Doniphan, Missouri

Doniphan is the largest city and county seat of Ripley County, Missouri. It had a population of 1,997 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Alexander Doniphan, a famous Missouri soldier and politician of the 19th century.

History

Doniphan was erected on the site of an older Indian village, whose name is not known. Owing to its location on the Current River, a trading post, called Galigini, existed there as early as 1802. Around 1819, Lemuel Kittrell, one of the first settlers in the future Ripley County, built a house and mill overlooking the river next to the trading post, and after a road from St. Louis to Little Rock, Arkansas had been constructed through the area, a community gradually took shape around Kittrell's home. Most of the new arrivals were from Tennessee and other states of the Upper South, though a number of Irish immigrants also settled there in the 1850s.

In 1847, the community was incorporated as a village, and at that time named for Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan. Doniphan, a noted lawyer and politician, had led a formation of 800 Missouri militia to Mexico the previous year to fight in the Mexican War, and was a popular figure in the state at the time. At this time, Ripley County was much larger than today, and the county seat was at Van Buren farther north; however, it was in the territory separated in 1859 to form Carter County. Owing to its relative size and its location along an important transportation route, Doniphan was then chosen as the new county seat.

Though the town was flourishing at this time, it suffered a serious setback during the Civil War. The Doniphan area was strongly pro-Southern in sentiment, and several Confederate regiments were formed in Ripley County. Because of this, guerrilla warfare was constant during the war, and in September 1864, Union troops burned Doniphan, including the new courthouse (though its records were hidden away by a clerk and returned afterwards). Rebuilding in the post-war era was a lengthy process but was sped along by the extension of a branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1883, after which logging in the Current River valley provided an economic boom. Doniphan was incorporated as a fourth-class city in 1891.

During the early 20th century, farming supplanted logging as the area's chief economic activity, including fruit orchards as well as staple crops like corn and wheat. After World War II, the local economy was further diversified with industrial plants, such as the Hunt Garment Factory and Wright Leather Specialty, and more recently with tourism along the Current and in the nearby Ozarks.

Geography

Doniphan is located in south-central Ripley County, along the east bank of the Current River. U.S. Route 160, as well as Missouri State Highways 21 and 142, pass through the city. It lies about twelve miles west-northwest of Naylor, the only other city in the county. Its exact coordinates are 36°37’20”N 90°49’20”W.

The city rests in the rolling foothills along the eastern edge of the Ozarks, with the Mark Twain National Forest a short distance to the northwest. It has a total land area of 1.38 square miles, and an average elevation of 400 feet.

Climate

Like most of southern Missouri, Doniphan has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers, cool winters, and a moderately high amount of precipitation. January temperatures average 32°F, compared to average July temperatures of 78°F. About 49.7 inches of precipitation fall per year.

Month	Average high (°F)	Average low (°F)	Average precipitation (in)
January	43.7	19.9	3.51
February	50.4	23.9	3.42
March	59.5	32.8	4.98
April	69.9	41.9	5.12
May	78.1	51.5	4.96
June	86.0	60.6	3.15
July	91.0	65.2	3.63
August	89.5	62.8	3.90
September	82.4	54.6	3.70
October	72.5	41.6	3.51
November	58.6	32.3	5.51
December	47.4	23.6	4.34

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Doniphan had a total of 1,997 inhabitants, grouped into 852 households, with a population density of 1,447.1 people per square mile. This figure marked a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Doniphan had a population of 1,932. 96.64% of the inhabitants were White, 0.15% were African-American, 0.55% were Native American, 0.80% were Asian, 0.80% were from some other race, and 1.05% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.70% of the population.

The median age in Doniphan was 39.4 years, with 24.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.2% between 25 and 44, 20.9% between 45 and 64, and 22.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 45.2% male, 54.8% female.

As of 2017, Doniphan had an estimated median household income of $33,018, and a median family income of $46,513. The unemployment rate was 6.0%. The per capita income was $17,180. About 37.9% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 44.7% of people under the age of 18 and 57.1% of non-high school graduates.

Education

Doniphan and most of central Ripley County are served by the Doniphan R-I School District, a PK-12 public institution with an enrollment of close to 1,600 students. Its facilities include the Current River Career Center, a vocational school opened in 1972 for students from across the region. The mascot is the Dons, and the school colors are black and gold.

The city also has a public library, the Doniphan-Ripley County Library District.

Notable People

Doniphan was the boyhood home of Larry Dale Lee (1958-1999), a reporter for a variety of news agencies.

Country music singer and songwriter Billy Yates (1963-), who co-wrote several hits for George Jones, is also a Doniphan native.