Editing Tarkio, Missouri

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Tarkio, Missouri
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            =  [[File:TarkioMansion12 16 2024.jpg|200px|center]]
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Mansion in Tarkio
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Atchison_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Tarkio_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250x200px
| map_caption              = Location of Tarkio, Missouri
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = {{nowrap|{{flagu|United States}}}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Missouri}}
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Missouri|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Atchison County, Missouri|Atchison]]
| subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in Missouri|Township]]
| subdivision_name3        = [[Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri|Tarkio]]
| 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           = 3.59
| area_land_km2            = 3.59
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 1.39
| area_land_sq_mi          = 1.39
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 1506
| population_density_km2   = 419.32
| population_density_sq_mi = 1085.80

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = &minus;6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = &minus;5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 997
| coordinates              = {{coord|40|26|35|N|95|22|58|W|region:US-MO|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 64491
| area_code                = [[Area code 660|660]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 29-72340<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              = 2396032<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2396032}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|http://tarkiomo.com/|City website}}
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
}}
'''Tarkio''' is a city in [[Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri|Tarkio Township]], [[Atchison County, Missouri|Atchison County]], [[Missouri]], United States. The population was 1,506 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2972340|access-date=2021-12-16|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is derived from the [[Meskwaki language]] meaning "place where walnuts grow".<ref name="History/Tarkio">{{cite web
  | title = History/Tarkio   
  | publisher = Atchison County Development Corp
  | url = http://www.atchisoncounty.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=39
  | access-date = 2009-03-07
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100204121512/http://www.atchisoncounty.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=39
  | archive-date = 2010-02-04
}}</ref>

==History==
Tarkio was founded by Charles E. Perkins in 1880,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1916 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n14 203]}}</ref> and grew rapidly. By 1900, the [[United States Census|U.S. Census]] shows 2,845 persons living in Tarkio.<ref name="GR2" /> According to the 1910, 1920, and 1930 census, the number of residents held fairly steady for the next 30 years.<ref name="GR2" />

One of the community's most famous landmarks was the [[Mule Barn Theatre|Tarkio Mule Barn]], an octagonal brick structure built in the early 1890s. It was converted to the Tarkio Mule Barn Theatre which was used by Tarkio College. It was on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], but the building was destroyed in a 1989 fire.<ref>{{cite book
  | last = O'Donnell
  | first = Billyo (illustrator)
  |author2=Karen Glines
   | title = Painting Missouri: The Counties En Plein Air
  | publisher = University of Missouri Press
  | year = 2008
  | location = Columbia, MO
  | pages = [https://archive.org/details/paintingmissouri00odon/page/6 6]
  | url = https://archive.org/details/paintingmissouri00odon
  | url-access = registration
  | isbn = 978-0-8262-1756-1}}</ref>

[[Rankin Hall]] and the [[Walnut Inn]] are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|1.39|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<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>

{{Weather box
|location = Tarkio, Missouri (1991–2020)
|single line = Y

|Jan high F = 33.4
|Feb high F = 37.5
|Mar high F = 52.0
|Apr high F = 63.0
|May high F = 72.1
|Jun high F = 81.6
|Jul high F = 84.9
|Aug high F = 84.4
|Sep high F = 77.8
|Oct high F = 65.3
|Nov high F = 50.0
|Dec high F = 36.7
| Jan mean F  =24.2
| Feb mean F  =28.0
| Mar mean F  =40.6
| Apr mean F  =51.2
| May mean F  =61.6
| Jun mean F  =71.8
| Jul mean F  =75.3
| Aug mean F  =73.5
| Sep mean F  =65.7
| Oct mean F  =52.9
| Nov mean F  =39.9
| Dec mean F  =28.2
|Jan low F = 14.9
|Feb low F = 18.4
|Mar low F = 29.2
|Apr low F = 39.3
|May low F = 51.1
|Jun low F = 62.0
|Jul low F = 65.7
|Aug low F = 62.7
|Sep low F = 53.6
|Oct low F = 40.4
|Nov low F = 29.8
|Dec low F = 19.7


|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.58
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.99
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.10
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.88
|May precipitation inch = 4.72
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.47
|Jul precipitation inch = 5.00
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.15
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.02
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.49
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.89
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.41
|year precipitation inch= 
| unit precipitation days =  0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days  =4
| Feb precipitation days  =4
| Mar precipitation days  =7
| Apr precipitation days  =8
| May precipitation days  =10
| Jun precipitation days  =11
| Jul precipitation days  =8
| Aug precipitation days  =7
| Sep precipitation days  =6
| Oct precipitation days  =7
| Nov precipitation days  =5
| Dec precipitation days  =5
| year precipitation days =
|Jan snow inch = 2.7
|Feb snow inch = 4.5
|Mar snow inch = 3.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.9
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.1
|Nov snow inch = 0.8
|Dec snow inch = 2.6
|year snow inch =
| Jan snow depth inch  = 2
| Feb snow depth inch  = 3
| Mar snow depth inch  = 2
| Apr snow depth inch  = 0
| May snow depth inch  = 0
| Jun snow depth inch  = 0
| Jul snow depth inch  = 0
| Aug snow depth inch  = 0
| Sep snow depth inch  = 0
| Oct snow depth inch  = 0
| Nov snow depth inch  = 0
| Dec snow depth inch  = 1
| year snow depth inch =
| unit snow days =  0.1 in
| Jan snow days  =2
| Feb snow days  =3
| Mar snow days  =1
| Apr snow days  =0
| May snow days  =0
| Jun snow days  =0
| Jul snow days  =0
| Aug snow days  =0
| Sep snow days  =0
| Oct snow days  =0
| Nov snow days  =1
| Dec snow days  =2
| year snow days =
|source 1 = NOAA(temperatures<ref>{{Cite web |title=Station: TARKIO, MO US USW00014945 |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00014945&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020 |publisher=[[NCEI|National Centers for Environmental Information]] |page=1 |format=PDF |quote=Elev: 1045 ft. Lat: 40.4344° N Lon: 95.3883° W}}</ref>), (precipitation, snow and days with precip/snow 1979-2008<ref>{{cite web |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=eax |title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = May 4, 2013}}</ref>)
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 1156
|1900= 1901
|1910= 1966
|1920= 1870
|1930= 2016
|1940= 2114
|1950= 2221
|1960= 2160
|1970= 2517
|1980= 2375
|1990= 2243
|2000= 1935
|2010= 1583
|2020= 1506
|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 1,583 people, 703 households, and 421 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1138.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 844 housing units at an average density of {{convert|607.2|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 703 households, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 45.9 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 22.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,935 people, 749 households, and 468 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,397.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 843 housing units at an average density of {{convert|609.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.45% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 6.30% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.26% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.26% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.36% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.36% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.78% of the population.

There were 749 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,144, and the median income for a family was $34,625. Males had a median income of $26,900 versus $18,681 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,160. About 12.4% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
It is in the [[Tarkio R-I School District]].<!--UNI 29940--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st29_mo/schooldistrict_maps/c29005_atchison/DC20SD_C29005.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Atchison County, MO|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-12-15}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st29_mo/schooldistrict_maps/c29005_atchison/DC20SD_C29005_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

Tarkio was home to [[Tarkio College]], a private [[United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America|Presbyterian]] college founded in 1883. The college closed in 1991. Starting in 2012 the Alumni Association rented the Campus' Main building, [[Rankin Hall]], and in September 2019, Tarkio College Inc. was issued a Certificate of Operation from the Missouri Department of Higher Education. Operating as Tarkio Technology Institute, TTI offers [[Professional certification|technical certification]] courses for professionals in Plumbing, Wind Energy, and Welding.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tarkio College |url=https://tarkiocollege.com/ |website=Tarkio College |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>

===Public library===
Tarkio Branch Library<ref>{{cite web | last = Breeding | first = Marshall | title = Tarkio Branch Library | publisher = Libraries.org | url = https://librarytechnology.org/library/20261 | access-date = May 8, 2017}}</ref> is a branch of the [[Atchison County Library]].

==Notable people==
One of Tarkio College's alumni was scientist [[Wallace Carothers|Wallace Hume Carothers]] (1896–1937). He obtained a bachelor of science degree at the college, went on to teach at [[Harvard University]], and is considered the "father of man-made polymers."  He is responsible for the discovery of [[nylon]] and [[neoprene]].<ref name="hermes-matthew">{{cite book |last=Hermes |first=Matthew |title=Enough for One Lifetime, Wallace Carothers the Inventor of Nylon |url=https://archive.org/details/enoughforonelife0000herm |url-access=registration |year=1996 |publisher=Chemical Heritage Foundation |isbn=0-8412-3331-4}}</ref>

Another alumnus of Tarkio College was [[Anthropology|anthropologist]] [[Edgar Lee Hewett]] (1865–1946), remembered for his role in bringing about the [[Antiquities Act]] that enabled preservation of archaeological sites as [[List of National Monuments of the United States|United States national monuments]].  Hewett received his degree in [[pedagogy]] from the college, moved to [[Colorado]] and then to [[New Mexico]], becoming the first president of the New Mexico Normal School (now [[New Mexico Highlands University]]).<ref name="fisher-reginald">{{cite journal |last=Fisher |first=Reginald |title=Edgar Lee Hewett |journal=American Antiquity |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=78–79 |date=July 1947|doi=10.1017/S000273160001581X |s2cid=164720220 }}</ref>

Music composer [[Walter Greene]] (1910–1983), best known for his work at [[DePatie-Freleng Enterprises]] (notable works included ''[[The Pink Panther Show]]'' & ''[[The Inspector]]''), was born in Tarkio.<ref name="IMDb">{{cite web |last=IMDb |title=Walter Greene (II) |publisher=Amazon.com |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0338948/ |access-date=2007-04-20}}</ref>

David Rankin (1825–1910), the so-called "Missouri Corn King", was a resident of Tarkio.  Starting with a single ox and plow, Rankin enlarged his farm to over {{convert|25000|acre|km2|0}} of land, 12,000 head of cattle, and 25,000 hogs in Northwest Missouri.  By using the latest tools and technology, Rankin was able to raise a crop of 1,000,000 bushels of corn in a single year.<ref name="stevens-walter">{{cite book |last=Stevens |first=Walter |title=Centennial History of Missouri (The Center State): One Hundred Years in the Union 1820-1891 |url=https://archive.org/details/centennialhisto02stevgoog |year=1921 |publisher=S. J. Clarke Publishing Company |location=St. Louis-Chicago |pages=802–803}}</ref>  Rankin Hall, a building on the former Tarkio College campus, was named for the Rankin family.

U.S. Representative [[Sam Graves]] is from Tarkio, as is his brother, [[Todd Graves (attorney)|Todd Graves]], who resigned as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri in 2006.

The album by [[Brewer & Shipley]] named ''Tarkio'' and the song ''Tarkio Road'' are named
for a regular gig they played here.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.tarkiomo.com/ Tarkio, MO Official Town Website]
* [[s:Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis/3.17.1957#Page 5|Snowstorm in 1881]]
* Historic maps of Tarkio in the [http://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A138988 Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection] at the [[University of Missouri]]

{{Atchison County, Missouri}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Atchison County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1880]]
[[Category:1880 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:Cities in Missouri]]