Park Hills, Missouri

Park Hills is a city in the "Lead Belt" of St. Francois County, Missouri, most notable as the home of Mineral Area College. It had a population of 8,759 at the 2010 census.

History[edit]

Park Hills is technically one of the newest communities in Southeast Missouri. It was formed in 1994 through the merger of four older communities: the cities of Elvins, Esther, and Flat River and the village of Rivermines; of these, Flat River was the largest and most important. These dated from the late 19th century and were mostly a result of the boom in lead-mining operations in the county during that time.^[1] The four towns had separate identities, but also shared a number of ties, including being served by a single school district (Central R-III) after its consolidation in the 1960s.

By this time, the mining of lead in the region was declining, and the last mine (at Flat River) closed in 1972. The economic hardship this caused pushed the towns to cooperate more in the interests of recovering their prosperity. As early as the 1970s, proposals for a full consolidation had been put forward, but not until 1992, with changes to state law and a successful vote that November, did it become a reality. After a year of preparatory work, the new city officially came into existence on January 1, 1994.

Rather than absorb the smaller communities into Flat River, city leaders had sought an entirely new name for the whole. After several proposed names, such as Central City and Heritage Hills, were considered, they finally settled upon Park Hills, submitted by former schoolteacher Mildred Lee, referencing the many state parks in the vicinity and the surrounding hills of the St. Francois Mountain range.^[2]

Geography[edit]

Park Hills is spread out over central St. Francois County, roughly bounded by Missouri State Highways 8 and 32 on the north and south, respectively, and by U.S. Route 67 on the east. St. Joe State Park, south of Highway 32, is also within city limits but is largely uninhabited. Its official coordinates (though most of the city proper lies further north) are 37°50’40”N 90°30’40”W.

The city is roughly bisected by the Flat River, which flows through it from southwest to northeast. Of the former communities which comprise it, Flat River lies east of its namesake stream, while Elvins, Esther, and Rivermines are to the west. It has a total area of 20.42 square miles, and an average elevation of 740 feet (though a peak of 1,020 feet can be found in St. Joe Park to the south).^[3]

Like most of southern Missouri, Park Hills has a humid subtropical climate, though moderated somewhat by the nearby mountains. Average temperatures range from 29°F in January to 77°F in July, with some 41 inches of rain and 13.7 inches of snow per year.^[4]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Park Hills had a total of 8,759 inhabitants, grouped into 3,551 households, with a population density of 430.8 people per square mile. This figure marked a significant increase from the 2000 census (its first as a single community), when Park Hills had a population of 7,861. 95.34% of the inhabitants were White, 1.96% were African-American, 0.47% were Native American, 0.41% were Asian, 0.13% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.25% were from some other race, and 1.44% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.27% of the population.

The median age in Park Hills was 32.7 years, with 26.2% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 12.1% between 18 and 24 years old, 26.8% between 25 and 44, 23.2% between 45 and 64, and 11.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.4% male, 51.6% female.^[5]

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Park Hills had a median household income of $34,463, and a median family income of $45,723. The unemployment rate was 7.0%. The per capita income was $18,268. About 26.6% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 30.6% of people under the age of 18 and 17.5% of people 65 years old or older.^[6]

Government[edit]

Park Hills has a mayor-council form of government, composed of a mayor elected for a four-year term and eight councilmen, two elected from each of the city's four wards for two-year terms. A city administrator assists with day-to-day operations. The current mayor is Daniel Naucke, elected in April 2017.^[7]

Education[edit]

The composite communities of Park Hills formerly had their own separate school systems, before being consolidated in the mid-1960s into the St. Francois County Central R-III School District, which today serves the entire city as well as neighboring Leadington. The district has two elementary, one middle, and one high school, with an enrollment of close to 2,200 schools.^[8] Its mascot is the Rebels, and the school colors are red, white, and blue.^[9]

Park Hills is also the home of Mineral Area College, one of three institutions of higher learning in Southeast Missouri. Founded in 1922 as Flat River Junior College, it changed its name in 1965 to reflect the region's important mineral resources. Currently, it has some 2,700 students enrolled in its two-year programs.^[10]

Economy[edit]

Until the mid-20th century, lead mining was the chief economic pillar of the Park Hills region; after that point, the center of production shifted farther west, forcing the local economy to diversify. Today, most of the population works in education, retail trade, and various forms of light manufacturing. The major employers are Piramal Glass, Lee Mechanical Services, Central R-III Schools, and Mineral Area College.^[11]

Notable People[edit]

• Darrell S. Cole (1920-1945), born and raised in Esther; machine-gunner killed at Iwo Jima in February 1945 while destroying Japanese fortifications and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry. The USS Cole, a guided-missile destroyer commissioned in 1996, was named in his honor.

References[edit]