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Higginsville, Missouri

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1982. It stands in Davis Township. It lies in ZIP code area 64037. It stands on Arndt Creek. The Survey maps it on the Higginsville quadrangle. 4,817 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 817 feet above sea level.

Higginsville within Lafayette County

On record in Higginsville

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 4 records

Population over time

2 figures

Higginsville grew from 4,797 to 4,817 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20104,797
20204,817+20 (+0%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 15 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Davis township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881 - Davis Township

The Hospital Episode

The Federals had occupied as a hospital the then magnificent residence of Oliver Anderson, Esq., a two-and-a-half story brick building, down the slope about twenty rods west from the outer line of their intrenchments [See diagram,] and several hundred rods from the " Masonic College. " On top of this building there was a yellow flag displayed, marking it as a hospital, and in it were 24 sick and 96 wounded, according to Mulligan's report.

Read the rest of this passage

In the county-history sources

45,418 words on this township

History of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881 names this settlement in its chapter on Davis Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

In the final settlement and disposal of the funds in these tax-levy suits, the commissions and incidental expenses of the collector were overlooked and not allowed him. He brought suit in the circuit court to recover his claim from the county, but was defeated. He appealed to the state supreme court, and the case at this writing (August, 1881), still remains there unsettled. Wallace & Chiles are his attorneys.

Passage source: History of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881.

In 1868-69-70, it was confidently believed by the railroad partisans that in two or three years there would be six railroads coming into Lexington, and a railroad bridge spanning the river here. Out of this faith grew the scheme for a grand railroad hotel worthy of the situation. The grade of the Lexington & St. Louis railroad (now Missouri Pacific) terminated at South street between Elm and Lynn streets, and here the great hotel was erected, the remains of which appear in desolate grandeur to this day. The building was erected in 1870-71, at a cost of ^85,000; it was a joint stock enterprise, and the county took $20,000 of stock in it. B. H. Wilson was the architect and builder; Geo. Farrar did the brick work, and manufactured all the bricks at his brick yard which is still in operation, on Graham's branch. The whole scheme proved a disastrous failure; and in 1879 the building was sold for delinquent taxes. Many car loads of the bricks have been shipped away to Sedalia and Kansas City, and enough still remain to build another small city - another child out of the loins of Lexington.

Passage source: History of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881.

Wm. Collins, Senior, a soldier of the revolutionary war from Carolina, also his son and son-in-law and their families, amounting to eight persons, were among the first settlers of this township, settling here in 1825. The first marriage in the township was that of Martin D. Warren to Miss Dillingham. The first male child born »here was James Anderson, son of Wm. H. and D Anderson; the first female child was Nancy, daughter of Larkin and Sarah Graham. The first death occurred in the township in the latter part ot 1837, and was buried at Johnson's Grove, near Higginsville. The first Christian minister in this township was Rev. Thomas McBride, of the Christian church, in a log cabin south of where Higginsville now stands. "We had no roads in the early times of Davis township, but traveled by courses - our principal market place was Lexington. The boys would often have a big deer hunt, kill as many as eight deer, and get home to dinner."

Passage source: History of Lafayette County, Mo. , Carefully Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Including a History of Its Townships, Cities, Towns, and Villages, Together with a Condensed History of Missouri; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri; a Military Record of Volunteers in Either Army of the Great Civil War .., published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Davis Township - it names this place 54 more 54 times.

Fires near this place

37 since 2014

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 37 fires within 5 miles of Higginsville between 2014 and 2020, burning about 155 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined26
Debris and open burning9
Equipment and vehicle use2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
22 September 2018Debris and open burning4.8 acresMissouri Department of Conservation177731-05440-09222018-1823
22 August 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservation142911-02459-08222016-1040
13 August 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservation129856-05438-08132015-1915
12 August 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservation129855-05438-08122015-1300
4 July 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation178149-05438-07042018-1613
8 June 2018Debris and open burningunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation178152-05438-06082018-1707
24 June 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
8 May 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation178147-05438-05082018-1320

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Lafayette County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Higginsville: 3 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Hoefer QsuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Lafayette County

Storms near this place

53 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Higginsville in 53 storm reports between 1993 and 2020: 27 thunderstorm wind, 22 hail, 3 tornado, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1995Tornado (F0)Higginsville$25,000A severe thunderstorm dropped up to golfball size hail on Bates City, and then went on to develop 2 weak tornadoes. The first tornado touched down south of Bates City at 1820 CST and was crossing Interstate 70 3 miles west of Odessa at 1831 CST. Only minor tree damage was reported. It then lifted north of Odessa. A second touchdown occurred about 5 miles northwest of Higginsville at 1845 CST. The track took it across State Route 13 5 miles northwest of Higginsville near the Tabo Creek bridge at 1900 CST. At 1905 CST, the tornado crossed Route 213 3 miles southwest of Dover, and then lifted 1 mile southwest of Dover at 1906 CST. A house along state Route 13, 6 miles southeast of the junction with Route E, had shingles removed from the roof as the funnel apparently lifted as it passed overhead. Eyewitnesses reported that the tornado bounced up and down as it continued on a path about 4.5 miles to the east-northeast. The damage path varied from about 30 to 40 yards wide, with most of the path over cultivated farm fields. Most damage was minimal, but the most significant damage occurred at the Humfeldt farm 2.6 miles south of U.S. Route 24 along state Route 213. A corrugated steel equipment building was destroyed when the south and west walls were blown in, and the roof was partially peeled off. There was only minor damage to the equipment inside. The tornado passed to the south of the house and garage, missing them by 25 feet. Only one shutter was blown off of the upper floor of the house with no other damage. Mud was splattered on all four sides of both the house and garage. The tornado was photographed as it was dissipating, in its rope stage between 1901 and 1906 CST. In addition, tree damage occurred in Corder with the gust front ahead of the parent thunderstorm.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindHigginsville$5,000Roof blown off car wash.
September 1993Thunderstorm WindHigginsville$5,000Large trees were uprooted and dime-size hail fell.
July 2020Flash FloodHigginsville-Water was flowing over Highway AA just east of Higginsville.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-COOP Observer reported 60 mph wind.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-A COOP observer reported a measured 71 mph wind gust.
August 2017HailHigginsville-Dime to quarter sized hail lasted at this location for about 15 minutes, starting at 9:15 PM CDT (8:15 CST).
April 2016HailHigginsville-There was minor vehicle damage.
April 2016HailHigginsville-This report was received via social media.
October 2016Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-Some structural damage occurred to a tractor company in Higginsville. A few sheds and an hoop building were blown down.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-A 4 apple tree was snapped and blown over.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-Thunderstorm wind gust was measured at 59 mph.
May 2011Tornado (EF0)Higginsville-At 1425CST a brief EF0 tornado touchdown, was observed by television helicopter, a little over a half north of Higginsville. The tornado moved about a tenth of a mile to the east, and lifted at 1427CST. Touchdown was in an open field with no damage observed.
May 2011Tornado (EF0)Higginsville-At 1207CST a brief EF0 tornado touchdown, was observed 1.9 miles south southwest of Higginsville. The tornado touched down and went right back up. No Damage was observed.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-Thunderstorm wind gust was measured at 95 mph, at the Higginsville water plant.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-Thunderstorm winds were estimated up to 60 mph.
May 2000HailHigginsville-The same supercell storm that produced the tornado southeast of Lexington also produced dime to quarter size hail, which covered the ground in Higginsville.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-Highway Patrol officers estimated wind gusts up to 70 mph near mile marker 46 on Interstate 70.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-A wind gust of 76 mph was measured at the Higginsville Water Plant. Tree limbs 6 inches in diameter were downed.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-A 75 mph wind gust was recorded by the NWS co-op observer at the Higginsville Water Plant.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-The NWS co-op observer at Higginsville recorded a 61 mph wind gust.
April 1998HailHigginsville-Dime-size hail was reported during a severe thunderstorm in Higginsville.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-A Higginsville spotter measured 62 MPH winds during a severe thunderstorm.
September 1993Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-A wind gust to 63 mph was recorded at the Higginsville Water Plant.
September 1993HailHigginsville-Large trees were uprooted and dime-size hail fell.
April 2014HailHigginsville-no account filed
April 2014Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
May 2011HailHigginsville-no account filed
May 2011HailHigginsville-no account filed
May 2011HailHigginsville-no account filed
June 2008Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
April 2006HailHigginsville-no account filed
June 2006HailHigginsville-no account filed
April 2005HailHigginsville-no account filed
April 2005HailHigginsville-no account filed
April 2005HailHigginsville-no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
April 2003HailHigginsville-no account filed
May 2003Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
May 2003HailHigginsville-no account filed
May 2002Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
April 2001HailHigginsville-no account filed
July 2001Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
September 2001Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
February 2000Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
May 2000HailHigginsville-no account filed
August 1999Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed
October 1998HailHigginsville-no account filed
May 1996HailHigginsville-no account filed
June 1995HailHigginsville-no account filed
March 1993Thunderstorm WindHigginsville-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lafayette County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Simpson1.9 miles15
Page City3.8 miles17
Aullville4.3 miles15
Corder4.4 miles15
Mayview6.2 miles16
Fortyville (historical)6.7 miles16
Dover8.5 miles17
Tabeau9.1 miles17

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on HigginsvilleAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q958422The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 719513. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.