Gasconade County, Missouri

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Gasconade County

| state = Missouri

| seal =

| founded year = 1820

| founded date = November 25

| seat wl = Hermann

| largest city wl = Owensville

| area_total_sq_mi = 524

| area_land_sq_mi = 518

| area_water_sq_mi = 6.6

| area percentage = 1.3

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 14794

| pop_est_as_of =

| population_est =

| population_density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Central

| area codes = 573

| footnotes =

| web = https://gasconadecounty.org/

| named for = Gasconade River

| ex image = Gasconade Co Courthouse 20150830 118-129.jpg

| ex image cap = The Gasconade County Courthouse in Hermann

| district = 3rd

}}

Gasconade County is a county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,794.{{cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US29073 |access-date=January 24, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}} The county seat has been Hermann since 1842.{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011}} The county was named after the Gasconade River.

The county is located on the south side of the Missouri River, which once served as the chief route of transportation in the state. It is located in the area known as the Missouri Rhineland. Because of its distinctive conditions, the Hermann area was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1983. The southern part of the county is within the larger Ozark Highlands AVA, established in 1987.

Etymology

Gasconade County (and the Gasconade River) received its name from French-speaking settlers.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA135 | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=135}} They came from the Gascony region in southwestern France during French colonial rule of New France (Louisiana Territory).

Per a 1916 Missouri Historical Review article, "The name is from 'Gascon', an inhabitant of Gascony,'{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RfAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA168 | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1916 | pages=168–169}} a unique, marginal maritime province in the southwest of France with Basque cultural roots.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the county has a total area of {{convert|524|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|6.6|sqmi}} (1.3%) is covered by water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021170230/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 15, 2014 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

=Adjacent counties=

Montgomery County (north)
Warren County (northeast)
Franklin County (east)
Crawford County (southeast)
Phelps County (south)
Maries County (southwest)
Osage County (west)
Callaway County (northwest)

=Major highways=

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1830= 1545

|1840= 5330

|1850= 4996

|1860= 8727

|1870= 10093

|1880= 11153

|1890= 11706

|1900= 12298

|1910= 12847

|1920= 12381

|1930= 12172

|1940= 12414

|1950= 12342

|1960= 12195

|1970= 11878

|1980= 13181

|1990= 14006

|2000= 15342

|2010= 15222

|2020= 14794

|estyear= 2021

|estimate= 14791

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=U.S. Decennial Census |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 15, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |title=Historical Census Browser |publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=November 15, 2014}} 1900-1990{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mo190090.txt |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 15, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 15, 2014}} 2010-2015{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29073.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 8, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607041322/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/29073.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}

}}

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, 15,342 people, 6,171 households, and 4,288 families resided in the county. The population density was {{convert|30|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. The 7,813 housing units had an average density of {{convert|15|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units }}. The racial makeup of the county was 98.69% White, 0.12% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. About 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 6,171 households, 31.0% had children under 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were not families. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.8% under 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,047, and for a family was $41,518. Males had a median income of $29,659 versus $20,728 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,319. About 7.00% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those 65 or over.

=2020 Census=

{| class="wikitable"

|+Gasconade County Racial Composition{{Cite web|title =P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Gasconade County, Missouri|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Gasconade%20County,%20Missouri&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|White (NH)

|13,705

|92.64%

|Black or African American (NH)

|18

|0.12%

|Native American (NH)

|25

|0.17%

|Asian (NH)

|51

|0.35%

|Pacific Islander (NH)

|0.06%

|Other/mixed (NH)

|797

|5.4%

|Hispanic or Latino

|189

|1.3%

Politics

=Local=

The Republican Party in Gasconade County holds all of the elected positions.{{cite web |url=https://gasconadecounty.org/county-officials/ |title=Gasconade County Officials |date=September 5, 2019 |website=Gasconade County |access-date=September 8, 2019}}

{{Missouri county elected officials

| name =Gasconade County, Missouri

| assessor =Paul Schulte

| assessorparty =Republican

| circuitclerk =Pamela R. Greunke

| circuitclerkparty =Republican

| countyclerk =Lesa Lietzow

| countyclerkparty =Republican

| presiding =Tim Schulte

| presidingparty =Republican

| district1 =James Holland

| district1party =Republican

| district2 =Jerry D. Lairmore

| district2party =Republican

| collector =Shawn Schlottach

| collectorparty =Republican

| coroner =Jeffrey Arnold

| coronerparty =Republican

| prosecutor =Mary Weston

| prosecutorparty =Republican

| administrator =Kelly Brehe-Thomas

| administratorparty=Republican

| recorder =Pamela R. Greunke

| recorderparty =Republican

| sheriff =Scott Eiler

| sheriffparty =Republican

| surveyor =Vincent Klott

| surveyorparty =Republican

| treasurer =Michael C. Feagan

| treasurerparty =Republican

}}

=State=

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

! Republican

! Democratic

! Third Parties

| style="text-align:center; background:#fff3f3;"|2024

| style="text-align:center; background:#fff3f3;"|80.38% 6,354

| style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"|17.87% 1,413

| style="text-align:center;"|1.74% 138

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2020

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|78.68% 6,192

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|19.53% 1,537

|align="center" |1.79% 141

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2016

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|63.04% 4,681

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|32.35% 2,402

|align="center" |4.61% 342

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2012

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|53.18% 3,775

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|44.55% 3,162

|align="center" |2.27% 161

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2008

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|55.78% 4,307

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|42.90% 3,313

|align="center" |1.32% 102

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2004

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|65.36% 4,696

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|33.57% 2,412

|align="center" |1.07% 77

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2000

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|61.83% 4,091

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|35.31% 2,336

|align="center" |2.86% 189

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|1996

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|50.99% 3,042

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|46.36% 2,766

|align="center" |2.65% 158

Gasconade County is entirely contained within district 61 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

District 61 — [https://www.house.mo.gov/MemberDetails.aspx?district=061&year=2023 Bruce Sassmann] (R-Bland). Consists of the counties of Gasconade, Montgomery, and Osage.{{cite web |title=Missouri House of Representatives District 61 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_House_of_Representatives_District_61 |access-date=May 8, 2023 |website=Ballotpedia}}

{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 61 — Gasconade County (2016)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Justin Alferman

|votes = 2,531

|percentage = 80.20%

|change = +4.86

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Tom Smith

|votes = 625

|percentage = 19.80%

|change = -4.86

}}

{{Election box begin|title=Missouri House of Representatives — District 61 — Gasconade County (2014)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Justin Alferman

|votes = 1,341

|percentage = 75.34%

|change = +6.58

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Tom Smith

|votes = 439

|percentage = 24.66%

|change = -6.58

}}

= State Senate =

Gasconade County is a part of Missouri's 6th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by [https://www.senate.mo.gov/mem06/ Mike Bernskoetter] (R-Jefferson City).{{cite web |title=Missouri State Senate District 6 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_State_Senate_District_6 |access-date=May 5, 2023 |website=Ballotpedia}}

{{Election box begin|title=Missouri Senate — District 6 — Gasconade County (2014)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Mike Kehoe

|votes = 3,105

|percentage = 78.49%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Mollie Freebairn

|votes = 851

|percentage = 21.51%

|change =

}}

=Federal=

{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Gasconade County (2016)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Roy Blunt

|votes = 4,743

|percentage = 63.92%

|change = +12.62

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Jason Kander

|votes = 2,319

|percentage = 31.25%

|change = -10.43

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Jonathan Dine

|votes = 176

|percentage = 2.37%

|change = -4.65

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Green Party (United States)

|candidate = Johnathan McFarland

|votes = 90

|percentage = 1.21%

|change = +1.21

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Constitution Party (United States)

|candidate = Fred Ryman

|votes = 92

|percentage = 1.24%

|change = +1.24

}}

{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Gasconade County (2012)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Todd Akin

|votes = 3,603

|percentage = 51.30%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Claire McCaskill

|votes = 2,927

|percentage = 41.68%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Jonathan Dine

|votes = 493

|percentage = 7.02%

|change =

}}

Gasconade County is included in Missouri's 3rd Congressional District and is represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Gasconade County (2016)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Blaine Luetkemeyer

|votes = 5,770

|percentage = 78.61%

|change = +1.36

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Kevin Miller

|votes = 1,344

|percentage = 18.31%

|change = -1.31

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Dan Hogan

|votes = 155

|percentage = 2.11%

|change = -1.02

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Constitution Party (United States)

|candidate = Doanita Simmons

|votes = 71

|percentage = 0.97%

|change = +0.97

}}

{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Gasconade County (2014)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Blaine Luetkemeyer

|votes = 3,083

|percentage = 77.25%

|change = +1.83

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Courtney Denton

|votes = 783

|percentage = 19.62%

|change = -2.81

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Steven Hedrick

|votes = 125

|percentage = 3.13%

|change = +0.98

}}

{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 3rd Congressional District — Gasconade County (2012)}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Blaine Luetkemeyer

|votes = 5,272

|percentage = 75.42%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Eric Mayer

|votes = 1,568

|percentage = 22.43%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Steven Wilson

|votes = 150

|percentage = 2.15%

|change =

}}

==Political culture==

{{PresHead|place=Gasconade County, Missouri|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 25, 2018}}}}

At the presidential level, Gasconade County is one of the most reliably Republican strongholds in Missouri. The Republican presidential nominee has won Gasconade County in every presidential election since Abraham Lincoln was first elected in 1860, giving the county the longest active Republican voting streak for presidential elections in the United States.

Like most rural areas throughout Northeast Missouri, voters in Gasconade County generally adhere to socially and culturally conservative principles, which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman—it overwhelmingly passed Gasconade County with 76.48% of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71% of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban same-sex marriage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state—it failed in Gasconade County with 58.61% voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51% of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Gasconade County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing populist causes like increasing the minimum wage. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Gasconade County with 74.74% of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99% voting in favor. (During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.)

=Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)=

{{main|2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary|2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary}}

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 848, than any candidate from either party in Gasconade County during the 2008 Missouri Presidential Preference Primary.

Education

=Public schools=

[http://www.hermann.k12.mo.us/ Gasconade County R-I School District] - Hermann
Hermann Elementary School (K-03)
Hermann Middle School (04-08)
Hermann High School (09-12)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100611140033/http://owensville.k12.mo.us/ Gasconade County R-II School District] - Owensville
Owensville Elementary School (K-05)
Owensville Middle School (06-08)
Owensville High School (09-12)

=Private schools=

{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100309033637/http://stgeorgeschool-hermann.com/ St. George School]}} – Hermann (PS-08) – Roman Catholic
Immanuel Lutheran School – Rosebud (PK-08) – Lutheran

=Public libraries=

Hermann Branch Library{{cite web |last=Breeding |first=Marshall |title=Hermann Branch Library |url=https://librarytechnology.org/library/20292 |publisher=Libraries.org |access-date=May 8, 2017}}
Owensville Branch Library{{cite web |last=Breeding |first=Marshall |title=Owensville Branch Library |url=https://librarytechnology.org/library/20294 |publisher=Libraries.org |access-date=May 8, 2017}}

Communities

=Cities and towns=

Bland (partly in Osage County)
Gasconade
Hermann (county seat)
Morrison
Owensville (largest city)
Rosebud

=Unincorporated communities=

References

External links

{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Category:Gasconade County, Missouri|b=no|n=no|q=no|s=no|v=no|voy=no|species=no|d=Q490386}}

[http://www.countynewslive.com/ CountyNewsLIVE.com (Hermann)]
[http://gasconadecountyrepublican.com/ Gasconade County Republican (Owensville)]
[http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/platbooks.htm Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Gasconade County] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816173126/http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/platbooks.htm |date=August 16, 2011}} from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
[http://gcsdmo.com/ Gasconade County Sheriff's Office]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Gasconade County, Missouri

|North = Montgomery County

|Northeast = Warren County

|East = Franklin County

|Southeast = Crawford County

|South = Phelps County

|Southwest = Maries County

|West = Osage County

|Northwest =

}}

{{coord|38.44|-91.51|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MO_source:UScensus1990}}