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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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