MISSOURI.
NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF INHABITANTS.

Population of the state—According to the Four-
teenth Census, taken as of January 1, 1920, the popu-
lation of Missouri is 3,404,055, which represents an
increase of 110,720, or 3.4 per cent, since 1910. During
the same period the population of the United States
increased by 14.9 per cent.

The following summary shows the population of

Missouri from 1810 to 1920, inclusive, together with
the number and per cent of increase for each decade,
in comparison with the percent of increase for the
United States as,a whole, Although the area of
Missouri territory in 1820 was much greater than
that of the present state, the figures given for 1810
and 1820 relate to substantially the, present area.
‘

ns POPULATION OF MISSOURI: 1810 TO 1920,

wonzase over rmcepme || per cont
CENSUS,
CENSUS YEAR, Population. othe.
United
Number, | Percent. || . Staves
110,720 34
186, 670 60
427: 480 |. 16.0
510; 805 23.6
2, 168, 380 447,085 26.0
V721,205 || 580,288 | 45.6
1182 012 499,968 | 73.3
298,342 | 77.8
883, 702 243, 247 173.2
140) 455, 73,869 | 110.9
66, 586. 46, 803 236.6
19, 788

Counties,—Missouri is divided into 114 counties and
the independent city of St. Louis. The city and 25 of
the counties show increases in population since 1910,
while decreases appear for the remaining 89 counties.
(See Table 1.) No changes in county boundaries
have been made since 1910. :

Density of population.—The total land area of the
state is 68,727 square miles. The average number of
inhabitants to the square mile in 1920 is 49.5 (see
Table 1), as against 47.9 in 1910 and 45.2 in 1900.

Minor civil divisions —The political units into
which the counties are divided are collectively termed

Historica Norse. —Tho state of Missoust takes its name from the Missqurl River,
‘which forms a portion ofits western boundary and crosses it in an castetly direction,
"Phe name of the river is derived from Indian words meaning ‘muddy water.”

‘The first well authenticated visit of white men to tho region now constituting
‘Missouri occurred in 1673 when the Fronch missionaries Marquette and Joliet
‘Acseended tho Mississippt as far as themouth ofthe Arkansas. De Solo, a Spaniard,
snay, however, havo ascended the Mississippl in 1641 as far as the present site of New
Madrid, in the southeastern part. of tho state. French traders and adventurers
followed the early explorers, and,rumors of rich lend and silver mines led to esearch
for theseminerals, Lead wes found in abundanes, and itszmining was begun about
the year 1720, , The first permanont settlement was at, Old Sto. Gonevieve, which
‘was founded by the Frenoh in the eatly part of the eighteenth century, probably
about 1735. St. Louis was founded tis a trading post in 1764,

“Missouri was formed from a portion of the vast arca originally known as Louisiana,
‘This rogion was claimed by the Fronch by virtue of the discovertes of Morquetteand
‘Follet, and.of La Salle, who sailed down the Mississippi to its mouth th 1681-82.

‘The Louisiana region, comprising ‘practically all of the west watershed of the
‘Misaisstppi, Was ceded by France to Spain in 1762, retrocedod to Francoin 1800, and

purchased by the United States in 1803, In 1804 the region was divided by the
thirty-third parallel (tho present northern boundary of Louisiana) into the territory
of Orleans on the south and the district of Louisiana on thenorth, In the faliowing
‘year the district of Louisiana became the territory of Louisiana, andin 1812, when the
‘present stato of Louisiana was organized, principally from the territory of Orleans,
and admitted to the Union, tho name “territory. of Louisiana” was changed to
“tortitory of Missouri.””

‘A fow years before the purchase of Louisiana a steady tmmigration from the United
States to the region now forming Missouri began. After the war of 1812 immigration
became more rapid and the poople were eager to be admitted to the Union. In 1820
‘state constitution was adopted, under authority of Congress, and in the following
‘year Missouri was admitted to the Union as the twenty-fourth state, with northern,
eastern, and southern boundaties as at present. At this timo the entire western
_ boundary of the state was formed by the meridian which now constitutesits western
line south of the Missouri River. . It was not untit 1837 that the tract lying between
thig line and the Missouri River and south of the parallel forming the northern
boundary of the state (the Platte Purchase) was added.

”