Bell City, Missouri

Bell City is a city in northeastern Stoddard County, Missouri, United States. It was founded as a sawmill town circa 1900, and lies at the foothills of Crowley's Ridge on Missouri Route 91.[6] The population was 448 at the 2010 census. Howard Pikey is the current mayor.

Bell City, Missouri
City
Nickname(s):  The town of bell
Location of Bell City, Missouri
Coordinates: 37°01′25″N 89°49′11″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Stoddard
Area [2]
• Total	0.55 sq mi (1.44 km^2)
• Land	0.55 sq mi (1.43 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km^2)
Elevation [1]	328 ft (100 m)
Population  (2010)[3]
• Total	448
• Estimate  (2019)[4]	422
• Density	767.27/sq mi (296.07/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	63735
Area code(s)	573
FIPS code	29-04132[5]
GNIS feature ID	0713906[1]

History

A post office called Bell City has been in operation since 1890.[7] The community was named after brothers Gesper Albert and Ralford Stephen Bell, proprietors of a local sawmill.[8] Bell City was situated along the St. Louis Southwestern Railway.[9]

Geography

Bell City is located on the western edge of the lowland region of southeast Missouri. Sikeston lies 15 miles to the southeast. The head of Little River is three miles to the east. Missouri Route 91 passes through the community, connecting with U.S. Route 61 at Morley, ten miles to the east.[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.55 square miles (1.42 km²), all land.[11]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	100		—
1910	316		216.0%
1930	256		—
1940	300		17.2%
1950	482		60.7%
1960	409		−15.1%
1970	424		3.7%
1980	539		27.1%
1990	469		−13.0%
2000	461		−1.7%
2010	448		−2.8%
2019 (est.)	422	[4]	−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 448 people, 182 households, and 124 families living in the city. The population density was 814.5 inhabitants per square mile (314.5/km²). There were 212 housing units at an average density of 385.5 per square mile (148.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.64% White, 1.79% Black or African American, 1.34% Native American, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.22% of the population.

There were 182 households, of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 461 people, 196 households, and 126 families living in the city. The population density was 830.9 people per square mile (323.6/km²). There were 220 housing units at an average density of 396.5 per square mile (154.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.48% White, 1.08% African American, 0.22% Native American, and 0.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 196 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $28,636. Males had a median income of $22,125 versus $16,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,664. About 11.8% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

• Dave Barham - Founded Hot Dog on a Stick

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bell City, Missouri
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. Towns of Stoddard County Archived January 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
7. "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
8. "Stoddard County Place Names, 1928–1945". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
9. History of Southeast Missouri: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. p. 391. ISBN 9780722207536.
10. Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 1st ed., 1998, p. 68, ISBN 0899332242
11. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.