Pemiscot

Formed March 1, 1851 (102^nd county)

Pemiscot County (15,661), Caruthersville (5,561)

The light red brick 1924 Classical Revival and Federalist courthouse is on Ward Street between 6^th and 7^th streets.  Missouri State Highway U is Ward Street in front of the courthouse.  Henry H. Hohenschild is the architect.  An old-style chandelier is in the center of the building.  A Justice Center has recently been added.  The building was renovated in 1975.  The county was organized on March 1, 1851 from New Madrid County as the 102^nd county.  Gayoso was the first county seat until 1899 when Caruthersville assumed the role.  There were 1854, 1873, 1882, and 1899 versions of the courthouse.  The county is named for a local bayou which gets its name from the Native American for “side channel.”  The county seat is a Native American word meaning “liquid mud.” 

The area of the county is 493 square miles.  It is 85 out of 115 in the state.  It ranks 66 out of 115 in population in the state.  It has a density of 31.8 persons per square mile making it 53 out of 115 in the state.  Pemiscot County has 73.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 55 crosses the county north to south from New Madrid County to Arkansas.  United States Highway 61 enters joined with Interstate Highway 55 from New Madrid County, splits and exits south into Arkansas.  United States Highway 412 goes east to west from Tennessee to Dunklin County.  Pemiscot County looks like a capital letter F.  Caruthersville is on the southeast border of the county.  Caruthersville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 35.5% of the county population. 

Pemiscot County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge serves Pemiscot and New Madrid counties and Two County Court Judges and a court clerk serve Pemiscot County (judicial.)  The county is in the southeast corner of Missouri.  It borders both Tennessee and Arkansas.  The Mississippi River forms its eastern border.  Saint Louis, Missouri is northwest and Memphis, Tennessee is south of the county.  The county center is 10.3 miles West-Northwest of Caruthersville nearer Hayti.  The county is surrounded clockwise by New Madrid County and Tennessee and Arkansas and Dunklin County.  The county is pronounced PE-MIS-KOT.  The county seat is pronounced KA-RO-THERS-VIL.

Portageville