St. Francois County, Missouri

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Saint Francois County (usually abbreviated as St. Francois) is a county in the Lead Belt region of southeast Missouri. It had a population of 65,359 at the 2010 census, making it the second-most populous county in southeast Missouri (behind Cape Girardeau County). Farmington is the county seat and largest city.

The county was organized in 1821 and named for the Saint Francis River (spelled "Francois" in some early accounts), whose upper course flows through the region.

History[edit]

Present-day St. Francois County derives its name from the St. Francis River (as do the St. Francois Mountains, in which the county is included), whose headwaters are just beyond its western boundary. The river in turn was named by Father Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary and explorer, when he discovered its junction with the Mississippi River in modern-day Arkansas as part of a 1673 expedition. It is not clear who the "Francis" refers to; he may have meant St. Francis of Assisi, or alternately Francis Xavier, the 16th-century founder of the Jesuits. Some have suggested it is more likely that Marquette, being a Jesuit himself, would have been more likely to honor the founder of his own order than the founder of a rival (Franciscan) order.

The river, mountain range, and later county were for a long time variously spelled as "Francis" or "Francois," with many other versions abounding as well. Eventually, the river came to be labeled "St. Francis"; however, in the legislation establishing Missouri's boundaries upon statehood, the river was spelled as "Francois," and it is possible that the mountains and therefore the county received their spelling from this.

The first European exploration of the area may have come around 1720, when Philippe François Renault, a French explorer and entrepreneur, led an expedition into the uplands west of the Mississippi to investigate reports of lead and iron ore deposits in the region. He did in fact find evidence of their existence, and lead mines may have begun operations as early as the 1740s. These were generally operated at first by French colonists from Ste. Genevieve to the east, who set up temporary camps rather than permanent settlements; the mines' products had become a significant part of the frontier economy by the late 18th century and helped make the fortunes of many colonial merchants.^[1]

Permanent residents only began arriving in the late 1790s, as the authorities of the Louisiana Territory (now a Spanish colony) began authorizing land grants for the French colonists as well as arriving American pioneers. In 1796 a few settlers established a homestead, soon known as Alley's Mills, on the Big River in the north. Two years later, William Murphy, a Baptist minister from eastern Tennessee, immigrated to the region, followed by his extended family, and created a community known as Murphy Settlement; this was shortly followed by another to the east, known as Cook's after its founder. Additionally, French and American entrepreneurs continued to open more mining operations around 1800, to which more and more workers flocked.

Settlement of the area only accelerated after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, after which the flow of American arrivals dramatically increased. Throughout this period, it was a part of the Ste. Genevieve administrative district, and continued to be when that district was reorganized into Ste. Genevieve County in 1812; however, there was already a demand for it to have its own separate government. Immediately after Missouri received statehood, commissioners were chosen to carve a new county from parts of Jefferson, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington Counties (into which the region had already been divided). The new county was titled St. Francois, and officially formed on December 19, 1821. Citizens of Murphy Settlement donated land for the county seat, which was soon renamed Farmington. At its first census (1830), St. Francois County had a population of 2,366.^[2]

In the following decades, the county grew rapidly, due in large part to the mining opportunities it provided. Though lead continued to be the most heavily-mined resource, by the 1850s iron ore was being tapped in large quantities around Iron Mountain in the far southwest. The opening of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain railroad in 1858, providing direct traffic with the growing city of St. Louis, promised to spur additional growth; however, the outbreak of the Civil War a few years later caused a serious setback in the county’s progress. The railroad and many mines were repeatedly targeted by Confederate raiders, while local bands of guerrillas caused a great deal of disruption and hardship. One of these partisan fighters, a St. Francois County native by the name of Sam Hildebrand who fought for the South, became something of a local legend, continuing his activities well after the war until his death in 1872.

After the Civil War, the county’s recovery was spurred once again by the mines, as multiple companies were organized for a more intensive excavation of the area’s mineral deposits. Though iron ore and significant amounts of zinc, copper, and nickel were extracted as well, the mining of lead was far and away the most important, giving the region its name--the “Lead Belt.” Though a few minor operations were carried on in neighboring counties, the Lead Belt at that time was overwhelmingly centered on St. Francois County; between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, a majority of the nation’s lead production came from this one district. Such cities as Farmington, Bonne Terre, Desloge, and Leadwood became large and prosperous as a result, and extensive underground complexes were developed to tap the lead deposits.

By the 1930s, nearly all mining operations had been taken over by the St. Joseph Lead Company. Production in St. Francois County was beginning to decline by this point, leading the company to shift the bulk of its activity further west. The local mines were gradually shut down from the 1950s onward; the last, at Flat River, ceased production in 1972.^[3] Their closure resulted in a period of economic uncertainty for the county; however, it has sought to recover some of the lost ground through education and tourism, with many of the abandoned mines having been converted into parks and artificial lakes.

Today, St. Francois County remains a populous and dynamic area. Its most recent significant change came in 1994, when Flat River and three other nearby communities merged to form the city of Park Hills.

Geography[edit]

St. Francois County is located in southeast Missouri, one of the counties that make up the so-called "Lead Belt" on account of the many deposits of lead scattered throughout the region. It is bordered on the north by Jefferson County, on the east by Ste. Genevieve County, on the southeast by Perry County, on the south by Madison County, on the southwest by Iron County, and on the west by Washington County.

The county has a total area of 454.68 square miles, including 451.89 of land and 2.79 of water.^[4] The most prominent natural feature is the St. Francois Mountains, which are especially high and rugged in the southwest, from the boundary with Iron County to about the city of Park Hills. Brown Mountain, the county's highest peak at 1,650 feet, is in this region, near the city of Iron Mountain Lake. Farther north and east, the terrain is more open and rolling, with relatively flat sections around Farmington that contain fertile farmland.^[5] The lowest elevations, at about 600 feet, occur in the far north in the valley of the Big River.

There are several small-to-moderate rivers that drain the county. Most of the southern half is drained by the St. Francis River, which originates just to the southwest in Iron County; most of the northern half is in the watershed of the Big River, a tributary of the Meramec farther northwest.

The major highway in the county is U.S. Route 67, which enters from Jefferson County to the north and passes through or near the communities of Bonne Terre, Park Hills, and Farmington before continuing south into Madison County. Other important roads include Missouri State Highways 8 and 47, both of which enter from the west and terminate at Desloge and Bonne Terre respectively.

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, St. Francois County had a total population of 65,359, with 23,981 households and 15,944 families, a significant increase from its 2000 population of 55,692.^[6] The population density was 144.6 per square mile. There were 28,458 housing units, or about 63.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was about 93.61% White, 4.25% African-American, 0.38% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.05% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.19% from some other race, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.19% of the population.

The median age in the county was 38.2 years. 22.04% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.40% was between the ages of 18 and 24, 27.54% was between the ages of 25 and 44, 26.70% was between the ages of 45 and 64, and 14.31% was 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 53.2% male, 46.8% female.^[7]

As of 2018, the median household income in the county was $45,774, and the median family income was $57,497. Males had a median income of $42,941 versus $31,422 for females. The unemployment rate was 5.7%. The per capita income was $22,575. About 16.3% of the population was below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 years old or older.^[8]

Communities[edit]

St. Francois County is home to twelve incorporated communities, including eight cities and four census-designated places (CDPs).

Cities[edit]

• Bismarck
• Bonne Terre
• Desloge
• Farmington (county seat)
• Iron Mountain Lake
• Leadington
• Leadwood
• Park Hills

CDPs[edit]

• Doe Run
• Frankclay
• Terre du Lac
• Wortham

Government[edit]

Local government in St. Francois County is provided by the elected officials. At present, these positions are dominated by the Republican party, to which a majority of the officials belong.

Countywide official	Name	Party
Assessor	Dan Ward	Democratic
Circuit Clerk	Vicki J. Weible	Democratic
County Clerk	Kevin Engler	Republican
Collector	Pamela J. Williams	Democratic
Commissioner (presiding)	Harold Gallaher	Republican
Commissioner (District 1)	Gay Wilkinson	Republican
Commissioner (District 2)	Patrick Mullins	Democratic
Coroner	Jason J. Coplin	Republican
Prosecuting Attorney	Melissa L. Gilliam	Republican
Public Administrator	Gary Matheny	Republican
Recorder	Jay Graf	Republican
Sheriff	Daniel R. Bullock	Republican
Treasurer	Kerry Glore	Democratic

At the state level, St. Francois County is part of three separate legislative districts for the Missouri House of Representatives. Much of the northern half of the county, including a portion of Park Hills, is part of the 115th District, which also includes parts of Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve Counties. It is currently represented by Elaine Gannon (R-DeSoto), who was elected to her fourth and final term in November 2018 without opposition.

The southeastern part of the county, including part of Farmington, belongs to the 116th District, which also includes parts of Perry and Ste. Genevieve Counties. It is currently represented by Dale Wright (R-Farmington), who was elected to his first term in November 2018, defeating Democrat Bill Kraemer.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Dale Wright	Republican	9,531	64.014%
Bill Kraemer	Democratic	5,354	35.959%

Wright significantly overperformed within St. Francois County, winning by a margin of 4,374 votes to 1,855 for Kraemer.

The central and western parts of the county, including most of the other communities, form the 117th District. It is currently represented by Mike Henderson (R-Bonne Terre), who was elected to a second term in November 2018, defeating Democrat Kayla Chick.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Mike Henderson	Republican	8,169	72.056%
Kayla Chick	Democratic	3,168	27.944%

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

At the federal level, St. Francois County 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 2018, defeating Democrat Kathy Ellis.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Vote Percentage
Jason Smith	Republican	194,042	73.39%
Kathy Ellis	Democratic	66,151	25.019%
Jonathan Shell	Libertarian	4,206	1.591%

Smith somewhat underperformed his average margin in St. Francois County, winning 65.211% of the vote.^[9]

Political Culture

As the above numbers indicate, St. Francois County is at present a fairly reliably Republican county, although historically this has not always been the case. The tendency of the unionized mine workers to vote Democratic, balanced against the rural GOP supporters, made it something of a “swing” county for much of the 20th century. While casting its votes for Ronald Reagan in the 1980 and 1984 elections, it strongly supported Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. Since then, however, it has steadily trended Republican, as blue-collar workers became alienated by the Democratic Party’s social radicalism. In 2016, Donald Trump carried the county with 70.64% of the vote.^[10]

Like much of southern Missouri, St. Francois County can be included within the Bible Belt, combining social conservatism with economic populism--though the latter is more pronounced than in other areas, on account of the mining culture’s legacy. 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 St. Francois County with 79.03% support. In 2006, while the state narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county narrowly defeated the measure with 50.53% voting against. At the same time, it often supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class, more frequently than much of the region. In the November 2018 election, the county supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 56.96% voting in favor (it passed the state at large). These results mark St. Francois County as an independent but right-leaning county.

References[edit]