Iron County, Missouri

Iron County is a county in the St. Francois Mountains of southeastern Missouri. It had a population of 10,630 at the 2010 census. The county was officially organized on February 17, 1857, and is known for the many metallic deposits that lie within its boundaries--most notably iron, from which it takes its name. Ironton is the county seat and largest city.

Iron County is also home to some of Missouri's most striking geographic formations, including Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest peak in the state.

History[edit]

Though some French and later American pioneers may have passed through the area during the 18th century, looking for such deposits of lead and other metals as had already been discovered just to the east, no permanent settlements existed in what became Iron County prior to the Louisiana Purchase; nonetheless, there was already reason to believe in its potential as a mining region. Beginning around 1805, a few frontiersmen established homesteads in the Arcadia and Bellevue Valleys in the northeast, and soon enough quantities of iron ore were discovered. Ashebran Furnace, said to be the first iron furnace and forge west of the state of Ohio, was constructed around 1815 near present-day Ironton, and others followed in subsequent years. As a result of the prosperity brought by the mining and forging of iron, settlement of the area swiftly increased, especially in and around Arcadia Valley.^[1]

By the mid-1850s, the local population had reached sufficient numbers to justify the creation of a new county, which the Missouri legislature approved in 1857. However, as none of the surrounding counties were very populous themselves, only small portions of territory were detached from each, giving the new district a very irregular shape. Although the local deposits of iron ore were by no means so extensive as local boosters claimed, it was nonetheless dubbed "Iron County" in their honor. Arcadia was the first county seat, but that same year residents voted to transfer it to Ironton.^[2]

During the Civil War, the area's mines and ironworks were considered a valuable asset by both the North and the South, and in 1863 Union forces constructed Fort Davidson near Pilot Knob, to garrison the surrounding region. It was the site of the Battle of Fort Davidson, one of the war's last major engagements in the state, in September 1864, when a large force of Confederates in General Sterling Price's raid of Missouri attacked the fort, ending in a draw--the Union troops eventually withdrew, but not before inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers and strengthening the overall Union position.^[3] No further significant actions were fought in Iron County before the end of the war.

After the Civil War, mining and other livelihoods resumed, and the local economy rebounded during the late 19th century. The deposits of iron ore were gradually exhausted, though, and throughout much of the 20th century the population and prosperity of Iron County fluctuated significantly. A major boost came in the 1950s, when the St. Joseph Lead Company, transferring its operations from the depleted "Old Lead Belt" of St. Francois County, discovered new veins of lead and other metals in the far west, dubbed the "Viburnum Trend" after the nearby community of Viburnum. Sometimes known as the "New Lead Belt," this strip of territory (including parts of neighboring counties as well) remains one of the nation's most important mining districts, and has done much to maintain economic activity in the county.^[4]

Geography[edit]

Iron County is located in southeastern Missouri, and is part of the St. Francois Mountains that make up the eastern portion of the Ozarks. It is shaped somewhat like an inverse "L," with the "corner" or apex to the northeast around Ironton, and the "arms" extending west toward Viburnum and south toward Annapolis and Des Arc. The county is bordered by Madison County to the east, Wayne County to the south, Reynolds County to the southwest, Dent County to the west, Crawford County to the northwest, Washington County to the north, and St. Francois County to the northeast. It has a total area of 552.06 square miles, including 550.26 of land and 1.80 of water.^[5]

The county consists largely of forested uplands, including some of the highest peaks in the Ozarks region. Taum Sauk Mountain, in the southern part of the county, is the highest point in Missouri (and therefore in Iron County as well), rising to 1,772 feet above sea level, and at least six other mountains in the county have peaks of 1,500 feet or higher. There are only a few areas of relatively flat terrain, consisting mostly of long, narrow valleys cut by the numerous streams; the most notable of these are Big Creek, which drains the southern half of the county, and Stouts Creek, which with its tributaries drains Arcadia Valley, in which the towns of Arcadia, Ironton, and Pilot Knob are located. The lowest point in the county is at Blue Spring in the far southeast, with an elevation of about 455 feet.^[6]

There are no interstate or federal highways in the county. The main roads are Missouri State Highway 21, which runs north to south through the central part of the county; Highway 32, going west to east through the northern regions; Highway 49, which passes through Viburnum, loops into Reynolds County, then re-enters the county near Annapolis before continuing south into Wayne County; and Highway 72, which crosses through the Arcadia Valley region in a generally west-to-east direction.

Iron County includes several important state and federal parks. These include Elephant Rocks State Park, Fort Davidson State Historic Site, Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, Mark Twain National Forest, and Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge.

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Iron County had a total population of 10,630, with 4,378 households and 2,854 families; this was practically unchanged from its 2000 population of 10,697.^[7] The population density was 19.3 per square mile. There were 5,329 housing units, or about 9.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was about 96.43% White, 1.30% African-American, 0.48% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.23% from some other race, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.25% of the population.

The median age in the county was 42.7 years. 22.61% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.76% was between the ages of 18 and 24, 22.59% was between the ages of 25 and 44, 29.18% was between the ages of 45 and 64, and 17.86% was 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 49.4% male, 50.6% female.^[8]

As of 2018, the median household income in the county was $37,188, and the median family income was $48,125. Males had a median income of $41,534 versus $27,973 for females. The unemployment rate was 7.2%. The per capita income was $20,696. About 20.9% of the population was below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those 65 years old or older.^[9]

Communities[edit]

Iron County is home to six incorporated communities, including five cities and one village.

Cities[edit]

• Annapolis
• Arcadia
• Ironton (county seat)
• Pilot Knob
• Viburnum

Village[edit]

• Des Arc

Government[edit]

Local government in Iron County is provided by the elected officials. At present, these positions are dominated by the Democratic party, to which a majority of the officials belong.

Countywide official	Name	Party
Assessor	David L. Huff	Democratic
Circuit Clerk	Sammy (Gail) White	Democratic
County Clerk	Stephanie Lebron	Republican
Collector	Crystal Price	Republican
Commissioner (presiding)	Jim Scaggs	Democratic
Commissioner (District 1)	Dwayne Warncke	Democratic
Commissioner (District 2)	Joshua Campbell	Republican
Coroner	Tim Harbison	Republican
Prosecuting Attorney	Brian Parker	Democratic
Public Administrator	Lisa Light	Republican
Recorder	Karen K. Reagan	Democratic
Sheriff	Roger D. Medley	Democratic
Surveyor	Mark Nations	Democratic
Treasurer	Carol Hardy	Democratic

At the state level, all of Iron County is part of the 144th District in the Missouri House of Representatives, which also includes parts of Reynolds, Washington, and Wayne Counties. It is currently represented by Chris Dinkins (R-Annapolis), who was elected to her second term in November 2018 without opposition.

In the Missouri State Senate, Iron County is part of the 3rd District, which also includes Reynolds, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington Counties, and part of Jefferson County. It is currently represented by Elaine Gannon (R-De Soto), who was elected to her first term in November 2020 without opposition.

At the federal level, Iron County is part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District, which includes most of southeast and south-central Missouri. It is represented by Jason Smith (R-Salem), who won re-election in November 2018, defeating Democrat Kathy Ellis.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Jason Smith	Republican	194,042	73.39%
Kathy Ellis	Democratic	66,151	25.019%
Jonathan Shell	Libertarian	4,206	1.591%

Smith somewhat underperformed his average margin in Iron County, winning 67.560% of the vote.^[10]

Political Culture

As the above numbers indicate, Iron County is at present a fairly reliably Republican county, although somewhat less so than other counties in southern Missouri. Like much of the Lead Belt, the presence of a large number of unionized mine workers made it a solidly Democratic district for much of its history, a tendency which still continues on the local level. It strongly supported Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, and was one of only a few rural Missouri counties to vote for Barack Obama in 2008. Since then, however, it has steadily trended Republican, as blue-collar workers became alienated by the Democratic Party’s social radicalism. In 2016, Donald Trump carried the county with 74.33% of the vote.^[11]

Like much of southern Missouri, Iron County can be included within the Bible Belt, combining social conservatism with economic populism--though the latter is more pronounced than in other areas, on account of the mining culture’s legacy. In 2004, it voted overwhelmingly in favor of Constitutional Amendment 2, which recognized marriage as between a man and a woman only--the measure passed in Iron County with 80.90% support. In 2006, while the state narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county decisively defeated the measure with 56.03% voting against. At the same time, it often supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class, more frequently than much of the region. In the November 2018 election, the county supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 57.81% voting in favor (it passed the state at large). These results mark Iron County as an independent but right-leaning county.

References[edit]