Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,506 at the 2020 census. It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is derived from the Meskwaki language meaning "place where walnuts grow".

History

Tarkio was laid out by Charles E. Perkins in August 1880, and grew rapidly. By 1900, the U.S. Census shows 2,845 persons living in Tarkio.

Rankin Hall and the Walnut Inn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Tarkio had a population of 1,506. The median age was 46.4 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.2 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 675 households in Tarkio, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.1% were married-couple households, 22.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 1,583 people, 703 households, and 421 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 844 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.9% White, 0.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 703 households, of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 45.9 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 22.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census

Climate

Education

It is in the Tarkio R-I School District.<!--UNI 29940-->

Tarkio was home to Tarkio College, a private Presbyterian college founded in 1883. The college closed in 1991. Starting in 2012 the Alumni Association rented the Campus' Main building, Rankin Hall, and in September 2019, Tarkio College Inc. was issued a Certificate of Operation from the Missouri Department of Higher Education. Operating as Tarkio Technology Institute, TTI offers technical certification courses for professionals in Plumbing, Wind Energy, and Welding.

Public library

Tarkio Branch Library is a branch of the Atchison County Library.

Notable people

  • Music composer Walter Greene (1910–1983), best known for his work at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (notable works included The Pink Panther Show & The Inspector), was born in Tarkio.
  • David Rankin (1825–1910), the so-called "Missouri Corn King", was a resident of Tarkio. Starting with a single ox and plow, Rankin enlarged his farm to over of land, 12,000 head of cattle, and 25,000 hogs in Northwest Missouri. By using the latest tools and technology, Rankin was able to raise a crop of 1,000,000 bushels of corn in a single year. Rankin Hall, a building on the former Tarkio College campus, was named for the Rankin family.
  • U.S. Representative Sam Graves is from Tarkio, as is his brother, Todd Graves, who resigned as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri in 2006.

See also

  • List of cities in Missouri

References

  • Tarkio, MO Official Town Website
  • Snowstorm in 1881
  • Historic maps of Tarkio in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri