| 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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