Van Buren, Missouri

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Van Buren is the county seat and largest city of Carter County, Missouri. It had a population of 819 at the 2010 census. The town was founded in 1833 and named for the then-Vice President of the United States, Martin Van Buren.

History[edit]

The first settlement in what would become Carter County was made by the namesake Carter family of pioneers in the 1810s, a few miles southeast of the future site of Van Buren. The region was part of the area organized as Ripley County in 1833, at which time commissioners were appointed to select a place for the new county seat. They chose a point on the Current River and named it for Martin Van Buren, Andrew Jackson's Vice-President and heir-apparent (a Jackson, Missouri already existed). A log courthouse was constructed that same year, and the new settlement served as the seat of Ripley County government until 1859, when the block of territory in which it lay was separated to form Carter County. At that point, Van Buren continued on as the county seat for this new jurisdiction, since it was on a prominent river and lay near the geographic center of the county anyway.^[1]

The current site of Van Buren is actually about a half-mile northeast of, and on the opposite bank of the river from, the original settlement. It was moved in 1867 onto land purchased from Zimri Carter, at which time a new courthouse was built.

Though very small in its early years, the town grew in prominence during the late 19th century as the county's economy boomed from timber-cutting and railroad construction. The first bridge across the Current River was completed at Van Buren in 1894, and by 1912 it could boast of five stores, mills, a weekly newspaper (the Current Local), and passenger boat service to Doniphan.^[2] The community declined significantly after 1920 with the end of the timber boom, falling to less than 350 a decade later; however, the arrival of U.S. Route 60 and efforts to restore the Ozarks ecology and economy were a great benefit. Van Buren today profits especially as a hub for boating and recreation in the Current River valley.

Geography[edit]

Van Buren is located along U.S. Route 60 as it crosses the Current River in central Carter County, about 15 miles northwest of Ellsinore and 35 miles northwest of Poplar Bluff. Missouri State Highway 103 and State Route D also meet in the city. Its exact coordinates are 37°0’13”N 91°0’55”W.

The central part of the city is located along the east bank of the Current, near the Mark Twain National Forest. Notable features in the vicinity include Big Spring and Onyx and Richbark Caves, along with the Current itself. The city has a total area of 2.00 square miles, and an average elevation of 472 feet.^[3]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Van Buren had a total of 819 inhabitants, grouped into 362 households, with a population density of 409.5 people per square mile. This figure marked a slight decrease from the 2000 census, when Van Buren had a population of 845. 95.97% of the inhabitants were White, 0.85% were Native American, 1.10% were from some other race, and 2.08% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.93% of the population.

The median age in Van Buren was 43.4 years, with 24.1% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 7.1% between 18 and 24 years old, 20.2% between 25 and 44, 23.8% between 45 and 64, and 24.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 44.3% male, 55.7% female.^[4]

As of 2017, Van Buren had an estimated median household income of $38,263, and a median family income of $59,359. The unemployment rate was 6.4%. The per capita income was $21,153. About 12.6% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 8.5% of people under the age of 18 and 48.5% of non-high school graduates.^[5]

Education[edit]

Van Buren and most of the western half of the county are served by the Van Buren R-I School District, a PK-12 public institution with an enrollment of about 500 students.^[6] Its mascot is the Bulldogs, and the school colors are orange and black.^[7]

References[edit]