Bonne Terre, Missouri

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Bonne Terre is a city in northern St. Francois County, Missouri, about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis in the "Lead Belt" region. It had a population of 6,864 at the 2010 census.

The city is known for its large-scale former lead mine, now accessible to the public for recreational purposes, and in recent years for being the site where Missouri death row inmates are executed.

History[edit]

The first exploration of the Bonne Terre area was made by a French expedition under Philippe François Renault around 1720, investigating the presence of lead and other mineral resources in the region. Renault gave a promising report, and lead-mining began later in the 18th century at several points further south, but such activity did not begin around what became Bonne Terre until about 1825, when French settlers dug what became known as La Grave Mines. They gave it its name of Bonne Terre (pronounced bon-TAIR), meaning "good earth," referencing the fact that unlike in the surrounding area, the clay soil there was laced with lead ore, which could be separated out through mere washing, making more intensive efforts unnecessary.^[1]

Bonne Terre was not a truly permanent community for many years, remaining closer to a miners' camp until 1864. In April of that year, the newly-formed St. Joseph Lead Company bought the mine and rapidly expanded it, despite such disruptions as the inflicting of heavy damage by a major Confederate raid later that same year. Deep shafts were sunk, new drilling technology was introduced, and a lead smelter was constructed on the site to refine it for transport to St. Louis and elsewhere. The construction of the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre railroad in 1890 assisted with this latter step. During this time, Bonne Terre itself was rapidly growing as a community, having had a post office from 1868 (its name spelled for a time as "Bontear").^[2] Though the company kept most of the property in its own hands and refused to allow incorporation, it invested considerable money in services and facilities to satisfy the miners, their families, and other locals, supporting the construction of wide streets and numerous churches, school buildings, hotels, and a well-regarded library.^[3]

By the early 20th century, Bonne Terre (finally incorporated in the 1920s) was in many respects the center of the American lead industry. The local smelter was the largest of its kind in the country, and the mine was producing upwards of a half-million tons of lead per year, dug from an extensive network of underground tunnels.^[4] By the 1940s, though, lead production was beginning to taper off, and the St. Joseph Lead Company shifted its operations to untapped deposits farther to the southwest. The mine at Bonne Terre finally closed in 1961, and for some time thereafter the town's population and economy were rather stagnant.

The community recovered in the late 20th and early 21st centuries from a steady economic diversification. The old mine was converted to recreational uses and opened to the public for tours and diving, and quickly gained national fame. Additionally, in 2003 the State of Missouri opened the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center just east of Bonne Terre; since its opening, all executions of death row inmates have been carried out at the facility, though other prisoners are housed there as well. It has been a major source of employment for the local population, which has grown significantly as a result.^[5]

Geography[edit]

Bonne Terre is located in northern St. Francois County, about five miles northwest of Park Hills and 14 miles south of De Soto. The major highways are U.S. Route 67, which runs just east of the downtown district and along which there has been much development in recent years, and Missouri State Highway 47, which passes through the center of town before terminating at U.S. 67. The city's exact coordinates are 37°55’18”N 90°33’06”W.

The city sits on rather gently rolling hills among the St. Francois Mountains, with the Big River curving around it to the east and north. It has a total area of 4.10 square miles, and an average elevation of 830 feet.^[6] The famed Bonne Terre mine is located within the city itself, along Highway 47 near the intersection with Allen Street.

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Bonne Terre had a total of 6,864 inhabitants, grouped into 1,634 households, with a population density of 1,699.0 people per square mile. This figure marked a dramatic increase from the 2000 census (partly brought on by the opening of the nearby prison), when Bonne Terre had a population of 4,039. 79.60% of the inhabitants were White, 18.72% were African-American, 0.34% were Native American, 0.20% were Asian, 0.10% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.10% were from some other race, and 0.93% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.35% of the population.

The median age in Bonne Terre was 34.2 years, with 17.3% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 12.8% between 18 and 24 years old, 37.1% between 25 and 44, 22.3% between 45 and 64, and 10.4% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 67.1% male, 32.9% female.^[7]

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Bonne Terre had a median household income of $51,175, and a median family income of $61,827. The unemployment rate was 7.7%. The per capita income was $16,634. About 10.4% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 10.6% of people under the age of 18 and 17.1% of people 65 years old or older.^[8]

Government[edit]

Bonne Terre has a mayor-council form of government, composed of a mayor, a mayor pro tempore, and a board of aldermen, one elected from each of the city's four wards. A city administrator also assists in day-to-day operations. The current mayor is Brandon Hubbard, first elected in 2016.^[9]

Education[edit]

Bonne Terre and most of the surrounding region (including the nearby community of Desloge) are served by the North St. Francois County R-I School District, of which its main offices, the Primary School (grades PK-02), and the High School (09-12) are in the city itself; all other facilities are in Desloge.^[10] The school district has a combined enrollment of about 3,000 students. Its mascot is the Raiders, and the school colors are blue and gold.^[11]

The city is also home to St. Joseph Elementary School, a private Catholic institution serving grades K-6, and Unitec Career Center, which provides alternative schooling for grades 10-12 as well as adult education courses.

Local Attractions[edit]

The most notable site in the city is the Bonne Terre Mine, in many respects the most important of the Old Lead Belt of St. Francois County. After its closure in 1961, the mine was converted for recreational and tourist purposes, with a large portion of its shafts and tunnels allowed to fill with water. Today, in addition to boat and walking tours of the mine and its transport system, there are supervised scuba diving expeditions of the so-called "Billion-Gallon Lake."^[12] The mine has been named by National Geographic as one of the top 10 adventures in America, and featured in a number of national news programs and articles.^[13]

The mine is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are the Bonne Terre Depot (built 1909 in Queen Anne style) and the St. Joseph Lead Company Administration Building (also built 1909 in Gothic style).

In addition, Bonne Terre has The Space Museum, opened in 2006 and featuring over 600 artifacts related to American exploration of space. Its items include a flag carried on the Apollo 17 mission by Eugene Cernan. A wing of the museum was rededicated as the Grissom Center in 2019, honoring astronaut Gus Grissom.^[14]

References[edit]