Marble Hill, Missouri

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Marble Hill is the county seat and only city of Bollinger County, Missouri. A fourth-class city near the center of the county, it had a population of 1,477 at the 2010 census.

History[edit]

The history of Marble Hill began with the laying out of a settlement on the east side of Crooked Creek by Thomas Hamilton in 1842, who dubbed it "New California." This occurred prior to the organization of Bollinger County as a separate unit. When that organization was being prepared in the winter of 1850-51, commissioners tasked with selecting a county seat chose the community as it would be near the geographic center of the region. At this time, and for unknown reasons, the town's name was changed to Dallas. A courthouse was soon built, which burned in 1866.

The town saw some military action during the Civil War, being briefly raided by a small Confederate force in the spring of 1862, and a minor battle was fought nearby on Crooked Creek later that year. After the war, in either the late 1860s or early 1870s, the name of the county seat was changed again, due to fear of confusion with a town of the same name in Greene County in southwest Missouri, to Marble Hill. The common explanation for this is the (mistaken belief) that the hill on which it lay was composed of marble.^[1]

By this time, a rival community had developed on the opposite bank of Crooked Creek, known as Lutesville after its founder, Eli Lutes. When a branch line of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad was built through Bollinger County in 1869, it was routed through Lutesville instead of Marble Hill, supposedly because the owner of the land around Marble Hill demanded too high a price for the right-of-way. Because of this, Lutesville soon surpassed Marble Hill in size and economic importance. After the second courthouse burned in 1884, Lutesville attempted to claim the title of county seat, but this proposition was defeated and a new courthouse was built. Despite these setbacks, Marble Hill rebounded, thanks to several stores and businesses which moved there over the years, and to the opening of Will Mayfield College, a Baptist academy which operated from 1878 to 1934. It now houses the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, which opened in 1998 and displays a number of exhibits in history and paleontology.

After railroad operations through Lutesville ceased in 1973, the feeling of rivalry between the two communities declined, and it was increasingly suggested that they merge. This idea gained support, and the merger was made official in May 1985; as Marble Hill was still the county seat, it remained the name of the combined towns.^[2] The old Lutesville section retains its own identity, though, and many local businesses include the name in their title.

Geography[edit]

Marble Hill lies at the intersection of Missouri State Highways 34 and 51, near the center of Bollinger County, of which it is the only incorporated city. It is about 14 miles northwest of Advance, and 17 miles southwest of Jackson. Its exact coordinates are 37°18’18”N 89°58’35”W.

The city lies within low hills, like the rest of this part of the county. It is divided by Crooked Creek, with the old Lutesville neighborhood lying on the southwest side and Marble Hill proper to the northeast. It has a total area of 1.64 square miles, and an average elevation of 489 feet.^[3] The area has what can best be described as a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers, cool winters, and a moderately high amount of rainfall. Outbreaks of severe weather happen occasionally, including tornadoes; the last fatal tornado occurred south of Marble Hill on April 27, 2002, an F3 storm that killed one person and injured 16.^[4]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Marble Hill had a total of 1,477 inhabitants, grouped into 604 households, with a population density of 900.6 people per square mile. This figure marked a slight decrease from the 2000 census, when Marble Hill had a population of 1,502. 96.41% of the inhabitants were White, 1.02% were Native American, 0.81% were Asian, 0.34% were from some other race, and 1.42% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.76% of the population.

The median age in Marble Hill was 39.8 years, with 24.8% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 20.5% between 25 and 44, 24.7% between 45 and 64, and 20.9% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 43.4% male, 56.6% female.^[5]

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, Marble Hill had a median household income of $35,074, and a median family income of $46,563. The unemployment rate was 7.0%. The per capita income was $17,102. About 24.9% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 29.2% of people under the age of 18 and 19.2% of people 65 years old or older.^[6]

Education[edit]

The Marble Hill area is served by the Woodland R-IV School District, a K-12 public school with a total enrollment of about 900 students.^[7] Its mascot is the Cardinals, and the school colors are red and black.^[8] The city is also home to the Bollinger County Library.

References[edit]