Cardwell, Missouri
City
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountyDunklin
MayorDenise Latting
First settled1895
Incorporated1904
Unit prefImperial
Area total1.63 km²
Area land1.63 km²
Area water0.00 km²
Area total0.63 sq mi
Area land0.63 sq mi
Area water0.00 sq mi
Population as of2020
Population total561
Population density343.92 km²
Population density890.48 sq mi
Time zoneCentral (CST) (UTC-6)
Time zone (DST)CDT (UTC-5)
Elevation249 ft
Coordinates36°2′50″N 90°17′33″W
ZIP code63829
Area code573
FIPS code29-11350[1]
GNIS feature ID2393741[2]
Named forFrank Cardwell

Cardwell is a city in southwest Dunklin County, Missouri, United States. The 2024 recorded population is 526. The community was named after Frank Cardwell, an Arkansas banker who lent money to the town's founders.[3][4] The current mayor of Cardwell is Denise Latting and the current aldermen are Cody Todd, Dustin Lee and Winnia Cohea. Lisa Vowels serves as the City Clerk.[5]

History

On January 1, 1893, the Paragould Southeastern Railway, originally a tramway, began construction to extend its mainline from Paragould, Arkansas eastward into the Missouri Bootheel.[6] By November 1894, the line had been graded to the new townsite and it was being advertised in local papers that plotts were being sold.[7] On January 19, 1895, the first train was reported to have arrived in Cardwell, and platting continued into the following year by the Bertig family of Paragould, AR, and a post office was established soon after.[3][8][9][10][11] A school district was established for Cardwell in 1899, and that July a contract was let for the construction of a two story brick school building.[12]

In 1902, the Paragould and Memphis Railroad, a "tap line" built a link between Cardwell and Manila, AR. This line was mostly used to haul lumber.[13] In 1904, the city of Cardwell was formally incorporated.[14]

Geography

Cardwell is situated in the southwestern corner of Missouri's Bootheel, with the Missouri-Arkansas state line lying both to the west and south. Missouri Route 164 traverses Cardwell, connecting the city with Arbyrd and Hornersville to the east. U.S. Route 412 passes just south and east of Cardwell. Paragould, Arkansas is ten miles to the west on Route 412. The St. Francis River follows the state line two miles to the west of the community.[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.63 square miles (1.63 km2), all land.[16]

Climate

Cardwell experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and generally cold winters.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census[17] of 2010, there were 713 people, 317 households, and 180 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,131.7 inhabitants per square mile (437.0 /km2). There were 386 housing units at an average density of 612.7 inhabitants per square mile (236.6 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.35% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.12% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.37% of the population.

There were 317 households, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% 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 2.95.

The median age in the city was 39.5 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 789 people, 345 households, and 218 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.1 inhabitants per square mile (481.1 /km2). There were 387 housing units at an average density of 611.2 inhabitants per square mile (236.0 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.34% White, 0.89% African American, 0.63% Native American, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 345 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,042, and the median income for a family was $27,361. Males had a median income of $25,179 versus $19,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,207. About 25.1% of families and 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.0% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Southland C-9 School District, which covers the municipality,[18] operates two schools in Cardwell: Southland Elementary School and Southland High School.[19]

Cardwell has a public library, a branch of the Dunklin County Library.[20]

References

  1. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^
  3. ^ "Dunklin County Place Names, 1928–1945 (archived)". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived 24 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 69
  5. ^ Police department questioned during Cardwell City Council meeting, Saturday, December 10, 2016 Jeff Dorris, Daily Dunklin Democrat
  6. ^ "Valuation Docket No. 142, St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company, et al". April 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  7. ^ "Cardwell, Mo history". The Daily Dunklin Democrat. 1894-11-08. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  8. ^ "Cardwell, One of Newest Towns in County Started as a Saw Mill Town". The Daily Dunklin Democrat. 1938-04-19. p. 52. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  9. ^ "Post Offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  10. ^ Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. pp. 165
  11. ^ "First Train Expected at Cardwell, MO on Saturday". The Daily Dunklin Democrat. 1895-01-17. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  12. ^ "Cardwell, Missouri". The Daily Dunklin Democrat. 1899-07-14. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  13. ^ "Tap Line Case 234 U.S. 1". Texas Transportation Archive. 1914.
  14. ^ Douglass, Robert Sidney (1912). History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests. Chicago: The Lewis Pub. Co.
  15. ^ Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 1st ed., 1998, p. 70, ISBN 0899332242
  16. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  18. ^ Geography Division. 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Dunklin County, MO. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2025-05-30. - Text list
  19. ^ "Southland C-9 School District". Greatschools. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Locations". Dunklin County Library. Retrieved 17 March 2018.