Newburg, Missouri

Newburg, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1883
Population	470 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	0.62 mi²
Current mayor	James Poucher

Newburg is a city in western Phelps County, Missouri. It had a population of 470 at the 2010 census.

History

Newburg owes its name and existence to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (originally the Missouri Pacific Railroad), which had been extended west and southwest from Rolla during the 1860s and '70s. When the town was founded in 1883, the railroad had already been present for some time; a settlement sprang up due to the installation of a "roundhouse" to change and repair engines. The roundhouse had been moved there from Dixon, another community to the southwest, thus the railroad men referred to the location as "the new burg."

Given its proximity to a major railroad as well as significant iron ore deposits in the Ozarks, there were several attempts to make the Newburg area a center for iron-smelting. A large blast furnace was built for the purpose, but the business folded in the 1880s after falling iron prices rendered it unfeasible. Onyx mining in the 1890s was more successful, however, and the railroad yards made Newburg a town of some prominence during the early 20th century, with a well-built public school, a hotel, numerous other businesses, and an opera house.

Newburg became less significant after World War II, when the railroad introduced diesel locomotives that needed less refuel and repair, and the roundhouse was closed down as a result. Bypassed to the north by Interstate 44 during its construction in the 1960s, the town went into a long-term decline, though of late there have been attempts to start a comeback: the former opera house, for example, has been converted into a community theater.

Geography

Newburg is located along State Route T in western Phelps County, immediately southwest of the city of Doolittle and about seven miles southwest of Rolla. Its exact coordinates are 37°54’58”N 91°54’02”W.

The city sits in rugged terrain overlooking the Little Piney Creek just to the south, which flows into the Gasconade River a few miles to the west. It has a total area of 0.62 square miles, and an average elevation of 728 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Newburg had a total of 470 inhabitants, grouped into 197 households, with a population density of 770.5 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight decrease from the 2000 census, when Newburg had a population of 484. 98.72% of the inhabitants were White, 0.21% were Native American, 0.21% were Asian, and 0.85% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.06% of the population.

The median age in Newburg was 38 years, with 24.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.6% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.1% between 25 and 44, 26.1% between 45 and 64, and 17.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.3% male, 51.7% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Newburg had a median household income of $19,643, and a median family income of $35,000. The unemployment rate was 20.1%. The per capita income was $16,132. About 40.2% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 43.8% of people under the age of 18 and 34.4% of people 65 years old or older.

Education

Newburg and most of western Phelps County (including the neighboring city of Doolittle) are served by the Newburg R-II School District, a PK-12 public institution with a total enrollment of some 400 students. Its mascot is the Wolves, and the school colors are green and gray.

Community Life

The city holds an annual festival, "Newburg Days," typically on a weekend in June. The festival includes a parade, a car show, a fish fry, craft vendors, and a Friday night "Street Dance."