Poplar Bluff, Missouri
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Poplar Bluff is a city located in Butler County, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 16,651. It is the county seat of Butler CountyTemplate:GR. Butler County was organized February 27 1849 from Wayne County.
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Description
The Black River Colosseum and the Three Rivers Community College are located in Poplar Bluff. The city was founded as the county seat in 1849. The city was placed on the bluffs of Black River. It consisted of about 150 acres. The identity of the very first European visitor to the Poplar Bluff area is Hernando DeSoto. DeSoto landed at Tampa Bay in May of 1539. Later he crossed the Mississippi River. He then traveled to a point below the mouth of the St. Francis river, and into Butler County. DeSoto and his men traveled through what is now Ash Hill and passed just outside of Poplar Bluff. Later, the French were the first Europeans who assert any territorial rights over the Poplar Bluff area. The French held the area until 1770, when it was ceeded by treaty to Spain. Spain held the area until 1802 when it was returned to France. Throughout this time, the area of Poplar Bluff as well as all of Butler County, held almost no European settlements up until the year 1819 when twelve year old Solomon Kittrell, a native of Kentucky settled on Cane Creek with his parents, Samuel and Eleanor "Nelly" Shamwell Kittrell, originally of North Carolina, and siblings. Solomon's younger brother, Samuel B. Kittrell, was born shortly thereafter in what was ultimately Butler County, giving this pioneer couple children born in North Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri. As an adult living in the Cane Creek settlement area, Solomon Kittrell took up a large tract of land, built a home, erected a distillery and established a store (or trading post). His supplies were brought in by ox teams from Cape Girardeau. Decades later, Solomon served by appointment of Gov. Austin King as one of the first set of county commissioners, with Jonathan Sandlin and John Stevenson as the other two appointed county commissioners, for the newly organized Butler County in 1849. When this first white settler family moved into the Poplar Bluff area in 1819, it is reported that about 300 Native Americans resided in the area.
Geography
Image:MOMap-doton-Poplar Bluff.png
Poplar Bluff is located at 36°45'35" North, 90°24'10" West (36.759808, -90.402731)Template:GR, along the Black River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.0 km² (11.6 mi²). 30.0 km² (11.6 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 16,651 people, 7,077 households, and 4,295 families residing in the city. The population density was 555.7/km² (1,438.9/mi²). There were 7,871 housing units at an average density of 262.7/km² (680.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.04% White, 9.71% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,077 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,068, and the median income for a family was $28,744. Males had a median income of $23,851 versus $18,770 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,996. 24.4% of the population and 19.3% of families were below the poverty line. 34.4% of those under the age of 18 and 17.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.