Editing Liberal, Missouri

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Liberal, Missouri
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Liberal, MO..jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Railroad sign for Liberal
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Barton_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Liberal_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250x200px
| map_caption              = Location of Liberal, Missouri
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- 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        = [[Barton County, Missouri|Barton]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 28, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 2.20
| area_land_km2            = 2.18
| area_water_km2           = 0.02
| area_total_sq_mi         = 0.85
| area_land_sq_mi          = 0.84
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 629
| population_density_km2   = 287.90
| population_density_sq_mi = 745.26

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 886
| coordinates              = {{coord|37|33|33|N|94|30|59|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 64762
| area_code                = [[Area code 417|417]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 29-41906<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              = 2395699<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395699}}</ref>
| website                  = 
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
}}
'''Liberal''' is a city in [[Barton County, Missouri|Barton County]], [[Missouri]], United States. The population was 629 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2941906|access-date=2022-01-12|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

Liberal was founded as an [[atheism|atheist]] utopia in 1880 by lawyer George Walser, who named it after the Liberal League in nearby [[Lamar, Missouri|Lamar]]. The city had restrictions on both religious buildings and saloons, instead offering intellectual pursuits. A contingent of Christian residents moved to the town and began holding religious services against Walser's wishes, and eventually took hold of the settlement.

==History==
Liberal was founded in 1880 by [[George Walser]], an [[anti-religionist]], [[agnostic]] lawyer and former state legislator who wished to create an atheist, "[[Freethought|freethinker]]" [[utopia]].<ref name="Bogan">{{cite news|last=Bogan|first=Jesse|date=January 9, 2017|title=Welcome to conservative Liberal, Mo.|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/welcome-to-conservative-liberal-mo/article_fe053132-4cb3-5dfe-8546-25e14429b78a.html|work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|access-date=April 26, 2019}}</ref> It was named after the [[National Liberal League (United States)|Liberal League]] in [[Lamar, Missouri]], which Walser was a member of at the time.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} Walser purchased {{convert|2000|acre|km2|0}} of land and advertised across the country for atheists to join his town, which would "have neither God, Hell, Church, nor Saloon".<ref name="Vice">{{cite magazine|last=Gounley|first=Thomas|date=September 18, 2016|title=Looking Back on Liberal, the Midwest's Failed Atheist Utopia |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/looking-back-on-liberal-the-midwests-failed-atheist-utopia/|magazine=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |access-date=April 26, 2019}}</ref>

Walser organized a reformed school system that sought to promote [[liberal education]] free from the bias of [[Christian theology]], and had instructional classes on Sundays to replace religious services. The Free Thought University was founded in 1886 with a staff of seven teachers providing regular lectures and hosting intellectual debates.<ref name="Herald">{{cite news|date=December 1, 1938|title=Liberal, Missouri|page=12|work=[[The Sikeston Herald]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30996012/liberal_missouri|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=April 26, 2019}} {{free access}}</ref> The arrival of the railroad triggered a population boom, bringing the town to 546 residents by 1890.<ref name="Vice"/>

Christian practitioners began arriving in Liberal soon after it was founded, but were initially met with resistance by Walser. They quietly bought homes within the town and began holding religious services, which were interrupted by Walser, and the Christian group later moved to nearby plots of land after being evicted. A new town, named Pedro, was established in 1884 by the Christians after Walser erected a [[barbed wire fence]] around Liberal.<ref name="Herald"/><ref name="Everly">{{cite news|last=Everly|first=Steve|date=December 30, 2001|title=Strange Liberal, from infidelity to faith|page=3B|work=[[Springfield News-Leader]]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30996047/strange_liberal_from_infidelity_to|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 26, 2019}} {{free access}}</ref> Walser eventually relaxed restrictions on saloons in 1887 and churches in 1889.<ref name="Vice"/>

The local population peaked in the 1910s and declined for much of the 20th century. A major drought in 1980 triggered an exodus of businesses and residents.<ref name="Vice"/> Today, Liberal is part of a solidly conservative electorate that encompasses all of Barton County.<ref name="Bogan"/>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|0.84|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.83|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/20120112090031/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 12, 2012}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 546
|1900= 532
|1910= 800
|1920= 1160
|1930= 848
|1940= 771
|1950= 739
|1960= 612
|1970= 644
|1980= 701
|1990= 684
|2000= 779
|2010= 759
|2020= 629
|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 759 people, 319 households, and 203 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|914.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 364 housing units at an average density of {{convert|438.6|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.5% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.7% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 3.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 319 households, of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.07.

The median age in the city was 34.1 years. 30.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 21.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2"/> of 2000, there were 779 people, 328 households, and 212 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|930.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 361 housing units at an average density of {{convert|431.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.02% [[White (people)|White]], 0.26% [[African American]], 1.54% [[Indigenous peoples in the United States|Native American]], 0.13% [[Asian American|Asian]], and 2.05% from two or more [[race (United States Census)|race]]s. 1.16% of the population were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race.

There were 328 households, of which 36.6% housed children under the age of 18, 47.3% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,375, and the median income for a family was $30,625. Males had a median income of $22,656 versus $21,406 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $11,246. 19.6% of the population and 14.7% of families were below the [[poverty threshold|poverty line]]. 30.7% of those under the age of 18 and 14.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

==Education==
Public education in Liberal is administered by Liberal R-II School District, which operates one elementary school, one middle school, and [[Liberal High School (Missouri)|Liberal High School]].

Liberal has a [[public library]], a branch of the Barton County Library.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bclib.info/index.php/about-us/about-us-menu/hours-locations.html|title=Hours and Locations|publisher=Barton County Library|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604173216/https://www.bclib.info/index.php/about-us/about-us-menu/hours-locations.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Lester Thomas Davis]], [[California State Legislature|California state legislator]]
*[[Bob Harmon]], [[Major League Baseball]] player with [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in early 20th century

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*Historic maps of Liberal in the [http://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A138864 Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection] at the [[University of Missouri]]

{{Barton County, Missouri}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Barton County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Atheism in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1880]]
[[Category:1880 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:Cities in Missouri]]