Reynolds County, Missouri: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:02, 14 May 2025

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Reynolds County is a county located in the Ozark Foothills Region in the Lead Belt of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,096.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Centerville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was officially organized on February 25, 1845, and was named in honor of former Governor of Missouri Thomas Reynolds.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The county is home to Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, a popular tourist attraction in the state of Missouri.

History

Reynolds County was officially organized on February 25, 1845. It is still an area of rugged beauty near the geologic center of the Ozark Highland. Reynolds County was formerly part of Ripley County which was formed in 1831 and part of Wayne County which was formed in 1818. It was also previously part of Washington County and part of Ste. Genevieve County.

The Reynolds County Courthouse has burned twice. The first time was in December 1863 when the Confederate army burned it. A new courthouse was built in the fall of 1867 on the same foundation as the previous one. This courthouse was burned in late November 1871. Both times all records were destroyed. Temporary quarters again burned May 27, 1872, while a new "fireproof" courthouse was being built.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.7%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

Dent County (northwest)
Iron County (northeast)
Wayne County (southeast)
Carter County (south)
Shannon County (west)

Major highways

National protected area

Mark Twain National Forest (part)

Geographical features

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 6,689 people, 2,721 households, and 1,915 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,759 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 95.65% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 1.29% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 2.14% from two or more races. Approximately 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the major first ancestries reported in Reynolds County were 37.6% American, 12.1% Irish, 11.6% German, and 11.4% English.

There were 2,721 households, out of which 27.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 27.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,546, and the median income for a family was $37,891. Males had a median income of $26,753 versus $18,322 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,847. About 16.10% of families and 20.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.90% of those under age 18 and 15.50% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives County Membership Report (2000), Reynolds County is a part of the Bible Belt with evangelical Protestantism being the majority religion. The most predominant denominations among residents in Reynolds County who adhere to a religion are Southern Baptists (78.80%), Baptist Missionary Association of America (8.24%), and Methodists (4.24%).

2020 Census

Reynolds County Racial Composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	5,669	93%
Black or African American (NH)	33	0.54%
Native American (NH)	23	0.38%
Asian (NH)	18	0.3%
Pacific Islander (NH)	2	0.03%
Other/Mixed (NH)	252	4.13%
Hispanic or Latino	99	1.62%

Politics

Local

The Democratic Party has the most elected officials at the local level in Reynolds.

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State

Reynolds County is divided into two legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, both of which are held by Republicans.

District 143 — Currently represented by Jeffrey Pogue (R-Salem), consists of the extreme northwestern parts of the county and includes the town of Bunker.

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District 144 — Currently represented by Paul Fitzwater (R-Potosi), consists of most of the entire county and includes Ellington, Lesterville and Centerville.

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All of Reynolds County is a part of the 3rd District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Gary Romine (R-Farmington). Template:Election box begin Template:Election box winning candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end Template:Election box begin Template:Election box winning candidate with party link Template:Election box candidate with party link Template:Election box end

Past gubernatorial elections results
Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2024	82.09% 2,424	15.81% 467	2.10% 62
2020	77.72% 2,501	19.67% 633	2.61% 84
2016	66.30% 1,969	29.59% 879	4.11% 122
2012	39.43% 1,239	57.13% 1,795	3.44% 108
2008	37.73% 1,223	58.65% 1,901	3.61% 117
2004	53.61% 1,746	45.13% 1,470	1.25% 41
2000	46.29% 1,416	48.38% 1,480	5.33% 163
1996	30.81% 886	66.93% 1,925	2.26% 65
1992	32.39% 1,034	67.61% 2,158	0.00% 0
1988	50.45% 1,528	49.19% 1,490	0.36% 11
1984	39.46% 1,308	60.54% 2,007	0.00% 0
1980	43.02% 1,389	56.89% 1,837	0.09% 3
1976	39.71% 1,175	60.19% 1,781	0.10% 3

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Federal

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Political culture

At the presidential level, Reynolds County was a Democratic stronghold from its founding in 1845 through 1996; its only Republican votes (or indeed votes for any but the Democratic nominee) in this period were for Richard Nixon in 1960 and then again for Nixon in his 1972 landslide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2000, George W. Bush carried the county for the Republican Party for only the third time ever, despite his narrow national popular vote defeat that year. The county has voted Republican in every subsequent election as of 2020, with the Republican vote share declining only in 2008. The Republican vote share has not been held below 60% since 2008.

Like most rural areas throughout Southeast Missouri, voters in Reynolds County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles but are more moderate or populist on economic issues, typical of the Dixiecrat philosophy. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Reynolds County with 85.41 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Reynolds County with 54.15 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Reynolds County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Reynolds County with 77.50 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Template:Main In the 2008 presidential primary, voters in Reynolds County from both political parties supported candidates who finished in second place in the state at large and nationally. Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 741, than any candidate from either party in Reynolds County during the 2008 presidential primary. She also received more votes than the total number of votes cast in the entire Republican Primary in Reynolds County.

Education

Of adults 25 years of age and older in Reynolds County, 40.4% possesses a high school diploma or higher while 10.0% holds a bachelor's degree or higher as their highest educational attainment.

Public schools

Bunker R-III School District - Bunker
- Bunker Elementary School (K-06)
- Bunker High School (07-12)
Centerville R-I School District - Centerville
- Centerville Elementary School (K-08)
Lesterville R-IV School District - Lesterville
- Lesterville Elementary School (K-06)
- Lesterville High School (07-12)
- Lesterville Ranch Campus (K-12) - Black
Southern Reynolds County R-II School District - Ellington
- Southern Reynolds County Elementary School (PK-05)
- Southern Reynolds County High School (06-12)