Howard County is a county in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its southern border is the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,144. Its county seat is Fayette. The county was organized January 23, 1816 and named for Benjamin Howard, the first Governor of the Missouri Territory.

History
Howard County was settled mainly from the upper Southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. They brought slaves and slaveholding traditions with them and grew hemp and tobacco. Howard was one of several counties settled mainly by Southerners along the Missouri River in the center of the state. Because of this, this area became known as Little Dixie, and Howard County was at its heart. Following the 1848 revolutions in germany, many German immigrants also came to this region.

Because of the reliance on slave labor, by 1860 African American slaves made up at least 25 percent of the county's population. Many Howard County residents supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. After the end of Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws and racial segregation were enforced in the county. Five African Americans were lynched in Howard County between 1891 and 1914. These were Olli Truxton, Frank Embree, Thomas Hayden, Arthur McNeal, and Dallas Shields.

The county continued to be developed for agriculture and is still mostly rural. However, Howard has lost population since reaching its peak in 1900. The mechanization of farming reduced the demand for labor, and many people left for jobs in the cities. In 2000 African-Americans in the county had declined to less than 7 percent of the total. Nearly one-third of the residents now identify themselves as of German ancestry.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which  is land and  (1.6%) is water.

Adjacent counties 
Chariton County (northwest)
Randolph County (northeast)
Boone County (southeast)
Cooper County (south)
Saline County (west)

Major highways 
U.S. Route 40
Route 3
Route 5
Route 87
Route 124
Route 240

National protected area
Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,212 people, 3,836 households, and 2,631 families residing in the county.  The population density was 22 people per square mile (8/km²).  There were 4,346 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile (4/km²).  The racial makeup of the county was 91.13% White, 6.84% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Approximately 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.4% were of German, 16.1% American, 8.9% English and 8.3% Irish ancestry.

There were 3,836 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 13.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,614, and the median income for a family was $40,167. Males had a median income of $26,369 versus $19,950 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,198.  About 7.50% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.70% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools
Fayette R-III School District – Fayette
Laurence J. Daly Elementary School (PK-05)
William N. Clark Middle School (06-08)
Fayette High School (09-12)
Glasgow School District – Glasgow
Howard County Elementary School (PK-06)
Glasgow High School (07-12)
New Franklin R-I School District – New Franklin
New Franklin Elementary School (PK-05)
New Franklin Middle/High School (06-12)

Private schools
St. Mary’s Catholic School – Glasgow (K-08) – Roman Catholic
Grace & Glory Christian Academy – New Franklin (K-12) – Baptist

Post-secondary
Central Methodist University – Fayette – A private, four-year Methodist university.

Cities and towns

Armstrong
Boonesboro
Fayette (county seat)
Estill
Franklin
Glasgow
New Franklin
Roanoke

Notable people
 Frank P. Briggs - former United States Senator and Assistant U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
 Sara Evans - American country music singer.
 Spottswood Rice - Union Soldier in the Civil War and African Methodist Episcopal Church minister.

References

Other websites
 Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Howard County  from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
 History of Howard and Chariton Counties, Missouri (1883), full text

1810s establishments in Missouri Territory
1816 establishments in the United States
Missouri counties