Mountain View, Missouri

Mountain View, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1879
Population	2,719 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	3.75 mi²
Current mayor	Donnie Pruett

Mountain View is a city in northeastern Howell County, Missouri. It had a population of 2,719 at the 2010 census.

History[edit]

The first prominent settler in the Mountain View area was William H. Goldsberry, a Baptist minister and landowner who had moved there from North Carolina in 1856. During the 1860s, he established a church and school on his land, and by 1880 there were two stores in operation as well. In 1879 a post office was set up for the neighborhood, with John C. Campbell as the first postmaster. The growing community was mostly located on a small elevation that provided a decent vista of the thinly timbered countryside; thus, the post office (and then the town) was named Mountain View.^[1]

Mountain View only developed as a distinct town following the construction of the Current River Railroad, a branch of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, in 1888. It was incorporated as a village in 1908, and then as a fourth-class city in 1916, with Dr. H. E. Ferrell serving as the first mayor. Though it benefited, like other communities in southern Missouri, from the boom in lumber harvesting during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was not one of the core areas of such activity, and so its growth was slower but more stable. Especially from the 1960s onward, the city's position along U.S. Route 60 became of more importance, as east-west travelers across the Ozarks found it a useful stopover site.^[2]

Geography[edit]

Mountain View is located at the junction of U.S. Route 60 and Missouri State Highway 17 in northeastern Howell County, about 15 miles east of Willow Springs and about 20 miles northeast of West Plains. Its exact coordinates are 36°59’44”N 91°42’03”W.

The city lies on generally rolling terrain between the somewhat more rugged upper valleys of the Eleven Point River to the southeast and the Jacks Fork of the Current River to the north. It has a total land area of 3.75 square miles, and an average elevation of 1,142 feet.^[3]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Mountain View had a total of 2,719 inhabitants, grouped into 1,151 households, with a population density of 725.1 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant increase from the 2000 census, when Mountain View had a population of 2,430. 97.57% of the inhabitants were White, 0.07% were African-American, 0.51% were Native American, 0.33% were Asian, 0.04% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.29% were from some other race, and 1.18% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.84% of the population.

The median age in Mountain View was 39 years, with 24.8% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 9.2% between 18 and 24 years old, 22.3% between 25 and 44, 21.5% between 45 and 64, and 22.2% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 45.3% male, 54.7% female.^[4]

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Mountain View had a median household income of $26,974, and a median family income of $40,179. The unemployment rate was 8.1%. The per capita income was $17,180. About 26.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 39.0% of people under the age of 18 and 23.5% of people 65 years old or older.^[5]

Education[edit]

The Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III School District serves Mountain View and the surrounding portions of northeastern Howell County, while also extending east into the Birch Tree district of neighboring Shannon County. Except for one elementary school in Birch Tree, all the school facilities (Mountain View Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, and Liberty Senior High School) are located in Mountain View. The district has a combined total enrollment of about 1,300 students.^[6] Its mascot is the Eagles, and the school colors are red, navy, and white.^[7]

Mountain View also has an extension office of Southwest Baptist University.

Economy[edit]

While there are also some thriving local businesses in its downtown section, Mountain View derives a great deal of its activity from its position as a convenient stop-over along U.S. 60, for travelers coming to or from Springfield, nearly two hours to the west, or exploring this section of the Ozarks. This strip has a number of retail and service businesses, including McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and Dollar General.

Other major employers in the area include Mountain View Lumber Company, Mountain View Healthcare, and Smith Flooring.^[8]

Community Life[edit]

Beyond the natural recreation to be found in nearby parts of the Ozarks, especially along the Current and Eleven Point Rivers, Mountain View also has several city parks, along with a city pool and an 18-hole golf course.

Several annual events are sponsored by the city and/or the local Chamber of Commerce, including "Pioneer Days" in late September, an Easter egg hunt, and a Christmas parade and craft show.^[9]

Notable People[edit]

• Randle Chowning (1950-), Southern rock singer and songwriter, founding member of band "Ozark Mountain Daredevils"
• David Glass (1935-2020), former president and CEO of Wal-Mart and owner of Kansas City Royals

References[edit]