View source for Lamar, Missouri

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Lamar, Missouri
| official_name      = 
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = 
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = Barton_County_Missouri_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Lamar_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location of Lamar, Missouri
| pushpin_map        = USA Missouri#USA
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| pushpin_label      = Lamar
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Missouri
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Missouri]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Missouri|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Barton County, Missouri|Barton]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 28, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 14.32
| area_land_km2      = 13.51
| area_water_km2     = 0.81
| area_total_sq_mi   = 5.53
| area_land_sq_mi    = 5.21
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.31

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_total   = 4266
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = 315.88
| population_density_sq_mi = 818.18

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 951
| coordinates        = {{coord|37|29|52|N|94|16|45|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 64759
| area_code          = [[Area code 417|417]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 29-40376<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2395617<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395617}}</ref>
| website            = [http://www.cityoflamar.org/ cityoflamar.org]
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
}}

'''Lamar''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Barton County, Missouri]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city population was 4,266.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2940376|access-date=2022-01-12|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> It is known as the birthplace of [[Harry S. Truman]], the 33rd [[president of the United States]].

The Lamar city government is consolidated with Barton County's [[City Township, Barton County, Missouri|City Township]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/reference/guidestloc/All_GSLCG.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210054254/http://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/reference/guidestloc/All_GSLCG.pdf |archive-date=10 Dec 2016 |title=Guide to State and Local Census Geography |author=U.S. Census Bureau}} (updated for 2010 Census)</ref> Because the city governance and township governance have different roles, circa 2002 the [[U.S. Census Bureau]] counted them as separate governments for census purposes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/gc0212mo.pdf|title=Missouri|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|page=1|access-date=2024-11-01}}</ref> In addition, the city of Lamar is surrounded by, but is not part of Barton County's [[Lamar Township, Barton County, Missouri|Lamar Township]].

==History==
Lamar was laid out in 1856. It was named for [[Mirabeau B. Lamar]], second [[president of the Republic of Texas]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eaton, David Wolfe |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ |title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named |publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri |year=1916 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n18 207]}}</ref> The city suffered multiple attacks by rebels during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].

On May 28, 1919, a 28-year-old white man, [[Lynching of Jay Lynch|Jay Lynch]], was lynched in Lamar for the murders of Barton County Sheriff John Marion Harlow Jr., and his son, Dick.

Lamar was considered to be a [[sundown town]] prior to the [[Civil Rights era]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Loewen |first=James W. |author-link=James W. Loewen |title=Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism |publisher=[[The New Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=156584887X |page=13}}</ref>

==Geography==
Lamar is located in central Barton County adjacent to a bend in the [[North Fork Spring River]] and lies on [[US Route 160]] just east of [[US Route 71]].<ref>''Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 1st ed., 1998, p. 50 {{isbn|0899332242}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|5.43|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|5.12|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.31|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-07-02 }}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box
|location = Lamar 7N, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present)
|single line = Y
|width = auto
| Jan record high F = 77
| Feb record high F = 81
| Mar record high F = 93
| Apr record high F = 95
| May record high F = 98
| Jun record high F = 107
| Jul record high F = 118
| Aug record high F = 113
| Sep record high F = 105
| Oct record high F = 96
| Nov record high F = 87
| Dec record high F = 76
| year record high F = 118
| Jan high F = 42.5
| Feb high F = 47.5
| Mar high F = 57.2
| Apr high F = 66.9
| May high F = 74.8
| Jun high F = 83.6
| Jul high F = 88.4
| Aug high F = 87.9
| Sep high F = 80.4
| Oct high F = 69.5
| Nov high F = 56.5
| Dec high F = 45.6
| year high F = 66.7
| Jan mean F = 32.4
| Feb mean F = 36.7
| Mar mean F = 45.7
| Apr mean F = 55.3
| May mean F = 64.5
| Jun mean F = 73.5
| Jul mean F = 77.9
| Aug mean F = 76.8
| Sep mean F = 68.9
| Oct mean F = 57.6
| Nov mean F = 45.8
| Dec mean F = 36.0
| year mean F = 55.9
| Jan low F = 22.4
| Feb low F = 26.0
| Mar low F = 34.2
| Apr low F = 43.7
| May low F = 54.1
| Jun low F = 63.3
| Jul low F = 67.4
| Aug low F = 65.7
| Sep low F = 57.3
| Oct low F = 45.6
| Nov low F = 35.0
| Dec low F = 26.4
| year low F = 45.1
| Jan record low F = −22
| Feb record low F = −28
| Mar record low F = −12
| Apr record low F = 15
| May record low F = 29
| Jun record low F = 41
| Jul record low F = 48
| Aug record low F = 43
| Sep record low F = 25
| Oct record low F = 16
| Nov record low F = 2
| Dec record low F = −18
| year record low F = −28
| precipitation colour= green
| Jan precipitation inch = 1.96
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.25
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.31
| Apr precipitation inch = 5.10
| May precipitation inch = 7.10
| Jun precipitation inch = 6.25
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.62
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.78
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.78
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.75
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.53
| Dec precipitation inch = 2.43
| year precipitation inch = 48.86
| Jan snow inch = 3.2
| Feb snow inch = 1.8
| Mar snow inch = 1.4
| Apr snow inch = 0.0
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.0
| Nov snow inch = 0.2
| Dec snow inch = 0.7
| year snow inch = 7.3
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 6.3
| Feb precipitation days = 5.9
| Mar precipitation days = 8.4
| Apr precipitation days = 9.4
| May precipitation days = 10.9
| Jun precipitation days = 10.3
| Jul precipitation days = 8.1
| Aug precipitation days = 7.2
| Sep precipitation days = 7.1
| Oct precipitation days = 8.1
| Nov precipitation days = 6.8
| Dec precipitation days = 5.6
| year precipitation days = 94.1
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 1.7
| Feb snow days = 1.1
| Mar snow days = 0.3
| Apr snow days = 0.0
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.0
| Nov snow days = 0.2
| Dec snow days = 1.0
| year snow days = 4.3
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA >
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sgf
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 2, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00234705&format=pdf
| title = Station: Lamar 7N, MO
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 2, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 907
|1890= 2860
|1900= 2737
|1910= 2316
|1920= 2255
|1930= 2381
|1940= 2992
|1950= 3233
|1960= 3608
|1970= 3760
|1980= 4053
|1990= 4168
|2000= 4425
|2010= 4532
|2020= 4266
|align-fn=center
|footnote=[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html U.S. Decennial Census]
}}

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]] there were 4,532 people, 1,866 households, and 1,202 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|885.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,099 housing units at an average density of {{convert|410.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the city was 94.5% White, 0.7% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9%.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-07-08}}</ref>

Of the 1,866 households 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.6% were non-families. 31.2% of households were one person and 17.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age was 39.6 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]] there were 4,425 people, 1,835 households, and 1,154 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,154.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,995 housing units at an average density of {{convert|520.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|racial makeup]] of the city was 96.61% White, 0.18% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40%.<ref name="GR2" />

Of the 1,835 households 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.3% of households were one person and 18.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median household income was $29,296 and the median family income  was $38,007. Males had a median income of $26,375 versus $20,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,684. About 9.7% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==
[[Lamar Municipal Airport (Missouri)|Lamar Municipal Airport]] (LLU) serves the city and surrounding communities. The airport has a 4,000-ft concrete primary runway with approved GPS approaches (runway 17-35) and a 2,900-ft asphalt crosswind runway with one approved GPS approach (runway 3-21).

==Education==
Public education in Lamar is administered by Lamar R-I School District, which operates [[Lamar High School (Missouri)|Lamar High School]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.greatschools.org/missouri/lamar/lamar-r_i-school-district/ | title=Lamar R-I School District | publisher=Great Schools | access-date=4 June 2019}}</ref>

Lamar has a [[public library]], a branch of the Barton County Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bclib.info/index.php/about-us/about-us-menu/hours-locations.html | title=Hours and Locations | publisher=Barton County Library | access-date=4 June 2019 | archive-date=June 4, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604173216/https://www.bclib.info/index.php/about-us/about-us-menu/hours-locations.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Notable people==
[[File:Harry S Truman Birthplace SHS 20150715-8218.jpg|thumb|right|Birthplace of Harry S. Truman in Lamar]]
* [[Blaine Durbin]] — Major League Baseball player with [[Chicago Cubs]], [[Cincinnati Reds]] and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in early 20th century
* [[Wyatt Earp]] and [[Wyatt Earp's family|family]] — famous frontier lawman
* [[Ed Emery (politician)|Ed Emery]] — Missouri state senator and former state representative
* [[Newton T. Enloe]] — Physician, founder of California's Enloe Health system
* [[Joe Ihm]] — Missouri House Representative
* [[Charles Henry Morgan]] — Missouri congressman as both a Democrat (1875–79, 1883–85) and a Republican (1909–11)
* [[Guy Oliver]] - American Actor
* [[Henry Carroll Timmonds]] — Missouri state representative and judge in late 19th century
* [[Harry S. Truman]] — [[33rd President of the United States|33rd president of the United States]], in office 1945–1953; elected vice president in 1944; became president upon death of [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] in 1945

==See also==
* [[List of sundown towns in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.cityoflamar.org/ City of Lamar]
* Historic maps of Lamar in the [http://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A138850 Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection] at the [[University of Missouri]]

{{Barton County, Missouri}}
{{Missouri county seats}}
{{Missouri}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Barton County, Missouri]]
[[Category:County seats in Missouri]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1852]]
[[Category:1852 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:Cities in Missouri]]
[[Category:Sundown towns in Missouri]]