Lewis County, Missouri

Lewis County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,032.^[2] Its county seat is Monticello.^[3] The county was organized January 2, 1833, and named for Meriwether Lewis, the explorer and Governor of the Louisiana Territory.^[4]

Lewis County
County
Lewis County Courthouse in Monticello
Location within the U.S. state of Missouri
Missouri's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°05′N 91°44′W
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Founded	January 2, 1833
Named after	Meriwether Lewis
Seat	Monticello
Largest city	Canton
Area
• Total	511 sq mi (1,320 km2)
• Land	505 sq mi (1,310 km2)
• Water	5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  1.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,032
• Estimate  (2024)[1]	9,852
• Density	19.5/sq mi (7.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	lewiscountymo.org

The Lewis County, Missouri courthouse in Monticello as it appeared in the mid-1870s.

Lewis County is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 511 square miles (1,320 km²), of which 505 square miles (1,310 km²) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km²) (1.1%) is water.^[5]

Adjacent counties

• Clark County (north)
• Hancock County, Illinois (northeast)
• Adams County, Illinois (southeast)
• Marion County (south)
• Shelby County (southwest)
• Knox County (west)

Major highways

• U.S. Route 61
• Route 6
• Route 16
• Route 81
• Route 156

Transit

• Burlington Trailways
• OATS Transit

Railroads

• BNSF Railway

History

Further information: Canton, Missouri and La Grange, Missouri

Lewis County, located in the northeastern part of Missouri, across the Mississippi River from Illinois. It was established in 1833 and named after Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The county was largely settled by farmers from Virginia and Kentucky. They brought slaves and were attracted to the fertile land and easy river transportation. The economy was based on subsistence agriculture, timber harvesting, and lead mining. In addition. Canton supplied riverboats on the Mississippi. During the Civil War, the county became the base for rival pro-Confederate and pro-Union sympathizers; there was some violence but the Unionists prevailed.^[6]

After the Civil War, the slaves were emancipated and the county's economy shifted towards commercial agriculture, with the production of corn, wheat and timber that were shipped through Canton, a port on the Mississippi River. In the late 19th and early 20th century, farm youth moved into small towns, particularly in the western part of the county. Mark Twain lived in the county briefly and was inspired by the natural beauty of the river region for his writing.^[7]

Today, Lewis County is all rural, with a few small towns under 2500 population, and Canton at 2800. The economy is built on soybeans, corn and timber, as well as higher education. Canton is the home of Culver–Stockton College. The National Register of Historic Places celebrates 12 historic locations in the county.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	6,040		—
1850	6,578		8.9%
1860	12,286		86.8%
1870	15,114		23.0%
1880	15,925		5.4%
1890	15,935		0.1%
1900	16,724		5.0%
1910	15,514		−7.2%
1920	13,465		−13.2%
1930	12,093		−10.2%
1940	11,490		−5.0%
1950	10,733		−6.6%
1960	10,984		2.3%
1970	10,993		0.1%
1980	10,901		−0.8%
1990	10,233		−6.1%
2000	10,494		2.6%
2010	10,211		−2.7%
2020	10,032		−1.8%
2024 (est.)	9,852		−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2015[12] 2024[1]

As of the census^[13] of 2010, there were 10,211 people, 3,956 households, and 2,709 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 95.92% White, 2.53% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Approximately 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.9% were of German, 18.3% American, 11.2% English and 10.8% Irish ancestry.

The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 12.90% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.10% who were 65 years of age or older and 51% of female population. The median age was 36 years.

Median income for a household in the county was $30,651, and the median income for a family was $35,740. Males had a median income of $27,778 versus $19,679 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,746. 16.10% of the population and 10.70% of families were below the poverty line.

2020 Census

Lewis County Racial Composition^[14]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	9,315	92.9%
Black or African American (NH)	185	1.84%
Native American (NH)	30	0.3%
Asian (NH)	22	0.22%
Pacific Islander (NH)	0	0%
Other/Mixed (NH)	315	3.14%
Hispanic or Latino	165	1.64%

Education

Five school districts cover sections of the county: Canton R-V School District, Lewis County C-1 School District, Clark County R-I School District, Knox County R-I School District, and Palmyra R-I School District.^[15]

Public schools

Two school districts operate schools in the county boundaries:

• Canton R-V School District – Canton
  • Canton Elementary School (PK-06)
  • Canton High School (07-12)
• Lewis County C-1 School District – Ewing
  • Highland Elementary School (K-06)
  • Highland Junior-Senior High School (07-12)

Private schools

• Cedar Falls School – Canton (K-12) – Nonsectarian

Post-secondary

• Culver-Stockton College – Canton – A private, four-year Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) university.

Public libraries

• Canton Public Library^[16]
• Labelle Branch Library^[17]
• Lagrange Branch Library^[18]

Communities

Cities and towns

• Canton
• Ewing
• La Belle
• La Grange
• Lewistown
• Monticello (county seat)

Census-designated place

• Williamstown

Unincorporated communities

• Argola
• Benjamin
• Deer Ridge
• Derrahs
• Dover
• Durgen
• Durham
• Gilead
• Laura
• Maywood
• Midway
• Salem
• Santuzza
• Sellers
• Steffenville
• Ten Mile
• Tolona
• Weber

Politics

Local

Lewis County, Missouri
Elected countywide officials
Assessor	Tammy Logsdon	Republican
Circuit Clerk	Julie George	Republican
County Clerk	Shannon Sapp	Republican
Collector	Lindsey Lay	Republican
Commissioner (presiding)	Wayne Murphy, Jr.	Republican
Commissioner (district 1)	Sean D. Swope	Republican
Commissioner (district 2)	Travis Fleer	Republican
Coroner	Larry Arnold	Democratic
Prosecuting Attorney	Chelsea L. Fellinger	Republican
Public Administrator	Luke Barton	Republican
Recorder	Amy Parrish	Democratic
Sheriff	David T. Parrish	Democratic
Surveyor	Carson W. Lay	Republican
Treasurer	Bonnie Roberson	Republican

State

Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2024	80.97% 3,573	17.13% 756	1.90% 84
2020	79.64% 3,638	19.26% 880	1.10% 50
2016	63.53% 2,815	33.65% 1,491	2.82% 125
2012	48.24% 2,046	49.54% 2,101	2.22% 94
2008	56.79% 2,533	41.05% 1,831	2.16% 96
2004	67.03% 3,084	31.32% 1,441	1.65% 76
2000	50.03% 2,224	48.46% 2,154	1.51% 67
1996	22.77% 948	75.23% 3,132	1.99% 83

All of Lewis County is included in Missouri's 4th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is represented by Craig Redmon (R-Canton).

Missouri House of Representatives — District 4 — Lewis County (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Craig Redmon	3.998	100.00%

Missouri House of Representatives — District 4 — Lewis County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Craig Redmon	2,450	100.00%

Missouri House of Representatives — District 4 — Lewis County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Craig Redmon	3,869	100.00%

All of Lewis County is a part of Missouri's 18th District in the Missouri Senate and is currently represented by Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown).

Missouri Senate — District 18 — Lewis County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Brian Munzlinger	2,363	100.00%

Federal

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Lewis County (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Roy Blunt	2,732	61.84%	+14.89
	Democratic	Jason Kander	1,472	33.32%	−16.25
	Libertarian	Jonathan Dine	98	2.22%	−1.26
	Green	Johnathan McFarland	60	1.36%	+1.36
	Constitution	Fred Ryman	56	1.27%	+1.27

U.S. Senate — Missouri — Lewis County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Todd Akin	1,982	46.95%
	Democratic	Claire McCaskill	2,093	49.57%
	Libertarian	Jonathan Dine	147	3.48%

All of Lewis County is included in Missouri's 6th Congressional District and is currently represented by Sam Graves (R-Tarkio) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 6th Congressional District — Lewis County (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sam Graves	3,270	75.82%	+4.72
	Democratic	David M. Blackwell	899	20.84%	−5.49
	Libertarian	Russ Lee Monchil	88	2.04%	−0.53
	Green	Mike Diel	56	1.30%	+1.30

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri’s 6th Congressional District — Lewis County (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sam Graves	1,822	71.10%	+7.09
	Democratic	Bill Hedge	697	26.33%	−7.28
	Libertarian	Russ Lee Monchil	68	2.57%	+0.20

U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 6th Congressional District — Lewis County (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sam Graves	2,588	64.01%
	Democratic	Kyle Yarber	1,359	33.61%
	Libertarian	Russ Lee Monchil	96	2.37%

United States presidential election results for Lewis County, Missouri^[19]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	3,565	79.47%	872	19.44%	49	1.09%
2020	3,553	76.92%	984	21.30%	82	1.78%
2016	3,344	74.64%	934	20.85%	202	4.51%
2012	2,677	62.56%	1,508	35.24%	94	2.20%
2008	2,594	57.62%	1,837	40.80%	71	1.58%
2004	2,862	61.63%	1,754	37.77%	28	0.60%
2000	2,388	53.26%	2,023	45.12%	73	1.63%
1996	1,453	34.79%	2,050	49.09%	673	16.12%
1992	1,461	32.03%	2,196	48.14%	905	19.84%
1988	1,803	42.20%	2,460	57.57%	10	0.23%
1984	2,438	55.22%	1,977	44.78%	0	0.00%
1980	2,350	49.07%	2,314	48.32%	125	2.61%
1976	1,983	44.10%	2,486	55.28%	28	0.62%
1972	2,738	61.76%	1,695	38.24%	0	0.00%
1968	2,038	43.90%	2,067	44.53%	537	11.57%
1964	1,239	27.41%	3,281	72.59%	0	0.00%
1960	2,560	48.43%	2,726	51.57%	0	0.00%
1956	2,301	45.75%	2,728	54.25%	0	0.00%
1952	2,416	45.41%	2,896	54.44%	8	0.15%
1948	1,564	33.06%	3,155	66.69%	12	0.25%
1944	1,988	40.72%	2,883	59.05%	11	0.23%
1940	2,428	40.86%	3,484	58.63%	30	0.50%
1936	1,994	33.78%	3,859	65.37%	50	0.85%
1932	1,341	26.07%	3,746	72.84%	56	1.09%
1928	2,741	48.55%	2,882	51.04%	23	0.41%
1924	2,416	39.48%	3,481	56.88%	223	3.64%
1920	2,810	43.87%	3,542	55.30%	53	0.83%
1916	1,429	37.28%	2,357	61.49%	47	1.23%
1912	1,004	26.72%	2,340	62.27%	414	11.02%
1908	1,473	36.89%	2,439	61.08%	81	2.03%
1904	1,467	39.08%	2,202	58.66%	85	2.26%
1900	1,442	35.07%	2,583	62.82%	87	2.12%
1896	1,581	37.28%	2,624	61.87%	36	0.85%
1892	1,322	35.49%	2,220	59.60%	183	4.91%
1888	1,412	38.13%	2,268	61.25%	23	0.62%

Missouri presidential preference primary (2008)

Main articles: 2008 Missouri Democratic presidential primary and 2008 Missouri Republican presidential primary

Former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) received more votes, a total of 619, than any candidate from either party in Lewis County during the 2008 presidential primary.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis County, Missouri