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Missouri Counties
Missouri has one hundred and fourteen counties and one independent city. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County and is referred to as a "city not within a county." Following the Louisiana Purchase and the admittance of Louisiana into the United States in 1812, five counties were formed out of the Missouri Territory at the first general assembly. Most subsequent counties were apportioned from these five original counties.Pemiscot County, Missouri
Pemiscot County Education, Geography, and History
Pemiscot County is a county located in the southeastern Bootheel in the state of Missouri. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 18,296. The largest city and county seat is Caruthersville. The county was officially organized on February 19, 1851, and is named for the local bayou, taken from the Fox dialect word, pem-eskaw, meaning "liquid mud". Bordering the Mississippi River and floodplain, the county has been devoted to agricultural development and commodity crops. With mechanization of agriculture, its population has declined since a peak in 1940.
Etymology - Origin of Pemiscot County Name
Pemiscot is an Indian word meaning liquid mud. (Douglass I 313, Goodspeed 369, Campbell, Kelly)
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
History of Pemiscot County
Established by act of legislature on February 19, 1851, and erected from territory cut off from New Madrid County. The boundaries are: On the north Portage Bayou to Little River, thence due west to Dunklin County line which forms the western boundary, on the south the parallel of 36 30' (Arkansas State Line), and on the east the Mississippi River. Pemiscot is one of the six counties of the state which bears an Indian name, the others being Moniteau, Nodaway, Oregon, Mississippi, and Osage. The name was given for the principal stream of the county (cf. above). The older pronunciation was "pemisco," and that is still heard occasionally especially when referring to the name of the bayou; the general tendency, however, is to pronounce it "pemiscott." (Douglass I 313, Goodspeed 369, Ramsay)
Source: Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 513 square miles (1,330 km2), of which 493 square miles (1,280 km2) is
land and 21 square miles (54 km2) (4.1%) is water. Fishing is a popular activity among residents in the area.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- New Madrid County (north)
- Lake County, Tennessee (northeast across the Mississippi River)
- Dyer County, Tennessee (southeast across the river)
- Mississippi County, Arkansas (south)
- Dunklin County (west)
Education
Of adults 25 years of age and older in Pemiscot County, 58.2% possess a high school diploma or higher, while 8.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher as their greatest educational attainment.
Public schools
Caruthersville School District 18 - Caruthersville
Cooter R-IV School District - Cooter
Hayti R-II School District - Hayti
North Pemiscot County R-I School District - Wardell
South Pemiscot County R-V School District - Steele
Alternative/vocational schools
Diagnostic Center - Hayti - (K-12) - Special education
External Locations - Hayti - (K-12) - Special education
Oak View Learning Center - Hayti - (K-12) - Special education
Pemiscot County Vocational School - Hayti - (11-12) - Vocational/technical
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