Irondale, Missouri

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Irondale is a city in southeastern Washington County, Missouri. It had a population of 445 at the 2010 census.

History[edit]

Irondale derives its origins and its name from the large furnace erected along Dry Creek by businessman John G. Scott, about 1857, for the refinement of iron ore excavated nearby. Scott sold the furnace and grounds shortly thereafter to Edwin Harrison and Company, which continued operations until about 1880 and had the area surveyed and laid out for the development of a town. Originally, Irondale was divided by the creek into two communities, Mineral City to the west and Log Town to the east, but they soon coalesced into a single town.^[1]

By 1900, Irondale was a small but thriving community, owing in part to its location alongside the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railway. In 1906, its name was briefly changed to Savoy, due to confusion in the mail going to towns with similar-sounding names (such as Ironton), but within a few years it had resumed its original name.^[2]

Geography[edit]

Irondale lies along State Route M in southeastern Washington County, about nine miles southeast of Potosi and about five miles southwest of Leadwood. Its exact coordinates are 37°50’07”N 90°40’21”W.

The city is located mostly on the east side of Dry Creek, a tributary of Big River which flows a short distance to the northwest, near the western edge of the St. Francois Mountains. It has a total area of 0.54 square miles, and an average elevation of 807 feet.^[3]

Demographics[edit]

At the 2010 census, Irondale had a total of 445 inhabitants, grouped into 160 households, with a population density of 839.6 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Irondale had a population of 437. 97.53% of the inhabitants were White, 0.22% were Native American, and 2.25% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 0.90% of the population.

The median age in Irondale was 36.9 years, with 28.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 7.2% between 18 and 24 years old, 24.7% between 25 and 44, 27.2% between 45 and 64, and 12.4% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 50.8% male, 49.2% female.^[4]

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Irondale had a median household income of $35,250, and a median family income of $40,795. The unemployment rate was 8.2%. The per capita income was $14,812. About 33.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 48.1% of people under the age of 18 and 11.9% of people 65 years old or older.^[5]

Education[edit]

Though it is not located in the same county, Irondale and the surrounding area are served by the West St. Francois County R-IV School District, based in the neighboring city of Leadwood.^[6]

References[edit]