Novelty, Missouri

Novelty, Missouri
Village
Location of Novelty, Missouri Location of Novelty, Missouri
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Knox
Area
• Total	0.28 sq mi (0.73 km2)
• Land	0.28 sq mi (0.73 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	837 ft (255 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	139
• Estimate (2012)	138
• Density	496.4/sq mi (191.7/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	63460
Area code(s)	660
FIPS code	29-53516
GNIS feature ID	0723529

Novelty is a village in Knox County, Missouri, United States. The population was 139 at the 2010 census.

History

The land that would eventually become the town of Novelty was first claimed and homesteaded in October, 1838 by Cleng Pierson. The town wasn't laid out until nearly twenty years later however, as founder Nars W. Hunter did so in June 1857. Two further additions were made in 1860 and 1877 by Nars Hunter and Mary Hunter respectively. Novelty played a small part in the American Civil War, but did indeed see armed conflict. On March 25, 1862 a group of Confederate partisan "bushwhackers" attacked a Union patrol near Novelty. Later, in September 1864, a group of Confederate guerillas under Jim Jackson attacked the town and made off with supplies and money from the villages businesses and citizens. Following the Civil War, Novelty and Knox County as a whole saw a substantial increase in population. In 1884 a group of forty Novelty area farmers formed an association and constructed the Novelty Creamery.

One of the biggest changes came in 1876 when Oaklawn College was founded by Dr. W. N. Doyle. Oaklawn had humble beginnings, occupying the second floor of the Novelty schoolhouse, but rapidly outgrew that facility. A new campus on ten acres on the east side of Novelty was established in 1877 and finished by 1881. Several courses of study were offered, but most classes focused on business and teaching. An average of 105 students attended each school term, split almost evenly between women and men. For a variety of reasons—bad economic times, a fire that destroyed the men's dormotory in 1896, and most of all the growth of the First District Normal School in Kirksville (now Truman State University) led Oaklawn to close in 1899.

File:OaklawnCollege2.JPG

The main building of Oaklawn College.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.28 square miles (0.73 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	138		—
1900	267		—
1910	232		−13.1%
1920	277		19.4%
1930	248		−10.5%
1940	207		−16.5%
1950	188		−9.2%
1960	176		−6.4%
1970	156		−11.4%
1980	187		19.9%
1990	143		−23.5%
2000	119		−16.8%
2010	139		16.8%
Est. 2014	135		−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 139 people, 61 households, and 43 families residing in the village. The population density was 496.4 inhabitants per square mile (191.7/km²). There were 68 housing units at an average density of 242.9 per square mile (93.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.4% White, 0.7% African American, 0.7% Asian, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 61 households of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 3.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.72.

The median age in the village was 46.5 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 21.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 119 people, 57 households, and 38 families residing in the village. The population density was 430.2 people per square mile (164.1/km²). There were 66 housing units at an average density of 238.6/sq mi (91.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White.

There were 57 households out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.53.

In the village the population was spread out with 11.8% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,583, and the median income for a family was $37,083. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,046. There were no families and 9.9% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 29.6% of those over 64.