Desloge, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Desloge is a city in St. Francois County, Missouri, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The estimated 2008 population was 5,190. It was 4,802 at the 2000 census.

History

The City of Desloge, Missouri was founded by Firmin V. Desloge, II son of Firmin Rene Desloge who migrated from France and settled in Potosi
Potosi, Missouri
Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is about 10 miles north of Belgrade. The estimated population in July 2008 was 2,698. It was 2,662 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...

. Both Desloges were descendants of French nobility. Firmin V. Desloge, II became acquainted with mining through his father and acquired many claims in the area of what is modern day Desloge and Bonne Terre. Desloge developed one of his claims just north of Bonne Terre and built a concentrating plant there.

The plant was destroyed by fire in 1883 and rather than rebuild, Firmin Desloge decided to explore his properties in the present area of Desloge. This new plant and the consolidation of several local mining companies under the Desloge family name became known as the Desloge Consolidated Lead Company
Desloge Consolidated Lead Company
Desloge Consolidated Lead Company is a historically significant Missouri lead mining company owned by a great industrialist baron family of the 19th and 20th centuries in the new American Frontier - starting just after the Louisiana Purchase, in the Southeast Missouri Lead District.-History:The...

. In 1887, the land was cleared and company houses for his staff were constructed in an area referred to as "Desloge Town", just west of the present day railroad tracks. Here, Desloge sank a shaft and built a concentrating plant which commenced operations in 1892. Desloge Missouri and the regional Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District became one of the principal lead mining centers in the US. The Desloge Consolidated Lead Company plant ran under the family operation until 1929 when the company was sold to the St. Joe Lead Company.

Firmin Desloge II, who died in 1930, willed to his family the original 47 acres (190,202.4 m²) of the hand-dug pits of the original lead mining operations and the deeply rutted wagon tracks on a property. The family then donated this land for a park, today named Firmin Desloge Park, and dedicated it to the mining families in the area.

Firmin Desloge moved to St. Louis in the early 1900s. His son, Firmin Desloge III was superintendent of mines until he moved his family including his sons Firmin V. Desloge IV, William Livingston Desloge and Theodore P. Desloge to St. Louis in 1921.

The City of Desloge was incorporated on March 7, 1941 with D.E. Brown as its first Mayor.

Recreation

In the center of town (at Parkside & Walnut Streets), Desloge City Park, offering an Olympic size swimming pool, tennis courts, picnic tables, barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...

 pits, amphitheater, walking/jogging path, and playground equipment.
Brightwell Park (at Cedar Street & Brightwell Blvd.) features three baseball diamonds for little to senior league baseball and softball.

Community services

The City of Desloge Police Department employs 10 personnel, offering 24 hour protection. Emergency calls are handled by the St. Francois County Joint Communications Center. In an emergency, dial 911. The City of Desloge Police Department is located at 1000 North Desloge Drive.
The City of Desloge Volunteer Fire Department is one of the finest volunteer departments in St. Francois County. This professionally trained department utilizes state of the art equipment, including a 2000 Pumper Truck. In an emergency, dial 911. The City of Desloge Volunteer Fire Department is located at 100 Chadrick Street.
The City of Desloge Public Works Department oversees the Municipal Waterworks system, streets & alleys, trash removal, recycling, and city maintenance. The Public Works Department is located at 1000 East Chestnut Street.
Free, once a week, trash pickup is offered to Desloge residents. A citywide, voluntary, recycling program is also available.

Health services

The City of Desloge is centrally located to two health and medical service providers. BJC Health Systems operates in Bonne Terre and Farmington. Mineral Area Regional Medical Center, an Osteopathic institution is in Farmington.

Education

Educational opportunities in Desloge are provided by the North County R-1 School District, serving grades K-12, the Unitec Career Center, offering business and industry training, and Mineral Area College, a two year community college, and the first in the state of Missouri to offer the 2+2 program, offering a full four year degree through Central Methodist College.

Geography

Desloge is located at 37.872781°N 90.520484°W (37.872781, -90.520484).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 4,802 people, 1,963 households, and 1,336 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,808.8 people per square mile (699.6/km2). There were 2,115 housing units at an average density of 796.7 per square mile (308.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.63% White, 0.10% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 1,963 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,956, and the median income for a family was $40,035. Males had a median income of $35,451 versus $19,599 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $16,235. About 6.2% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

External links

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