City of Ellsinore

Ellsinore City Hall

     Ellsinore, a town of 363 persons according to the 2000 census, is nestled in the hills of Carter County. Its administrative offices are located at 11 West Cleveland in Ellsinore. Average temperatures range from 19 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 91 degrees Fahrenheit in July. The average precipitation is 46 inches per year. The Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission assists Ellsinore with its economic development activities.

     Mayor David Bowman and the four-member board of aldermen serve the city as its governing body. Ellsinore has 10 volunteer firemen. The per capita income in 1999 for Carter County was $15,652.

     Out of an available workforce in Carter County of 2,667, 2,495 are employed. The unemployment rate is 6.4 percent, with 172 out of work. The average hourly wage for the county is $7.82 per hour in the manufacturing sector and $7.20 in non-manufacturing. The county's major employers include East Carter County R-2 School District, with 130 employees; Carter County R-2 School District, with 75 employees; Imperial Products, a manufacturer of wood products, with 52 workers; The Landing, a popular vacation resort with canoe/tube rental and restaurant, employing 50 workers; Riverways Manor, a nursing home facility, with 45 employees, and North Pacific Lumber, a lumber wholesaler with 22 employees.

     Ozark Border Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Poplar Bluff, provides electric power for the City of Ellsinore. The city also offers public water and sewer services for its residents. The water plant has a storage capacity of 100,000 gallons. Ellsinore's telephone service is provided by Century Tel. Residents and businesses obtain internet service from a local internet service headquartered in nearby Poplar Bluff.

     Residents of Ellsinore travel on U.S. Highway 60 and state highways Vand A. It is 3miles to the nearest four-lane thoroughfare and the nearest airport is in Poplar Bluff.

     The nearest healthcare facilities are in Poplar Bluff at Northwest Clinic, Kneibert Clinic, and Three Rivers Health Care. They are about 25 miles from Ellsinore.

     Children attend the local public elementary, middle, or high schools. The nearest public community college, Three Rivers Community College, is located in Poplar Bluff and boasts an enrollment of 2,824 (fall, 2001). Southeast Missouri State University, a public four-year college located in Cape Girardeau, MO, is the nearest higher learning facility. Fall, 2001, enrollment for the university was 9,352 students.

     The Bank of Grandin, with combined assets of $87,000,000, serves the residents in and around Ellsinore. There are five Protestant churches, a public library, and one public park in the city. Camping, fishing, and hiking/fitness/nature trails are enjoyed in the surrounding Mark Twin National Forest and on nearby Pinewoods Lake.

     The city is represented by 153rd District State Representative Mike Dethrow (R) and 3rd District State Senator Kevin Engler (R).  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R) represents Ellsinore in the Eighth Congressional District.