Steele, Missouri

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Steele is a city in Pemiscot County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,263 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Recent History
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Steele is located at 36°5′8″N, 89°49′46″W (36.085428, -89.829426)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 2,263 people, 887 households, and 582 families residing in the city. The population density was 464.8/km² (1,205.9/mi²). There were 971 housing units at an average density of 199.4/km² (517.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.87% White, 17.41% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.93% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.

There were 887 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,958, and the median income for a family was $29,125. Males had a median income of $30,595 versus $19,286 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,695. About 25.5% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 26.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

On September 11, 1934, four African American members of the Pacific Movement of the Eastern World (PMEW) were put on trial for unlawful and riotous assembly in an attempt to "unite the Negro race in one body with the Japanese race and all dark races of the Far East to overthrow the present system of government and to make the white race subservient to the Negro race and to set up a government by the Negroes and the people fo the Far East". They arrested following disquiet by African American preachers and European American cotton plantation owners. Whilst the defenders pleaded innocence, blaming the Original Independent Benevolent Afro-Pacific Movement of the World, a splinter group from the PMEW, for any unrest, the prosecutor was openly racist, suggesting that the four had no business to be driving around in a high powered chrysler car. The four were sentenced to one year in jail. Before sentencing, however the judge and constable, stepped outside to allow a mob of two hundred white spectators to invade the building and beat the defendants. Their lawyer fled to Cape Girardeau, ninety miles away. The NAACP provided lawyers is St Louis, who filed a case of Habeas corpus. The case was heard before the Missouri Supreme Court in Jefferson City, which quashed the sentences saying that no legal trial had taken place.

[edit] Recent History

Steele has been recently plagued by corruption in the local government. In 2004 an informant with the Bootheel Drug Task Force notified authorities on a drug deal scheduled to take place in near by Blytheville, Arkansas, which led to the arrest of Mayor Keith Sanford. He was arrested on drug charges and simultaneous possesion of narcotics and firearms.(1.According to:The Daily Dunklin Democrat)

The town has a steady business district and an adequate school system. In 1996 the South Pemiscot Bulldogs went to the Missouri State Highschool Baseball Tournament for the first time in the schools history. The Bulldogs took third in the 2A Class section of the tournament. This was complimented by a return of Bulldog Baseball Team in 2006 where Steele took home second place. (2. Primary Sources)