Eureka, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri
, United States, between St. Louis
and Pacific, Missouri
, along Interstate 44
. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 10,189. The city is 2 miles (3 km) west of the former site of Times Beach
, the site of dioxin contamination discovered in the 1980s; the area was cleaned up and became Route 66 State Park
. Since 1971, Eureka has been known as the home of the amusement park
formerly known as Six Flags Over Mid-America and now called Six Flags St. Louis
. Local news coverage for the town and some of its neighbors is provided by the Tri County Journal
and the Washington Missourian
.
. By 1890, the village consisted of about 100 homes. According to the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, railroad workers while clearing way for the track and the next railroad camp saw Eureka, level land with little to clear, and declared, "Eureka!
" Greek meaning "I have found it." Thus, Eureka was founded. In 1898, Eureka became home to the St. Louis Children's Industrial Farm, established to give children from St. Louis tenement
neighborhoods a chance to experience life in a rural setting. It later became known as Camp Wyman, now a part of Wyman Center, and is one of the oldest camps in the United States. Eureka was incorporated as a fourth-class city on April 7, 1954.
and Business Loop 44 in western St. Louis County. In 1985 it was annexed by the city of Eureka. The town is currently rural, with adjacent farmland and forested Ozark ridges. Allenton was declared blighted by St. Louis County in 1973. Allenton and other parts of Eureka have become part of a $500 million redevelopment
plan proposed by a partnership including The Jones Company and American Heritage Homes. The redevelopment proposal would include land and homes purchased by Eureka as part of a previously proposed redevelopment plan.
There are 2,487 households out of which half have children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% are married couples living together, 8.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% are non-families. 13.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.98 and the average family size is 3.30.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $74,301, and the median income for a family is $80,625. Males have a median income of $51,799 versus $33,269 for females. The per-capita income for the city is $27,553. 2.2% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
38.502736°N 90.645075°W -Eureka, Missouri
St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...
, United States, between St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Pacific, Missouri
Pacific, Missouri
Pacific is a city in Franklin and St. Louis counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 7,002 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pacific is located at . The city straddles the Franklin County/St. Louis County line, which lies halfway on the blocks between Elm and Neosho streets. St...
, along Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 10,189. The city is 2 miles (3 km) west of the former site of Times Beach
Times Beach, Missouri
Times Beach, Missouri was a small town of 2,240 residents in St. Louis County, Missouri, 17 miles southwest of St. Louis and 2 mi east of Eureka, Missouri. The town was completely evacuated early in 1983 due to a dioxin scare that made national headlines...
, the site of dioxin contamination discovered in the 1980s; the area was cleaned up and became Route 66 State Park
Route 66 State Park
Route 66 State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Missouri, located on the former site of the town of Times Beach. It is a 419 acre park located less than one mile east of Eureka....
. Since 1971, Eureka has been known as the home of the amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
formerly known as Six Flags Over Mid-America and now called Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis , is an amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc. It is located in Eureka, Missouri, USA . Opened in 1971 as the third theme park of the Six Flags chain, this was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name...
. Local news coverage for the town and some of its neighbors is provided by the Tri County Journal
Tri County Journal
The Tri-County Journal is owned by Pulitzer Publications, founded in 1878, the same owner as the Saint Louis Post Dispatch. It covers the local news in Pacific, Eureka, Robertsville, Villa Ridge, Labadie, Catawissa, Saint Clair, and Gray Summit....
and the Washington Missourian
Washington Missourian
The Washington Missourian is the Franklin County paper based in Washington, Missouri. The paper is owned by Missourian Publishing Company, a family-owned company. James L...
.
History
The village of Eureka was platted in 1858 along the route of the Pacific RailroadPacific Railroad
The Pacific Railroad was a railroad based in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was a predecessor of both the Missouri Pacific Railroad and St. Louis-San Francisco Railway.The Pacific was chartered by Missouri in 1849 to extend "from St...
. By 1890, the village consisted of about 100 homes. According to the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, railroad workers while clearing way for the track and the next railroad camp saw Eureka, level land with little to clear, and declared, "Eureka!
Eureka (word)
"Eureka" is an interjection used to celebrate a discovery, a transliteration of a word attributed to Archimedes.-Etymology:The word comes from ancient Greek εὕρηκα heúrēka "I have found ", which is the 1st person singular perfect indicative active of the verb heuriskō "I find"...
" Greek meaning "I have found it." Thus, Eureka was founded. In 1898, Eureka became home to the St. Louis Children's Industrial Farm, established to give children from St. Louis tenement
Tenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
neighborhoods a chance to experience life in a rural setting. It later became known as Camp Wyman, now a part of Wyman Center, and is one of the oldest camps in the United States. Eureka was incorporated as a fourth-class city on April 7, 1954.
Allenton
The railroad town of Allenton is a former community on U.S. Highway 66 located (now) at the junction of Interstate 44Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
and Business Loop 44 in western St. Louis County. In 1985 it was annexed by the city of Eureka. The town is currently rural, with adjacent farmland and forested Ozark ridges. Allenton was declared blighted by St. Louis County in 1973. Allenton and other parts of Eureka have become part of a $500 million redevelopment
Redevelopment
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.-Description:Variations on redevelopment include:* Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no existing activity but were previously developed, especially on Brownfield land, such as the redevelopment of an industrial site...
plan proposed by a partnership including The Jones Company and American Heritage Homes. The redevelopment proposal would include land and homes purchased by Eureka as part of a previously proposed redevelopment plan.
Local economy
Eureka is known for its antique shopping. Once a year a candlelight walk is held in old town Eureka. Visitors use this night to tour the numerous antique shops within walking distance of one another. Also within walking distance within "Old Town" Eureka are many restaurants popular with local residents. Eureka is the home to the last amusement park to be built under the "Six Flags Over" name.Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 7,676 people in the city, organized into 2,487 households and 2 families. Its population density is 763.7 people per square mile (294.9/km²). There are 2,622 housing units at an average density of 260.9 per square mile (100.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.38% White, 0.82% Asian, 0.57% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, no Pacific Islanders, 0.26% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.There are 2,487 households out of which half have children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% are married couples living together, 8.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% are non-families. 13.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.98 and the average family size is 3.30.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $74,301, and the median income for a family is $80,625. Males have a median income of $51,799 versus $33,269 for females. The per-capita income for the city is $27,553. 2.2% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.1% of those under the age of 18 and 5.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
38.502736°N 90.645075°W -Eureka, Missouri