Knob Noster, Missouri

Knob Noster, Missouri
City
Location of Knob Noster, Missouri Location of Knob Noster, Missouri
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Johnson
Area
• Total	2.91 sq mi (7.54 km2)
• Land	2.88 sq mi (7.46 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation	804 ft (245 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	2,709
• Estimate (2012)	2,782
• Density	940.6/sq mi (363.2/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	65305, 65336
Area code(s)	660
FIPS code	29-39188
GNIS feature ID	0729757

Knob Noster /ˈnɒb ˈnɒstər/ is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,709 at the 2010 census. It is located adjacent to Whiteman Air Force Base. Knob Noster State Park is nearby.

History

The knobs of the town's namesake are not only a geographical landmark for the town, but are also claimed to be the site of a battle of Native American tribes. Sometimes there are stories that gold or treasure is buried in the knobs. These stories have never been confirmed.

Beginnings

When first settled, Knob Noster was part of Cooper County which took in all of the territory between the Osage and Missouri Rivers. By 1820, the population was sufficient in the area so that a division of Cooper County needed to be made. The new county was called Lillard County, Missouri, and it included what are now Lafayette and Johnson Counties, as well as all the areas south to the Osage River and west to the Missouri Border. By 1834, the population was large enough, estimated at about 200 households, for Lafayette County to be divided into two counties. One retained the name Lafayette and the other was called Johnson County. On May 4, 1835, Johnson County was further divided into four townships: Jackson, Washington, Madison, and Jefferson. Knob Noster is located in what was named Washington Township.

Knob Noster was platted in 1856.

Coal mining

In the 1870s Knob Noster was described as "the boomingest settlement in the county," in large part because of the vast coal deposits in the area. The eastern part of Johnson County held vast amounts of coal, some veins reaching thicknesses of four to five feet which greatly added to the prosperity of Knob Noster. Unfortunately that prosperity only lasted for a decade or so before the coal supplies were exhausted.

High school

The Knob Noster High School(KNHS) was organized in 1888, and at the same time, the requirements to complete a public school education were changed from five years to eight years, including three years of high school. The first class to enter the high school was very large according to contemporary accounts, which gave no figure of enrollment, but after three years, only two remained and received diplomas. Teachers in rural schools in the area at this time were paid between $25.00 and $35.00 per month. They boarded out and paid $8 to $10 for board and laundry.

Great fire

There was a great fire in Knob Noster in the mid-1880s that destroyed much of Knob Noster. Some of it was saved and the town was eventually rebuilt.

Local Government

The City of Knob Noster operates under the direction of a Mayor, 6 Board of Aldermen and a City Administrator. The current mayor of Knob Noster, Missouri is Mr. Stanley K. Hall.

Knob Noster has approximately 34 employees, which includes administration, building and zoning, a community development department, a street department, utilities, court division, full-time police department and a volunteer fire department. City Hall hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Geography

Knob Noster is located at (38.764310, -93.558285).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.91 square miles (7.54 km²), of which, 2.88 square miles (7.46 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	914		—
1880	689		−24.6%
1890	851		23.5%
1900	673		−20.9%
1910	670		−0.4%
1920	617		−7.9%
1930	683		10.7%
1940	640		−6.3%
1950	585		−8.6%
1960	2,292		291.8%
1970	2,264		−1.2%
1980	2,040		−9.9%
1990	2,261		10.8%
2000	2,462		8.9%
2010	2,709		10.0%
Est. 2014	2,792		3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,709 people, 1,147 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The population density was 940.6 inhabitants per square mile (363.2/km²). There were 1,347 housing units at an average density of 467.7 per square mile (180.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.0% White, 9.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.8% of the population.

There were 1,147 households of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.2% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.03.

The median age in the city was 27.1 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 18.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 20.1% were from 45 to 64; and 7.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,462 people, 959 households, and 602 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,421.8 people per square mile (549.5/km²). There were 1,092 housing units at an average density of 630.6 per square mile (243.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.61% White, 11.86% African American, 0.93% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.49% Pacific Islander, 10.32% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race were 15.07% of the population.

There were 959 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 19.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,869, and the median income for a family was $36,842. Males had a median income of $22,176 versus $19,327 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,702. About 13.4% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

In Popular Media

Knob Noster was mentioned in the 1983 American Television movie The Day After.

Knob Noster is home to professional mixed martial arts fighter, Jose Vega. He appeared in multiple televised fights with different organizations including: Bellator Fighting Championship, and Titan Fighting.

External links

• City of Knob Noster
• Knob Noster Cemetery Association
• Historic maps of Knob Noster in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri