Editing Gerald, Missouri

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Gerald, Missouri
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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|image_map = Franklin_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Gerald_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Gerald, Missouri
|image_map1               = 
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<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Missouri]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Missouri|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Franklin County, Missouri|Franklin]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Angela Koepke
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

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|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 3.85
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|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.49
|area_land_sq_mi          = 1.48
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<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
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|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 1361
|population_density_km2   = 355.61
|population_density_sq_mi = 920.84

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|elevation_ft             = 906
|coordinates              = {{coord|38|23|57|N|91|19|50|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 63037
|area_code                = [[Area code 573|573]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 29-26866<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2394884<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394884}}</ref>
|website                  = 
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'''Gerald''' is a city in western [[Franklin County, Missouri]], United States. The population was 1,361 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==History==
Gerald was [[plat]]ted in 1901 along a railroad line.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xcxWsmxRzVEC&pg=PA101 | title=Missouri Roadsides: The Traveler's Companion | publisher=University of Missouri Press | author=Earngey, Bill | year=1995 | pages=101| isbn=9780826210210 }}</ref> The community was named after the local Fitzgerald family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_franklin.html |title=Franklin County Place Names, 1928–1945 (archived) |publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri |access-date=30 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624071257/http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_franklin.html |archive-date=24 June 2016 }}</ref> A post office called Gerald has been in operation since 1901.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Franklin |title=Post Offices |publisher=Jim Forte Postal History |access-date=30 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006072247/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Franklin |archive-date=6 October 2014 }}</ref>

The [[Christian and Anna Keller Farmstead]] and [[Old Gerald School]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20140703.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2014-07-03|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 6/16/14 through 6/27/14|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

==Geography==
Gerald is located along [[US Route 50]] approximately two miles east of the Franklin - [[Gasconade County, Missouri|Gasconade]] county line. [[Rosebud, Missouri|Rosebud]] lies four miles to the west and [[Leslie, Missouri|Leslie]] five miles east along Route 50.<ref>''Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer,'' Delorme, 1st ed., 1998, p.39 {{isbn|0899332242}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|1.49|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|1.48|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 225
|1920= 246
|1930= 344
|1940= 371
|1950= 429
|1960= 474
|1970= 762
|1980= 921
|1990= 888
|2000= 1171
|2010= 1345
|2020= 1361
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-08}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,345 people, 527 households, and 356 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|908.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 603 housing units at an average density of {{convert|407.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.8% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 527 households, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,171 people, 474 households, and 327 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|835.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 510 housing units at an average density of {{convert|363.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.21% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.09% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.43% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.02% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 474 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,095, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $28,194 versus $21,971 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,095. About 6.0% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Gerald has a lending library, the Gerald Area Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.publiclibraries.com/missouri.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610012728/http://www.publiclibraries.com/missouri.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 June 2017 | title=Missouri Public Libraries | publisher=PublicLibraries.com | access-date=1 June 2019}}</ref>

==Drug Enforcement Administration incident==
The City of Gerald came into national spotlight in 2008 when it was revealed that Bill A. Jakob, a purported federal agent working for several months with Gerald police to curtail the [[methamphetamine|meth]] abuse including participating in home raids without a warrant to arrest alleged drug dealers, was actually "an unemployed former trucking company owner, a former security guard, a former wedding minister and a former small-town cop from 23 miles down the road."<ref>Monica Davey. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/us/01impostor.html Drug Arrests Were Real; the Badge Was Fake], ''The New York Times'', July 1, 2008</ref><ref>Ed Pilkington. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/02/usa.internationalcrime US town left red-faced after fake federal officer leads five-month war on drugs], ''The Guardian'', 1 July 2008</ref> Jakob came to Gerald in January 2008 and misrepresented himself as an agent of the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|United States Drug Enforcement Administration]] to the Gerald police chief. On some other occasions, he claimed to be a [[United States Marshals Service|United States Marshal]] or an agent from the United States Department of Justice Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force.<ref>[https://www.gasconadecountyrepublican.com/stories/us-district-attorney-lists-events-leading-up-to-prison-sentence,3990? US. District Attorney lists events leading up to prison sentence], ''Gasconade County Republican,'' November 6, 2017</ref>

Linda Trest, a staff writer for the ''Gasconade County Republican'' acting on reports of concerned citizens, uncovered the truth about Jakob, which ended the [[Confidence trick|scam]].<ref>[https://www.npr.org/transcripts/92138267 Getting The Story: Reporter Outs Fake Fed], ''NPR'', July 2, 2008</ref><ref>[https://www.gasconadecountyrepublican.com/browse.html?archive_search=1&content_source=archive&search_filter=Bill+A.+Jakob&search_filter_mode=and&byline=Bill+A.+Jakob&sub_type%5B%5D=stories&sub_type%5B%5D=photos&sub_type%5B%5D=videos&sub_type%5B%5D=eeditions&sub_type%5B%5D=specialsections&date_start_n=&date_start_j=&date_start_Y=&date_end_n=&date_end_j=&date_end_Y=  The ''Gasconade County Republican'' coverage of the Jacob's ruse]</ref> After the national press coverage that included ''The New York Times'', ''The National Inquirer,'' and ''The Post-Dispatch,'' Jacob was interviewed by [[Katie Couric]] on ''[[60 Minutes]]''.<ref>[https://www.gasconadecountyrepublican.com/stories/the-year-may-end-the-story-wont,4054? The year may end, the story won’t], ''Gasconade County Republican,'' November 6, 2017</ref>

In September 2009 Jakob pleaded guilty to impersonating a federal agent.<ref>Ed Pruneau. [https://www.emissourian.com/local_news/county/jakob-pleads-guilty-to-impersonating-federal-agent/article_a3f59cb8-d264-5b0e-a069-59dc15368051.html Jakob Pleads Guilty to Impersonating Federal Agent: When Bill A. Jakob pleaded guilty Monday morning to posing as a federal agent and going on drug raids with Gerald police, it signaled the end to several months of brokering a plea bargain in the bizarre case that captured national attention], ''Emissourian.com'', September 29, 2008</ref> In December 2009 he was sentenced to serve 5 years in prison.<ref>[https://www.columbiamissourian.com/state_news/update-man-who-posed-as-federal-agent-gets-5-years/article_16d1daae-a887-5de0-9174-e97f24fe3401.html UPDATE: Man who posed as federal agent gets 5 years], Columbia Missourian, December 2009</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060821224652/http://www.fidnet.com/~geraldcc/ Gerald Chamber of Commerce]

{{Franklin County, Missouri}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Franklin County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Cities in Missouri]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1901]]
[[Category:1901 establishments in Missouri]]