Fenton is a city in
St. Louis CountySt. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the south side 2000 census, the population was 1,016,315, making the county the most populous in the state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the sprawling St. Louis Metro Area...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a suburb of
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
. The population was 4,360 at the 2000 census. It is the home of and the headquarters of televangelist
Joyce MeyerPauline Joyce Hutchison Meyer, more commonly known as Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Her television and radio programs air in 25 languages in 200 countries, and she has written over 70 books on Christianity. Joyce and her husband Dave have been married since January 7,...
.
Due to its proximity to fertile land and the
Meramec RiverThe Meramec River is one of the longest free-flowing waterways in Missouri—it wanders some 220 miles through six Missouri Ozark Highland counties: Dent, Phelps, Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Louis, before it empties into the Mississippi River at Arnold, Missouri and Oakville, Missouri....
, the Fenton area has been inhabited for over 1,000 years. The earliest proof of ancient dwellers was excavated from the "Fenton Mounds," two conical, earthen burial mounds located near the southwestern border of the City of Fenton.
Fenton is a city in
St. Louis CountySt. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the south side 2000 census, the population was 1,016,315, making the county the most populous in the state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the sprawling St. Louis Metro Area...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a suburb of
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
. The population was 4,360 at the 2000 census. It is the home of and the headquarters of televangelist
Joyce MeyerPauline Joyce Hutchison Meyer, more commonly known as Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Her television and radio programs air in 25 languages in 200 countries, and she has written over 70 books on Christianity. Joyce and her husband Dave have been married since January 7,...
.
History
Due to its proximity to fertile land and the
Meramec RiverThe Meramec River is one of the longest free-flowing waterways in Missouri—it wanders some 220 miles through six Missouri Ozark Highland counties: Dent, Phelps, Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Louis, before it empties into the Mississippi River at Arnold, Missouri and Oakville, Missouri....
, the Fenton area has been inhabited for over 1,000 years. The earliest proof of ancient dwellers was excavated from the "Fenton Mounds," two conical, earthen burial mounds located near the southwestern border of the City of Fenton. Diagnostic pottery shards from the mounds indicate they date from the Mississippian Times, A.D. 1050 - 1400. In 2001, the mounds were leveled for construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter .
The Fenton territory was occupied by native Americans and early settlers in the 1770s. William Lindsay Long founded the city of Fenton on March 23, 1818. The original eight square block area is now referred to as "Old Towne Fenton."
Geography
Fenton is located at (38.527953, -90.444195).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (4.66%) is water.
The topography of the Fenton area is predominated by rolling hills.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 4,360 people, 1,587 households, and 1,239 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 710.7 people per square mile (274.6/km²). There were 1,631 housing units at an average density of 265.9/sq mi (102.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.98% White, 0.39% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.18% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.
There were 1,587 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $74,708, and the median income for a family was $80,536. Males had a median income of $56,425 versus $34,514 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $29,658. About 0.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Chrysler LLC assembly North and South plants are located on North Highway Dr. in Fenton, the South plant assembled the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan. The North plant assembled the Dodge Ram Truck. Other major corporations in the city include the Nooter Corporation—makers of industrial equipment, UniGroup—owners of United and Mayflower van and truck lines, Wolff Shoe, and the Fabick Company—a large Caterpillar construction equipment dealer.
The majority of the Chrysler Plant has been closed officially since 10/29/08, but it has recently been announced that the North plant will restart operations beginning 6/29/09, to finish off the 2009 model year and then shut down completely.
Chrysler will finance operations in Mexico with United States Taxpayer money to fill the void left from closing the Fenton assembly plants.
Chrysler officially ended 50 years of production in Fenton in July 2009 after a bid to keep the company solvent with federal bailout funds failed. A number of the Dodge Ram pick-up trucks and Chrysler minivans, once produced in Fenton are now manufactured in Canada and Mexico, as Chrysler emerges from bankruptcy under the management of Fiat SpA, the Italian automaker.
External links