Changes

Dent County had significant deposits of iron ore, and after the opening of a major blast furnace at Sligo in 1880, its economy boomed; for a time, it was producing as much as 100 tons of pig iron a day, while the cutting and processing of the Ozark forests of pine and oak made it a leading supplier of railroad ties, barrels, and other lumber-related goods. These and other industries declined after the early 20th century, but the county suffered less in its economy and its population levels than some of its neighbors. Its banks remained stable during the [[Great Depression]], unlike many others, and it was home to a number of clothing factories in the decades after [[World War II]]. Today, the production of machinery related to food delivery is the most important activity in the county.

Dent County had significant deposits of iron ore, and after the opening of a major blast furnace at Sligo in 1880, its economy boomed; for a time, it was producing as much as 100 tons of pig iron a day, while the cutting and processing of the Ozark forests of pine and oak made it a leading supplier of railroad ties, barrels, and other lumber-related goods. These and other industries declined after the early 20th century, but the county suffered less in its economy and its population levels than some of its neighbors. Its banks remained stable during the [[Great Depression]], unlike many others, and it was home to a number of clothing factories in the decades after [[World War II]]. Today, the production of machinery related to food delivery is the most important activity in the county.

In recent years, Dent County attracted national attention on two occasions: first, in 2012-13, concerning accusations of abuse of a dog impounded by the city of Salem;<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130614040847/http://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/news/local_news/article_820cbebe-bcad-11e2-b5da-001a4bcf6878.html</ref> and again in July 2015, when the county commissioners voted unanimously to lower all flags to half staff on the 26th of every month for a year, to protest the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]'s imposing of gay marriage on the country, though they later reversed this decision.<ref>https://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/missouri-county-to-fly-flags-at-half-mast-to-mourn-supreme-courts-despicable-marriage-ruling/</ref>

In recent years, Dent County attracted national attention on two occasions: first, in 2012–13, concerning accusations of abuse of a dog impounded by the city of Salem;<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130614040847/http://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/news/local_news/article_820cbebe-bcad-11e2-b5da-001a4bcf6878.html</ref> and again in July 2015, when the county commissioners voted unanimously to lower all flags to half staff on the 26th of every month for a year, to protest the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]'s imposing of gay marriage on the country, though they later reversed this decision.<ref>https://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/missouri-county-to-fly-flags-at-half-mast-to-mourn-supreme-courts-despicable-marriage-ruling/</ref>

==Geography==

==Geography==

As the above numbers indicate, despite occasionally voting Democratic on the local level, Dent County is a solidly [[Republican]] county at the state and national level. Though it generally supported Democratic candidates for much of the 20th century, it steadily trended toward the GOP from the 1960s on, and the last Democratic presidential nominee to win the county was [[Bill Clinton]] in 1992. In 2016, [[Donald Trump]] carried the county with 75.97% of the vote, increasing his total to 83.83% in the 2020 election.<ref>https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/CountyResults.aspx</ref>

As the above numbers indicate, despite occasionally voting Democratic on the local level, Dent County is a solidly [[Republican]] county at the state and national level. Though it generally supported Democratic candidates for much of the 20th century, it steadily trended toward the GOP from the 1960s on, and the last Democratic presidential nominee to win the county was [[Bill Clinton]] in 1992. In 2016, [[Donald Trump]] carried the county with 75.97% of the vote, increasing his total to 83.83% in the 2020 election.<ref>https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/CountyResults.aspx</ref>

   

   

Like much of southern Missouri, Dent County can be included within the [[Bible Belt]], combining social [[conservatism]] with economic [[populism]]. In 2004, it voted overwhelmingly in favor of Constitutional Amendment 2, which recognized marriage as between a man and a woman only--the measure passed in Dent County with 85.93% support; following the [[Supreme Court]]'s imposition of gay marriage on the country in 2015, the county commission made a short-lived attempt to lower official flags in mourning. In 2006, while the state narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county decisively defeated the measure with 66.49% voting against. At the same time, it often supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class, though less strongly than some other areas. In the November 2006 election, the county, like the state, supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 74.62% voting in favor, but in November 2018, a similar measure (which passed the state at large) was narrowly defeated, with 53.55% voting against. These results generally align with the rest of southern Missouri.<ref>https://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/missouri-county-to-fly-flags-at-half-mast-to-mourn-supreme-courts-despicable-marriage-ruling/</ref>

Like much of southern Missouri, Dent County can be included within the [[Bible Belt]], combining social [[conservatism]] with economic [[populism]]. In 2004, it voted overwhelmingly in favor of Constitutional Amendment 2, which recognized marriage as between a man and a woman only—the measure passed in Dent County with 85.93% support; following the [[Supreme Court]]'s imposition of gay marriage on the country in 2015, the county commission made a short-lived attempt to lower official flags in mourning. In 2006, while the state narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county decisively defeated the measure with 66.49% voting against. At the same time, it often supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class, though less strongly than some other areas. In the November 2006 election, the county, like the state, supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 74.62% voting in favor, but in November 2018, a similar measure (which passed the state at large) was narrowly defeated, with 53.55% voting against. These results generally align with the rest of southern Missouri.<ref>https://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/missouri-county-to-fly-flags-at-half-mast-to-mourn-supreme-courts-despicable-marriage-ruling/</ref>

==References==

==References==