Jefferson County, Missouri

Jefferson County is a county on the west bank of the Mississippi River in eastern Missouri, immediately south of St. Louis County, Missouri. Officially organized on December 3, 1818, it was named for former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Part of the St. Louis metropolitan area, it is largely suburban in nature, with a population of 218,733 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest county in Missouri by population. The county seat is Hillsboro, and Arnold is the largest city.

History[edit]

Before European settlement, various Indian tribes lived in what is now Jefferson County for thousands of years. Archaeological digs in the Kimmswick area have uncovered evidence of native peoples hunting mastodons and other prehistoric mammals, and extensive artifacts have been found elsewhere in the region.

After the Mississippi Valley became a French (and later Spanish) colonial territory, the first settlements were made farther to the north and south, at Ste. Genevieve and later St. Louis, but given the distance between these points, it was in the authorities' interest to encourage migration into the territory in between, using large land grants to tempt pioneers. The first known settler in modern Jefferson County was John Hildebrand, who established himself on Saline Creek near present-day Arnold in 1774. This was followed shortly afterward with the opening of salt works near what is now Kimmswick, and the launching of a ferry across the Meramec River. This ferry became part of the El Camino Real (King's Highway), which was completed by 1789 and connected the area with St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, and other communities to the south. Most of the early inhabitants were French-Canadians; American settlers began arriving by 1800, however, most notably Moses Austin, who in 1808 helped found the city of Herculaneum, the county's oldest surviving community and its chief town for many years; others settled along the Big River further west or its tributary streams.^[1]

Upon the creation of the Missouri Territory in 1812, the area was included within St. Louis County; however, in 1818 the territorial legislature detached it and organized it as Jefferson County, in honor of Thomas Jefferson, who as President had arranged the Louisiana Purchase that made Missouri a part of the United States. Slightly larger at the time than its current size, portions of it would later be detached to Ste. Genevieve County and to newer counties to the west, especially Franklin County. Herculaneum was the first county seat, and held that status until 1839, when the court was transferred to the more centrally-located Hillsboro.^[2]

During the antebellum era, Jefferson County thrived thanks to the rich deposits of lead and other metals and minerals in the St. Francois Mountains to the southwest--the so-called "Lead Belt." Some lead-mining operations were begun in the southern part of the county, while Herculaneum became notable as a smelting center and shipping point for the excavated metal.^[3] Though the construction of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad in the 1850s bypassed this port to an extent, it also provided opportunities for development for communities in the interior, particularly De Soto. The industrial boom would continue after the Civil War, with the establishment of the St. Joseph Lead Company in Herculaneum in the 1890s and the simultaneous emergence of an important glass-making operation further south, around Festus and Crystal City. By 1900, the county had a population of just over 25,000.^[4]

The county's growth stagnated somewhat during the early 20th century, but began to revive following the construction of a system of paved roads in the 1920s and 1930s. This initiated a new wave of expansion after World War II, as families in the St. Louis area sought to move away from the city, and the northern half of the county became a scene of intensive suburban development, which has continued ever since, especially around the Arnold, Byrnes Mill, and House Springs communities. The population surged from 38,000 in 1950 to 105,000 in 1970, and would double again over the next forty years.

Jefferson County celebrated its bicentennial in 2018, with a number of festivities and other events at various communities. Today, it bills itself as "a modern, vibrant county...with pride in our past and a commitment to the future."^[5]

Geography[edit]

Jefferson County is located in eastern Missouri, within the northeastern foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Much of its boundaries is determined by rivers, with the Mississippi making up its entire eastern border, the Meramec (which flows into the Mississippi just east of Arnold) most of its northern boundary, and the Meramec's tributary, the Big River, defining the southwestern corner. It is bordered on the east by the state of Illinois, on the southeast by Ste. Genevieve County, on the south by St. Francois County, on the southwest by Washington County, on the west by Franklin County, and on the north by St. Louis County.

The county has a total area of 664.29 square miles, including 656.63 of land and 7.66 of water.^[6] It is dominated by hilly terrain, some of it comparatively rugged, especially in the east near the Mississippi and in the southwest as an extension of the higher St. Francois Mountains, while other land in the interior is more gently rolling in nature. The highest peak is Vinegar Hill near the St. Francois County line, with a height of 1,060 feet above sea level; the lowest elevations come in the narrow floodplains along the major rivers. Along the bank of the Mississippi in the southeastern corner, it is only about 390 feet.^[7] In recent decades, there has been considerable urban and suburban development in the northern half of the county, particularly around the Arnold area, while the southern half is still much more rural in character.

Jefferson County has one interstate highway, Interstate 55, which hugs its eastern edge from north to south and connects the cities of Arnold, Pevely, Herculaneum, Festus, and Crystal City. U.S. Route 61 closely parallels the interstate the entire way, while U.S. Route 67 runs concurrent with 61 as far south as Crystal City, where it divides and continues southwest into St. Francois County. Other major routes include Missouri State Highway 21 (locally known as Tesson Ferry Road), which follows a north-south path through De Soto and Hillsboro; Missouri State Highway 30 (locally known as Gravois Road), which cuts through the northwestern corner, including the Cedar Hill and High Ridge communities; and Missouri State Highway 141, which has its southern terminus at Arnold and continues northwest into St. Louis County. There are three other numbered highways--109, 110, and 231 (locally known as Telegraph Road)--but they have spans of only a few miles. In addition, Missouri Supplemental Highway M is a controlled-access road from its junction with Highway 21 to just short of its junction with Interstate 55, making it a main east-west road in the county.

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Jefferson County had a total population of 218,733, with 81,700 households and 60,031 families; this represented a significant increase from its 2000 population of 198,099. The population density was 329.3 per square mile. There were 87,626 housing units, or about 131.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was about 96.47% White, 0.82% African-American, 0.31% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.38% from some other race, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.56% of the population.^[8]

The median age in the county was about 38 years. 25.14% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.31% was between the ages of 18 and 24, 26.78% was between the ages of 25 and 44, 28.63% was between the ages of 45 and 64, and 11.15% was 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 49.8% male, 50.2% female.^[9]

As of 2018, the median household income in the county was $63,030, and the median family income was $71,849. Males had a median income of $52,676 versus $39,996 for females. The unemployment rate was 5.7%. The per capita income was $28,844. About 10.3% of the population was below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those 65 years old or older.^[10]

Communities[edit]

Jefferson County is home to twenty-one incorporated communities, including ten cities, four villages, and seven census-designated places (CDPs).

Cities[edit]

Arnold Byrnes Mill Crystal City De Soto Festus

Herculaneum Hillsboro (county seat) Kimmswick Olympian Village Pevely

Villages[edit]

Cedar Hill Lakes Parkdale

Peaceful Village Scotsdale

CDPs[edit]

Barnhart Cedar Hill High Ridge Horine

Imperial LaBarque Creek Murphy

Government[edit]

Local government in Jefferson County is provided by the elected officials, which include the county executive, the seven-member county council, representing each of its seven districts, and the county administrators. Traditionally, these positions have been held mostly by members of the Democratic party, but in recent years the Republican party has been predominant. ^[11]

Countywide official	Name	Party
Assessor	Robert Boyer	Republican
Auditor	Kristy L. Apprill	Republican
Circuit Clerk	Michael Reuter	Republican
Collector	Michelle Worth	Democratic
County Clerk	Ken Waller	Republican
County Executive	Dennis Gannon	Republican
County Council (District 1)	Brian Haskins	Republican
County Council (District 2)	Renee Reuter	Republican
County Council (District 3)	Phil Hendrickson	Republican
County Council (District 4)	Charles Groeteke	Republican
County Council (District 5)	Tracey Perry	Republican
County Council (District 6)	Dan Stallman	Republican
County Council (District 7)	Jim Terry	Republican
Prosecuting Attorney	Trisha Stefanski	Republican
Public Administrator	Steve Farmer	Republican
Recorder	Debbie Dunnegan-Waters	Republican
Sheriff	Dave Marshak	Republican
Treasurer	Paula Wagner	Republican

At the state level, Jefferson County is included within seven legislative districts in the Missouri House of Representatives. The northernmost portion, including part of the city of Arnold, is part of the 97th District, which also includes a small part of southern St. Louis County. It is currently represented by Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold), who was elected to her second term in November 2020 without opposition.

The northwestern part of the county, including the city of Byrnes Mill and the Cedar Hill and House Springs communities, comprises the 111th District. It is currently represented by Shane Roden (R-Cedar Hill), who was re-elected to his fourth and final term in November 2020, defeating Democratic candidate Daniel Cherry.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Shane Roden	Republican	13,308	70.870%
Daniel Cherry	Democratic	5,470	29.130%

North-central Jefferson County, including part of the city of Arnold, makes up the 112th District. It is currently represented by Rob Vescovo (R-Arnold), who was elected to his fourth and final term in November 2020 without opposition. Vescovo is the present Speaker of the Missouri House.

The eastern portion of the county as far south as Kimmswick makes up the 113th District. It is currently represented by Dan Shaul (R-Imperial), who was elected to his fourth and final term in November 2020, defeating Democratic candidate Terry Burgess.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Dan Shaul	Republican	11,150	63.105%
Terry Burgess	Democratic	6,519	36.895%

East-central Jefferson County, including the cities of Pevely, Herculaneum, Festus, and Crystal City, comprises the 114th District. It is currently represented by Becky Ruth (R-Festus), who was elected to her fourth and final term in November 2020 without opposition.

Most of the southern part of the county, including a small portion of the city of Festus, belongs to the 115th District, which also includes parts of St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve Counties. It is currently represented by Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway (R-Festus), who was elected to her first term in November 2020, defeating Democratic candidate Cynthia Nugent.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway	Republican	11,856	72.514%
Cynthia D. Nuget	Democratic	4,494	27.486%

Buchheit-Courtway roughly matched her overall total in Jefferson County, winning 7,300 votes compared to 2,835 for Nugent.

The southwestern part of the county, including the cities of De Soto and Hillsboro, belongs to the 118th District, which also includes part of Washington County. It is currently represented by Mike McGirl (R-Potosi), who was elected to his second term in November 2020 without opposition.

In the Missouri State Senate, most of the southern half of Jefferson County is part of the 3rd District, which also includes Iron, Reynolds, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington Counties. It is currently represented by Elaine Gannon (R-De Soto), who was elected to her first term in November 2020 without opposition.

The northern half of the county makes up the 22nd District. It is currently represented by Paul Wieland (R-Imperial), who was elected to his second and final term in November 2018, defeating Democratic candidate Robert Butler.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Paul Wieland	Republican	40,556	58.323%
Robert Butler	Democratic	26,903	38.689%
Richie Camden	Libertarian	2,078	2.988%

At the federal level, Jefferson County is included within three separate U.S. Congressional Districts. A sliver of territory in the northeast belongs to Missouri's 2nd Congressional District, which also includes parts of St. Louis and St. Charles Counties. It is represented by Ann Wagner (R-Ballwin), who won re-election in November 2020, defeating Democrat Jill Schupp.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Ann Wagner	Republican	233,157	51.888%
Jill Schupp	Democratic	204,540	45.519%
Martin Schulte	Libertarian	11,647	2.592%

Wagner somewhat overperformed her average margin in Jefferson County, winning 59.24% of the vote.

Most of the northern half of the county is part of Missouri's 3rd Congressional District, which also includes most of east-central Missouri. It is represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth), who won re-election in November 2020, defeating Democrat Megan Rezabek.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Blaine Luetkemeyer	Republican	282,866	69.441%
Megan Rezabek	Democratic	116,095	28.50%
Leonard J. Steinman II	Libertarian	8,344	2.048%

Luetkemeyer slightly underperformed his average margin in Jefferson County, winning 65.689% of the vote.

Most of the southern half is part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District, which includes most of southeast and south-central Missouri. It is represented by Jason Smith (R-Salem), who won re-election in November 2020, defeating Democrat Kathy Ellis.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Jason Smith	Republican	253,811	76.86%
Kathy Ellis	Democratic	70,561	21.367%
Tom Schmitz	Libertarian	5,854	1.773%

Smith somewhat underperformed his average margin in Jefferson County, winning 67.378% of the vote.^[12]

Political Culture

Traditionally, Jefferson County has been something of an independent or "swing" county, due to its position at the edge of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The northern part of the county, being heavily suburban, is typically moderate on social and economic issues, while the southern and more rural section tends to resemble more closely the Bible Belt of southern Missouri, being more socially conservative and economically populist; resulting in a complex political character. From the 1930s to the 1960s, it was solidly Democratic on both the federal and state levels; since then it has been more mixed in its results, but was carried by Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 and by Barack Obama in 2008. Jay Nixon, the Democratic governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017, is a native of De Soto. More recently, though, it has trended heavily Republican, as its voters have become progressively more alienated by the Democrats' radical policies. In 2016, Donald Trump achieved a solid win in the county with 64.98% of the vote, increasing his total to 66.03% in the 2020 election.^[13]

Jefferson County has similarly been a battleground on state policy issues. In 2004, it voted overwhelmingly in favor of Constitutional Amendment 2, which recognized marriage as between a man and a woman only--the measure passed in Jefferson County with 72.56% support. In 2006, however, it narrowly voted in favor of an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, with 51.85% supporting it; it also passed the state at large by a narrow margin. At the same time, the county regularly supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class. In the November 2006 election, the county, like the state, supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 79.90% voting in favor; in November 2018, a similar measure (which passed the state at large) received 59.22% of the vote. These results are typical of the suburban culture, and together with its size, make Jefferson County pivotal in many Missouri elections.

References[edit]