St. James, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| City of St. James | |
 Business District of St. James in 2014 | |
| Nickname(s): STJ, Forest City of The Ozarks | |
 Location of St. James, Missouri | |
| Coordinates:37°59′56″N91°36′59″W / 37.99889°N 91.61639°W /37.99889; -91.61639 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Phelps |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.28 sq mi (11.09 km2) |
| • Land | 4.27 sq mi (11.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,935 |
• Estimate (2023) | 4,053 |
| • Density | 921.11/sq mi (355.61/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| FIPS code | 29-64424[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396494[2] |
| Website | stjamesmissouri.org |
St. James is a city inPhelps County,Missouri, United States. The population was 3,920 at the2020 census.
The settlement was originally known as Big Prairie because of its location on the natural prairie of that name in the area. In 1859, when a man by the name of John Wood anticipated the extension of theSt. Louis-San Francisco Railway, the settlement became known for a short time as Scioto, named after the town ofScioto, Ohio, where many of the town's early settlers originated. In 1860, the town was named St. James to honor Thomas James, who came fromOhio and created the Meramec Iron Works.[4] The town was intended as a shipping point for the Meramec Iron Works, which had been shipping its products by wagon train.[5][6]
St. James was the part-time home of Lucy Wortham James, a wealthy philanthropist who had a love for the area. She was a descendant of Thomas James, aChillicothe banker who founded the Maramec Iron Works.[7] The James Foundation, a charitable organization she founded, was responsible for the St. James City Park and the James Memorial Library, as well as Maramec Spring Park. The City of St. James now owns both the park and the public library.
Mayme Ousley, the first woman elected mayor of a town in Missouri, was first elected mayor of St. James in 1921.[8] The city hall was named after her in 2013.[9]
TheMaramec Iron Works District,St. James Chapel, andVerkamp Shelter are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[10]
St. James is located in the foothills of theOzark Mountains at37°59′56″N91°36′59″W / 37.99889°N 91.61639°W /37.99889; -91.61639 (37.998848, −91.616386).[11] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.29 square miles (11.11 km2), of which 4.28 square miles (11.09 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 392 | — | |
| 1890 | 467 | 19.1% | |
| 1900 | 575 | 23.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,100 | 91.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,117 | 1.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,294 | 15.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,812 | 40.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,996 | 10.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,384 | 19.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,929 | 22.9% | |
| 1980 | 3,328 | 13.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,256 | −2.2% | |
| 2000 | 3,704 | 13.8% | |
| 2010 | 4,216 | 13.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,935 | −6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] | |||
As of thecensus[14] of 2010, there were 4,216 people, 1,632 households, and 1,029 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 985.0 inhabitants per square mile (380.3/km2). There were 1,767 housing units at an average density of 412.9 per square mile (159.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.11%White, 0.95%Black orAfrican American, 0.66%Native American, 0.28%Asian, 0.38% fromother races, and 1.61% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 1,632 households, of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% weremarried couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.94.
The median age in the city was 37 years. 27.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64, and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
Tacony Corporation manufactures Simplicity and Riccar vacuum cleaners in St. James.
Public education in St. James is administered by St. James R-I School District.[15]
St. James has apublic library, the James Memorial Library.[16]
St. James is home to several award-winning wineries,[17] includingSt. James Winery. It is also home toMaramec Spring Park.[18]
The Maramec Spring Park contains the fifth largest spring in the state. An average of 100 million gallons of water flows from the Spring daily. Maramec Spring Park contains 1,860 acres of forest and fields. The 200-acre public use area of the park provides many amenities and activities for visitors such as a cafe, store, camping, wildlife viewing, fish feeding, picnicking, shelters, playgrounds and fishing. The Meramec River, a clear calm Ozark stream, flows through the park providing excellent fishing.
The park is open year-round to the public. A daily entry fee is required to enter the park from mid-February through October. Annual passes may be purchased at the park.
Maramec Spring Park is privately owned and operated by The James Foundation.
TheSt. James Leader-Journal was the Voice of St. James since 1896 and was in continual operation for a longer period of time than any other business in the St. James City Limits, until it was closed on July 13, 2016. The weekly newspaper was owned byGateHouse Media.[19]The Leader-Journal was a sister paper ofThe Rolla Daily News and theWaynesville Daily Guide.The Guide closed in 2018 and theDaily News was merged into thePhelps County Focus in 2021.
Municipalities and communities ofPhelps County, Missouri,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
