HANNIBAL, MISSOURI

'Hannibal' is a Mississippi river city of 17,757 (2000 census), located in Marion and Ralls County, Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of U.S. highways 36 and 61, approximately 110 miles north of St. Louis. The Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area is comprised of Marion and Ralls Counties.

Contents

History and landmarks

Things to do in Hannibal

Geography

Demographics

Education

Newspaper

Hannibal-LaGrange College

Hannibal residents

Fictional Hannibal residents

Attractions

References

External links

History and landmarks

Although the site of Hannibal was previously occupied by early settlers and indian tribes, the city of Hannibal was founded by Moses Bates in 1819. Although the city initially grew slowly to a population of only 30 by 1830, access to Mississippi river and railroad transportation fueled growth to 2,020 by 1850. The city served as a bustling regional marketing center for livestock and grain as well as other products produced locally, such as cement and shoes, throughout the remainder of the 19th century and on to the present time.
The community is most well known as the boyhood home of celebrated author Mark Twain and more specifically the setting of his ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' and ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn''. Historical sites related to Mark Twain and sites depicted in his fiction have become an important part of the town's legacy.
In the Broadway musical ''Damn Yankees'', Hannibal was the hometown of the protagonist's assumed persona.
Hannibal was also the birthplace of singer and actor Cliff Edwards ("Ukelele Ike") and 'The Unsinkable Molly' Brown. Other native sons include inventor Bill Lear and NBA basketball coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.
Hannibal is popular with both American and International tourists (drawing many in recent years from Asia). Some local residents have criticized the town's efforts to attract tourist, comparing it with Disneyland. However, most Hannibal residents enjoy the visitors and the town at large enjoys much success through tourist revenue.
The Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse was constructed in 1933 and has been lit at three separate times by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President John F. Kennedy, and President Bill Clinton. Rockcliffe Mansion sits upon another knoll in Hannibal, is listed on the National Register of Historic places and has been named an American Castle by A&E Television.

Things to do in Hannibal

People in Hannibal often enjoy walking in Riverview Park[1] (465 acres overlooking the Mighty Mississippi), swimming at the Hannibal Aquatic Center[2](which has been newly renovated), visiting local shops downtown (including hanging out at Java Jive (coffee shop)) and the notorious Mark Twain Dinette (maidrites), Becky Thatcher Restaurant (breakfast) or even walking up to Lover's Leap (View of River) off highway 79. Visitors enjoy the historic 13,500 sf Rockcliffe Mansion[3], on the National Historic Trust, which is a touring mansion, a bed and breakfast, gallery, bistro and cabaret. Hannibal is also home to several caves with a lot of history, notably Mark Twain Cave and Cameron Cave.

Geography

Hannibal is located at (39.704065, -91.377378). It is adjacent to the Mississippi River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.1 km² (15.1 mi²). 37.8 km² (14.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (3.12%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,757 people, 7,017 households, and 4,554 families residing in the city. The population density was 469.3/km² (1,215.3/mi²). There were 7,886 housing units at an average density of 208.4/km² (539.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.61% White, 6.57% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. 25.9% were of American, 23.8% German, 10.9% Irish and 10.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 7,017 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,892, and the median income for a family was $37,264. Males had a median income of $30,677 versus $20,828 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,902. About 11.3% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Hannibal High School [4] was founded in 1896. The current building was erected in 1932. As of 2004 the current enrollment is 1232 ninth through twelfth graders. The mascot of Hannibal High School is the Pirates and the athletic teams play in the North Central Missouri Conference of the Missouri State High School Sports Association. The "Black & Red" is one of America's oldest school newspapers, however it does not enjoy the prominence it once held. The past two years have seen low quality papers and low classroom enrollment due to dissatisfaction with the administration's role in the classroom and understanding of journalistic standards. As of 2006 the principal is Darin Powell. The school boasts an active foreign language club, Espancais, as well as an active Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Among the student population, the Student Council is active. Other clubs include Future Teachers of America, Young Democrats, Future Farmers of America, DECA, Key Club, and Natural Helpers (a peer helping group) as well as a wide array of other clubs. Hannibal High School is well known for its heavy reliance on technology which is generally seen as an enhancement for the student body.

Newspaper

The Hannibal Courier-Post [5] is Missouri's oldest newspaper. It began publishing in 1838 and has a current daily press of 8,500. The Hannibal Courier-Post has drawn marked competition from the Quincy Herald Whig due to local dissatisfaction with the paper. However, it does enjoy high circulation numbers and wide range. The current editor is Mary Lou Montgomery.

Hannibal-LaGrange College

Main articles: Hannibal-LaGrange College

Hannibal-LaGrange College is a Christian liberal arts college located in Hannibal. Hannibal-LaGrange is a four-year liberal arts college fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in 1858 in LaGrange, Missouri, the campus moved downriver to Hannibal in 1928. Dr. Woodrow Burt was elected the 16th president of Hannibal-LaGrange College on February 10, 1995.

Hannibal residents

★ Jake Beckley, major league baseball player^[1]

★ James Carroll Beckwith

★ Margaret Brown, passenger on the Titanic, the unsinkable Molly Brown.

★ Robert Coontz

★ Cliff Edwards

★ Cotton Fitzsimmons

★ Clarence Earl Gideon

★ The Rooster, cast member from the Ron and Fez show on XM Satellite Radio

★ Bill Lear

★ George Poage

★ Benjamin Prentiss

★ Scott Sanders, basketball player

★ Mark Twain, American author

Fictional Hannibal residents

★ Sherman T. Potter, character in the TV series M
★ A
★ S
★ H.

★ Allison (''Liberty Maid'') from Josh and S.A.M., 1993 film about two runaway boys fleeing to Canada.

★ Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn; characters from the popular Mark Twain books.

Attractions

Hannibal Rocks Offroad Park: Hannibal Rocks

References

1. The Baseball Encyclopedia, , , , Macmillan Publishing, 1979, ISBN 0-02-578970-8

External links

★ http://www.hlg.edu/default.asp Hannibal LaGrange-College-pages