Downing, Missouri

Downing, Missouri
City
Location of Downing, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Schuyler
Area
• Total	0.7 sq mi (1.7 km2)
• Land	0.7 sq mi (1.7 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	873 ft (266 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	335
• Density	595.4/sq mi (229.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	63536
Area code	660
FIPS code	29-19990Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0735581Template:GR

Downing is a city in Schuyler County, Missouri, United States. The population was 335 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kirksville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Although not being laid out as a town until 1872, the Downing area was one of the earliest settled areas of Schuyler county. One of the early names for the unincorporated settlement was Cherry Grove. During the American Civil War, on July 1, 1862, a small skirmish took place near Cherry Grove. Cavalry from the second battalion, Eleventh Missouri State Militia, a pro-Union force, engaged a small number of Confederate troops under Colonel Joseph Porter. Porter's forces were defeated, with four killed and several men and horses captured. The Union forces had one man badly injured, who would die a few days later. At the time of the skirmish Porter was heavily involved in recruiting men in northeast Missouri for the Confederate cause. The following month he would suffer a larger defeat some twenty-five miles southwest at the Battle of Kirksville.

In September, 1872 the Missouri Town Company created the original town plat, naming it for the President of the company, H. H. Downing. The last name Downing had been a prominent one since the earliest days of the county, with Henry Downing settling in the county in 1837. By the late 1880s the Downing business district included four general stores, two drug stores, two grocers, two hardware stores, a restaurant, blacksmith, and two hotels. Manufacturing included two handle factories, a wagon maker, a hoop factory, a harness and saddle maker, and two combination saw/grist mills. One doesn't normally think of northern Missouri as being a tobacco-growing region, however Downing had two tobacco-buying warehouses in the late 1800s with both reporting extensive business. The towns location on the Keokuk & Western railroad provided opportunity for the convenient shipment of goods, crops, and livestock from the Downing area.

Geography

Downing is located at 40°29′16″N 92°22′5″W (40.487682, -92.368022)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	501		—
1910	513		2.4%
1920	566		10.3%
1930	514		−9.2%
1940	507		−1.4%
1950	453		−10.7%
1960	463		2.2%
1970	406		−12.3%
1980	462		13.8%
1990	359		−22.3%
2000	396		10.3%
2010	335		−15.4%

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2010, there were 335 people, 176 households, and 99 families residing in the city. The population density was 595.4 people per square mile (228.2/km²). There were 210 housing units at an average density of 315.7 per square mile (121.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.96% White, 0.25% Native American, 1.26% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.27% of the population.

There were 176 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 80.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $18,864, and the median income for a family was $26,875. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,626. About 19.8% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Historic maps of Downing in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri