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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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