods Elementary School (PK-08)
Valley R-VI School District – Caledonia/ Belgrade
Valley Elementary School (K-6) – Caledonia
Valley High School (07-12)- Caledonia
Private schools
St. Joachim Elementary School – Cadet – (PK-08) – Roman Catholic
Colleges and universities
Mineral Area College Annex – Potosi – A satellite campus of Mineral Area College-Park Hills.
Public libraries
Washington County Library
Government and infrastructure
The Potosi Correctional Center of the Missouri Department of Corrections is located in an unincorporated area in the county. The prison houses male death row inmates.
911
Washington County Central Dispatch Center. Administrator (vacant)
Dispatchers - approximately 14
Fire Departments
Potosi Fire Protection District. Chief- Roger LaChance
Firemen- 25–30
Junior Firemen- 3–7
Potosi House#1. 313 E Jefferson St. Downtown/South County Station
Potosi House#2 State Highway AA Sunnen Lake Station
Potosi House#3. State Highway E. Tiff Station
Potosi House#4. State Highway 21. Northeast County/Washington State Park Station
Potosi House#5. State Highway 185 North County/Indian Creek Station
Richwoods Fire Protection District. Chief- David Hoffmann Jr
Firemen – 36
Junior Firemen – 1
No. Of Stations – 1
No. Of Trucks – 10
Area District – Town of Richwoods, Parts of Blackwell, Fletcher, Lonedell, and Sullivan Zip Codes.
District Highway Coverage
State Hwy 47
State Hwy A
State Hwy H
State Hwy T
State Hwy WW
Irondale Fire Protection District. Chief- Bill Byers
Firemen- 15–20
Junior Firemen- 3–5
No. Of Stations- 1
No. Of Trucks- 5
Area District- City of Irondale
District Highway Coverage
State Hwy M
State Hwy 8
State Hwy U
Belgrade Fire Protection District. Chief- Bob Hayworth
Firemen- 5–7
Junior Firemen- 0
Number of Stations 2
Number of Trucks 8
Area District- City of Belgrade- Village of Caledonia- Palmer- Quaker- Delbridge
District Highway Coverage-
State Hwy C
State Hwy 21 Bootleg Park @ Gildea Rd
State Hwy 32 Iron County
State Hwy DD
State Hwy P
State Hwy Y
State Hwy BB
State Hwy JJ
State Hwy Z
Council Bluff Beach-Camping Area
Caledonia Fire Department. Chief- Charles Hampton
Firemen- 15–20
Junior Firemen- 1
No. Of Stations- 1
No. Of Trucks- 6
Area District- Village of Caledonia- City of Belgrade
District Highway Coverage
State Hwy 21
State Hwy 32
State Hwy M
Ambulance District
Washington County Ambulance District. Administrator – Justin Duncan
Supervisors – 3
Paramedics / CCT-Paramedics – 25
EMT-B – 14
No. of Stations – 2
No. of Ambulances – 7
No. of Support Vehicles – 2
Area District – All of Washington County
Law Enforcement
Washington County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff – Zach Jacobsen
Captain – Shannon Thompson
Lieutenant –
Sergeant – Christopher Barton
Corporal – Garth Rogers, Joseph Jenkins, Scott Pratt and Amanda Randazzo
Jurisdiction – All of Washington County
Potosi Police Department
Chief – Michael Gum
Captain –
Lieutenant –
Sergeant – Jonie Boyer
Corporal –
Corporal –
Missouri Department of Conservation
Conservation Agent – Lucas McClamroch
United States Forestry Service
Forestry Ranger – <VACANT>
Attractions
Big River Access – Belgrade
Council Bluff Lake – Belgrade
Berryman Camp & Trail National Forest – Berryman
Bootleg Park Bootleg Access – Caledonia
Buford Mountain – Caledonia
Hughes Mountain Natural Area – Irondale
Bismarck Conservation Area – Bismarck
Little Indian Creek Conservation Area – Sullivan
Pea Ridge Conservation Area – Sullivan
YMCA of the Ozarks – Shirley
Transportation
Primary state highways
Route 8. Hopewell-Potosi
Route 21. Cadet-Potosi-Caledonia
Route 32. Caledonia-Bismarck
Route 47. Lonedell-Richwoods-Blackwell
Route 104. Blackwell
Route 185. Sullivan-Ebo-Potosi
Secondary state highways
State Route A. Richwoods-Sullivan
State Route AA. Shirley
State Route BB. Belgrade
State Route C. Belgrade-Viburnum
State Route CC. Blackwell
State Route DD. Belgrade
State Route E. Potosi-Cadet-Blackwell
State Route EE. Sullivan
State Route F. Potosi
State Route H. Richwoods-Fletcher
State Route JJ. Belgrade
State Route M. Irondale
State Route N. Sullivan
State Route o. Mineral Point
State Route P. Belgrade-Potosi
State Route T. Richwoods
State Route U. Irondale-Mineral Point
State Route W. Bourbon
State Route WW. Fletcher
State Route N. Bourbon
State Route Y. Viburnum-Belgrade-Berryman
State Route Z. Belgrade
Airports
Washington County Airport
Railroads
Union Pacific Railroad
Communities
Cities
Irondale
Potosi (county seat)
Villages
Caledonia
Mineral Point
Unincorporated communities
Anthonies Mill
Aptus
Baryties
Bellefontaine
Belgrade
Berryman
Bliss
Cadet
Cannon Mines
Courtois
Cruise Mill
Delbridge
Ebo
Fertile
Floyd
French Town
Frogtown
Happy Hollow
Hopewell
Horton Town
Hulsey
Hurricane
Latty
Levy
Maryden
Northcut
Old Mines
Peoria
Quaker
Rabbitville
Racola
Richwoods
Robidoux
Shibboleth
Shirley
Summit
Sunlight
Theabeau Town
Tiff
Townships
Belgrade
Breton
Concord
Harmony
Johnson
Kingston
Liberty
Richwoods
Union
Walton
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Missouri
References
External links
Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Washington County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
Regions of Greater St. Louis
1813 establishments in Missouri Territory
Populated places established in 1813