Poplar Bluff, Missouri

Poplar Bluff is the county seat and largest city of Butler County, Missouri, located on the Black River in the southeastern part of the state. It is the second-largest city in Southeast Missouri (after Cape Girardeau), with a population of 17,023 at the 2010 census.

Poplar Bluff is an important regional hub, due to the major highways which pass through it as well as its position between the "Bootheel" and the Ozark Plateau. It is often nicknamed "The Gateway to the Ozarks."

History[edit]

The original site of Poplar Bluff is a moderately high bluff on the west bank of the Black River, along the line where the Ozark Plateau drops into the Mississippi Alluvial Plain to the southeast. Despite the prominence of this spot, it is not known to have been frequented by Native Americans in the years before white settlement (although the Natchitoches Trail, an important long-distance path used by many Indian tribes, ran a short distance to the west). Several different native peoples dominated the region from time to time, the last being the Osage in the 18th and early 19th century.

Although French fur traders made brief encampments on the Black River after about 1750, the first permanent settlements by incoming whites in what became Butler County did not occur until well into the 19th century, and most of those were centered on Cane Creek, northwest of Poplar Bluff. The development of a community there only came as a direct result of the organization of Butler County in 1849. Commissioners tasked with finding a permanent location for the county seat settled on the bluff, not only because it was roughly in the center of the new county, but because it was near the head of navigation for the Black River, providing opportunities for water transport, and because the high location would minimize the risk of flooding. It received the name "Poplar Bluff" from the many tulip or "poplar" trees that covered the high ground.^[1] The new community was officially designated as the county seat in 1850, with a post office and court sessions being established that same year.^[2]

Despite its opportunities as the seat of county government and a potential trading center, Poplar Bluff grew only slowly during its first years of existence. This was due largely to its remoteness from the center of settlement and the low population of the county overall, while the disorder associated with the Civil War left it almost depopulated. With the construction of the Cairo, Arkansas, & Texas railroad, however, which was extended west to Poplar Bluff in 1872, the town quickly boomed. Timber-clearing became a major economic livelihood, and steamboats began operating on the Black, which in turn sparked a number of other industries, including the making of wagons, barrels, furniture, and typewriters, among others, as well as whiskey distilling. By 1907, there were approximately 57 manufacturing operations in Poplar Bluff, employing nearly 1,400 persons.^[3]

The deadliest natural disaster in the city's history occurred on May 9, 1927, when a tornado struck the downtown section. 98 people were killed and about 300 injured, and property damage was estimated at $4 million, with most of the downtown businesses as well as the East Side School being heavily damaged or destroyed.^[4] It is tied for the seventeenth deadliest tornado in American history, and the fifth deadliest in Missouri history.

Poplar Bluff steadily improved and expanded during the 20th century. Streets in the downtown district were paved with brick in 1912 (replaced with asphalt in 1962), with drainage of the outlying area beginning around the same time. Several movie theaters operated in the city, the most famous being the Rodgers Theatre, an Art Deco building that opened in 1949 and closed in 1998, and was at one time said to be the finest theater between St. Louis and Memphis.^[5] The city gradually expanded beyond its original boundaries, with growth fueled by the arrival of U.S. Routes 60 and 67 in the 1920s, while the upstream construction of Clearwater Dam in the 1940s controlled flooding on the Black and allowed heavier settlement in the low-lying areas east of the river.

Although its population growth has leveled off since the 1970s, the city's economic importance has continued, with a number of manufacturing plants still in operation, and a great deal of retail trade along the highways to the north and west. There are several active civic organizations, devoted to community life and historic preservation. Many local landmarks are now on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Butler County Courthouse, the Rodgers Theatre, two railroad depots, and several private houses.

Geography[edit]

Poplar Bluff is located near the geographic center of Butler County, mostly on the west side of the Black River. The oldest and most densely settled section lies between the river and Westwood Boulevard, along which most of the larger retail businesses are situated. More recently added sections include the Ashcroft Addition, a neighborhood to the south and southeast, and a conglomeration of newer businesses to the northwest where Routes 60 and 67 converge. The official coordinates are 36°45’25”N 90°23’34”W.

The city has a total area of 12.98 square miles, all but 0.07 square miles of it land, and an average elevation of 364 feet. However, there is considerable variation in terrain throughout the city, as it lies on the Mississippi Escarpment, separating the low-lying and generally flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain from the foothills of the Ozark Plateau. Elevation generally decreases from west to east, with several peaks of over 450 feet west of the Black compared to 325-330 feet in the neighborhoods on the east bank.^[6]

A number of major highways meet in or near Poplar Bluff. U.S. Route 60 runs from west to east along the northern edge of the city, joined at the northwestern corner by U.S. Route 67, which skirts the western limits as it approaches from the south. Pine Street and Westwood Boulevard form important business loops for these highways (respectively) within the city. Poplar Bluff is also the northern terminus of Missouri State Highway 53, and the eastern terminus of Highway 142.

Weather and Climate[edit]

Like Southeast Missouri in general, Poplar Bluff has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers and cool winters with a moderately high amount of precipitation. January temperatures average 33°F, while July temperatures average 81°F. Summer highs above 100°F and winter lows below 0°F are fairly rare, but not unknown. The record high temperature was 112°F, on August 9, 1930, while the record low was -23°F, on January 18, 1930. Average annual precipitation is 47.4 inches (including about 7.2 inches of snow), with the highest single-day precipitation 6.6 inches of rain, on March 28, 1977.

Month	Average High (°F)	Average Low (°F)	Average Precipitation (in)
January	42.1	23.0	2.96
February	48.6	27.7	3.48
March	59.2	36.5	4.71
April	69.9	46.0	4.77
May	79.0	55.9	4.37
June	87.3	64.7	3.96
July	91.9	69.4	3.83
August	90.0	66.9	3.38
September	82.7	58.9	3.37
October	72.2	46.1	3.35
November	58.0	37.0	4.90
December	46.5	27.7	4.32

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Poplar Bluff had a total of 17,023 inhabitants, grouped into 7,181 households, with a population density of 1,318.6 people per square mile. This figure marked a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Poplar Bluff had a population of 16,651. 84.79% of the inhabitants were White, 9.97% were African-American, 0.53% were Native American, 0.89% were Asian, 0.06% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.90% were from some other race, and 2.84% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.21% of the population.

The median age in Poplar Bluff was 38.4 years, with 24.2% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 9.6% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.6% between 25 and 44, 24.6% between 45 and 64, and 18.2% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 45.9% male, 54.1% female.^[7]

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, Poplar Bluff had a median household income of $32,819, and a median family income of $42,993. The unemployment rate was 8.6%. The per capita income was $19,901. About 25.5% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 35.5% of people under the age of 18 and 16.8% of people 65 years old or older.^[8]

Government[edit]

Poplar Bluff was incorporated as a village on February 9, 1870, and as a city on August 2, 1892. Its first mayor was Joseph T. Davidson, a Civil War veteran from Illinois. Since 1970 the city has had a council-manager form of government, in which most administrative authority lies with an appointed city manager and the elected members of the city council, with the mayor having relatively little power. The current mayor is Robert L. Smith (who also doubles as 5th Ward councilman), who upon his appointment in April 2019 became the city's first African-American mayor. There are six other council members, one from each of the other four wards and the other two elected at-large. The city manager, who appoints most of the city department heads, is Mark Massingham, appointed in 2015.^[9]

Economy[edit]

During the early 20th century, Poplar Bluff was a significant local manufacturing center, mostly related to the logging operations in the area as Butler County was cleared for agriculture, but extending as well to other industries such as typewriters, steamboat construction, whiskey distilling, and oil well machinery. There was even a brief attempt to establish Poplar Bluff as an automobile production center in the 1910s, though nothing came of this.

Today the city has some 1,600 business establishments. Manufacturing remains the most important sector, in terms of value of production as well as persons employed, followed closely by retail trade, education, and health care.^[10] The largest single employer is the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center with 1,300 employees, followed by the Briggs & Stratton Corporation, the V.A. Medical Center, and the Poplar Bluff R-I School District.^[11]

Education[edit]

Poplar Bluff and the surrounding area are served by the Poplar Bluff R-I School District, with a total enrollment of about 5,000 students and about 700 faculty and staff.^[12] In addition to an Early Childhood Center and a Kindergarten Center, it includes four elementary schools: Eugene Field, Lake Road, Oak Grove, and O'Neal (grades 1-5); one middle school; Poplar Bluff Junior High School; and Poplar Bluff High School. The district's mascot is the Mules, and the school colors are maroon and white. The school has a solid academic record compared to the rest of the state, and a number of student athletes have distinguished themselves at the professional level, including NFL player Derland Moore and NBA players (and brothers) Tyler and Ben Hansbrough.^[13]

Several private schools also operate in Poplar Bluff, including the Sacred Heart Catholic School, Thomas M. Lane Seventh-Day Adventist Church School, and Westwood Baptist Academy.

The city is home to one institution of higher education, Three Rivers Community College (taking its name from the Black, Current, and St. Francis rivers). Founded in 1966, it principally serves Butler, Carter, Ripley, and Wayne Counties, and includes the central campus at Poplar Bluff as well as multiple branch campuses in nearby towns. Total enrollment is around 3,000 with about 290 faculty and staff.^[14]

Media[edit]

Poplar Bluff has one local newspaper, the Daily American Republic. It has been in continual operation since 1934 (succeeding an older publication, the Daily Republican), and is one of the more significant newspapers between St. Louis and Memphis.

Several radio stations are located in the city, including KAHR (96.7 FM), playing adult hits; KJEZ (95.5 FM), playing rock music; KKLR (94.5 FM), a country music station; KLID (1340 AM), an oldies/talk station; KLUE (103.5 FM), playing Top 40 music; KLUH (90.3 FM) and KOKS (89.5 FM), both Christian contemporary stations; KPBR (91.7 FM), a religious talk station; KPPL (92.5 FM), playing country music; KWOC (930 AM), a news/talk station; and KYHO (106.9 FM), a Christian station.

Attractions[edit]

• Black River Coliseum, sports arena and recreational center
• Historic Rodgers Theatre, occasionally open for special entertainment events
• Hydro Adventures, water and amusement park
• Margaret Harwell Art Museum
• Mo-Ark Regional Railroad Museum
• Poplar Bluff History Museum
• Veteran's Memorial Wall, outside Black River Coliseum

In addition, several national and state parks are located in the vicinity of Poplar Bluff, including Clearwater and Wappapello Lakes, Mark Twain National Forest, and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.

References[edit]