St. Francois County, Missouri
About 56,000 people live in St.
Francois County (pronounced
"Francis"), which was formed in 1821 from
parts of Jefferson, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington
counties, and named for the St. Francois River. The
river is believed to have been named for St.
Francois of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order.
The area is widely known for its long-ago iron
mining and smelting, carried out in the area of Iron
Mountain in the southwest corner of the county. Its
lead production operations made St. Francois County
a key player in the Civil War. The St. Louis Iron
Mountain Railroad ran through the county, permitting
rapid deployment of troops from St. Louis if
necessary. Though the county was solidly Union,
there were pockets of Confederate activity
throughout the war.
The city of Farmington is the county seat. Other
cities include Bonne Terre, Desloge, Leadington and
Park Hills.
Like much of Missouri, St. Francois County has
beautiful, natural places of retreat for the world
weary, especially at St. Francois State Park:
there’s the comforting wilderness of the Pike Run
Hills; the three hiking trails (one allows
equestrians) of Coonville Creek Wild Area; and the
perfect place for launching canoes, the Big River,
which forms the southern boundary of the park.
Other places of interest in St. Francois County:
-
Buck Mountain -- a 120-acre area
is best known for its natural granite
formations.
-
Mark Twain National Forest --
the only national forest in the state covers
1,487,009 acres.
-
St. Francis River
-
St. Joe State Park – this
third largest state park has two lead -ore mill
buildings, which have been designated as the
Missouri Mines State Historic Site.
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