Summersville, Missouri

Summersville, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1874
Population	502 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	1.11 mi²
Current mayor	Marilyn Howell

Summersville is a city in Shannon and Texas Counties, Missouri. It had a population of 502 at the 2010 census.

History

Pioneers began to settle in the Summersville area from the 1840s onward, drawn by the many natural springs in the region. Among these early settlers were Jesse and Thomas Summer, possibly brothers, for whom the local post office was named upon its establishment, no later than 1874.

Though never as large or prosperous as some other Ozark towns, due to its distance from any major railroads, Summersville was for a long time the site of a prominent flour mill, which could produce 60 barrels a day at its peak and was in operation as late as the 1970s. Today, there is an ongoing effort to restore the mill and draw attention to this aspect of local history.

Geography

Summersville is located along the boundary of western Shannon and eastern Texas Counties, at the junction of Missouri State Highways 17 and 106. It is about 19 miles southeast of Houston, and 16 miles west of Eminence. Its exact coordinates are 37°10’41”N 91°39’31”W.

The city lies in generally open terrain, near the western edge of the Current River watershed. A few nature preserves are nearby, such as Flat Rock State Wildlife Area and Gist Ranch Conservation Area. Summersville has a total land area of 1.11 square miles, and an average elevation of 1,234 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Summersville had a total of 502 inhabitants, grouped into 232 households, with a population density of 452.3 people per square mile. This figure represented a significant decrease from the 2000 census, when Summersville had a population of 2,168. 96.81% of the inhabitants were White, 0.80% were Native American, 0.20% were Asian, and 2.19% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.39% of the population.

The median age in Summersville was 43 years, with 23.7% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.9% between 18 and 24 years old, 20.0% between 25 and 44, 23.6% between 45 and 64, and 24.1% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.6% male, 51.4% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Summersville had a median household income of $24,375, and a median family income of $37,386. The unemployment rate was 3.8%. The per capita income was $17,555. About 29.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 24.2% of people under the age of 18 and 22.7% of people 65 years old or older.

Education

The city and the surrounding area are served by the Summersville R-II School District, a PK-12 public institution with a total enrollment of about 430 students. Its mascot is the Wildcats, and the school colors are orange, black, and white.