Higginsville is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,817 at the 2020 census.

History

Higginsville was founded in 1869 and named after Harvey Higgins, the original owner of the town site. A post office has been in operation at Higginsville since 1870.

Higginsville was formerly the site of the Missouri Confederate Soldiers' Home. After the last of the Confederate veterans died, the lands were converted into a Confederate Memorial Cemetery. This 135-acre site is preserved in memory of the more than 40,000 Missourians who fought under the Confederate flag. Captain William Clarke Quantrill is one of those interred here.

The Confederate Chapel, Cemetery and Cottage, Houx-Hoefer-Rehkop House, and Chicago and Alton Railroad Depot at Higginsville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In World War 1 Bert Hall, a soldier from Higginsville, joined the French Army and became a pilot.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Higginsville had a population of 4,817. The median age was 40.3 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.

94.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,872 households in Higginsville, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.5% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 4,797 people, 1,961 households, and 1,208 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,234 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.4% White, 5.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 1,961 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 39.5 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Education

Public education in Higginsville is administered by Lafayette County C-1 School District,<!--UNI 18480-->. which operates one elementary school, one middle school and Lafayette County High School.

Immanuel Lutheran School is a private institution.

Higginsville has a public library, the Robertson Memorial Library.

Metropolitan Community College has the C-1 school district area in its service area, but not its in-district taxation area.

Notable people

  • Brian Brown, racing driver
  • William J. Cason, lawyer and politician
  • Jon Garrison, opera singer
  • John Clark Salyer II, "Father of the National Wildlife Refuge System", principal architect for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's duck restoration program of 1934–36. J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge
  • George Seals, professional football player
  • Lee Shippey, journalist
  • Alonzo "Skip" Thomas, football player

See also

  • List of cities in Missouri

References

  • Official website
  • Historic maps of Higginsville in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri Digital Library
  • (includes over a hundred photographs of buildings from the 1880s to 1980s)