Difference between revisions of "Kennett, Missouri"

Revision as of 21:36, September 15, 2019

Kennett is the county seat of and largest city in Dunklin County, Missouri. It had a population of 10,932 at the 2010 census. It is among the larger cities in Southeast Missouri. In recent years, it has become known as the hometown of several musical performers, most notably Sheryl Crow.

History

In the early 19th century, the future site of Kennett was occupied by a sizable Delaware Indian village, named Chilletecaux (one of several in Southeast Missouri). White settlers began arriving in the area by the 1840s, and due to its location near the center of the newly-formed Dunklin County, it was selected to be the county seat in 1846. The new community initially bore the same name as the former Indian village, before being changed to Butler by the Missouri legislature in 1849. It kept this name until 1867, but complaints arose about the possibility of mail to Butler being confused with mail for Butler County, and so at that time it was renamed in honor of St. Louis mayor Luther M. Kennett, who had been a great promoter of railroads in the state.^[1]

Kennett grew slowly during its first decades, due to its relative isolation from the closest markets on the Mississippi River and to the effects of the Civil War, during which much of the town, including the county's first courthouse, was destroyed. In 1891 a branch line of the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad was built from Campbell to Kennett, later extended to Caruthersville, and from that point it quickly expanded in population and importance. Within twenty years the city could boast some fifty business establishments, good railroad facilities, two schools, and a newspaper.^[2] As was the case throughout the region, agriculture, especially cotton, became a central pillar of the economy and has remained so ever since.

Kennett's economic strength has declined somewhat in recent decades, due to the declining agricultural labor force, but it is working to offset this somewhat through the revitalization of its downtown district.^[3]

Geography

Kennett is located in central Dunklin County, at the junction of U.S. Route 412 and Missouri State Highways 25 and 84. The city center is about four miles east of the St. Francis River and the Arkansas state line, and about 22 miles west-northwest of Caruthersville. Its exact coordinates are 36°14’17”N 90°03’06”W.

Kennett lies on the flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain, though most of it lies on a low sand ridge that keeps it slightly elevated between the drainage of the St. Francis River to the west and the Little River spillway to the east. It has a total land area of 6.96 square miles, and an average elevation of 269 feet.^[4] Like the rest of the Missouri Bootheel, Kennett has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers and cool winters, with a moderately high amount of precipitation. The average January temperature is 34°F, and the average July temperature is 81°F. Summer daytime temperatures in excess of 100°F are not common but not unknown; winter temperatures below 0°F are much rarer. It averages about 49.6 inches of precipitation per year, sometimes including a small amount of snow.^[5]

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Kennett had a total of 10,932 inhabitants, grouped into 4,377 households, with a population density of 1,570.7 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight decrease from the 2000 census, when Kennett had a population of 11,260. 80.06% of the inhabitants were White, 16.15% were African-American, 0.22% were Native American, 0.58% were Asian, 0.06% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.26% were from some other race, and 1.66% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 3.55% of the population.

The median age in Kennett was 38.4 years, with 25.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.8% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.7% between 25 and 44, 25.5% between 45 and 64, and 16.5% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.1% male, 52.9% female.^[6]

According to the 2010 American Community Survey, the median household income in Kennett was $31,816, and the median family income was $37,509. The unemployment rate was 7.9%. The per capita income was $17,069. About 18.2% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 24.2% of people under the age of 18 and 13.3% of people 65 years old or older.^[7]

Education

Kennett has had a school district since 1891, with some of the existing buildings dating back to the 1910s. Today, the city is served by the Kennett School District 39, a PK-12 public school with an enrollment of over 2,000 students. It is divided into five schools: the Early Learning Center (PK), Masterson Elementary (K-2), South Elementary (3-5), Kennett Middle School (6-8), and Kennett High School (9-12). Its mascot is the Indians, and the school colors are black, gold, and white.^[8] The school also operates a Career and Technology Center.

In addition, there is a small private school, the Kennett Christian Academy, operated by the Pentecostal Church.

At the post-secondary level, Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College maintain regional campuses in Kennett, offering courses in education, nursing, criminal justice, and other programs. There is also an extension office of the University of Missouri, which offers correspondence courses.^[9]

Economy

Agriculture has traditionally been at the center of the local economy in Kennett as for most of Southeast Missouri. The region is a leading producer of cotton and rice as well as certain fruits, including watermelon and cantaloupe. Its share of the labor force has gradually declined due to mechanization, though, and today education, retail trade, health care, and light manufacturing employ most of the population. FCC Behavioral Health is the largest single employer, followed by the Kennett School District and Wal-Mart.^[10]

Transportation Because of its size, Kennett is a significant transportation hub for the Bootheel region. The Kennett Memorial Airport southeast of town, operating 24 hours a day, boasts a 5000-foot runway and facilities to accommodate private jets as well as some light passenger crafts.^[11] U.S. Route 412 provides connections with rail facilities in Hayti to the east, as well as the Pemiscot County Port Authority in Caruthersville.

Media

Kennett has one newspaper, the Delta Dunklin Democrat (formerly the Daily Dunklin Democrat), owned by Rust Communications in Cape Girardeau. It is published four days a week, as well as online.^[12]

Several radio stations operate in the city, including KBOA (1540 AM), KCJS (102.5 FM), and KXOQ (104.3 FM).

Local Interest

Several well-known individuals have ties to Kennett, particularly those in the music industry. The most famous is Grammy singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, who was born and went to school in Kennett and referenced her origins in her 2010 album 100 Miles from Memphis; the new aquatic center is named in her honor. Country artists David Nail and Trent Tomlinson are also natives of the town. Missouri governor John M. Dalton (1961-1965) was not a Kennett native, but practiced law there later in life and is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Since 2012, the city has steadily revitalized its downtown district, anchored by the Dunklin County Courthouse, a restored Opera House, and the Dunklin County Museum. New sidewalks and turn-of-the-century street lighting have been added as well.

The Kennett Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Delta Fair, held on the city fairgrounds in late September. Centered on agricultural exhibition, it also includes beauty pageants, a parade, a carnival, musical events, and a demolition derby.^[13]

References