St. Charles, Missouri

St. Charles (Saint-Charles; Spanish: "San Carlos") is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri. As of 2010 census, the city had a population of 65,794, making St. Charles the 2nd largest city in St. Charles County. It lies just to the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri on the Missouri River, and, for a time, played a significant role in the United States' westward expansion. It is the third oldest city west of the Mississippi, founded in 1765 as Les Petites Côtes, "The Little Hills", by Louis Blanchette, a French Canadian fur trader, and was the last "civilized" stop for the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804. The city served as the first Missouri capital from 1821 to 1826. It is the site for the Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne shrine. It is also the home base for the St. Louis National Weather Service Forecast Office, serving central, east-central and northeastern Missouri, as well as west-central and southwest Illinois.

Louis Blanchette
Louis Blanchette was a French Canadian who travelled to the Americas, it is said, for adventure. According to Hopewell's Legends of the Missouri and Mississippi:


 * In the year 1765, a French Canadian, called Blanchette Chasseur, animated by that love of adventure which characterizes all who have lived a roving and restless life, ascended the Missouri, with a few followers, for the purpose of forming a settlement in the then remote wilderness.

According to Hopewell's rather romantic account, Blanchette met another French Canadian (Bernard Guillet) at the site of St. Charles in 1765. Blanchette, determined to settle at the site, asked if Guillet, who had become the chief of a Dakota tribe, had chosen a name for it.


 * "I called the place 'Les Petites Côtes' " replied Bernard, "from the sides of the hills that you see."


 * "By that name shall it be called", said Blanchette Chasseur, "for it is the echo of nature &mdash; beautiful from its simplicity."

Blanchette settled there in 1769 under the authority of the Spanish governor of Upper Louisiana, and served as its civil and military leader until his death in 1793. During this time perhaps only a couple dozen buildings were built. Although the settlement was under Spanish jurisdiction, the settlers themselves remained primarily French Canadians.

Fort San Carlos
The first church, built in 1791, was dedicated to San Carlos Borromeo, and the town became known as San Carlos del Misuri: "St. Charles of the Missouri". This church was destroyed by a tornado in 1916. The Spanish Lieutenant-Governor Carlos de Hault de Lassus appointed Daniel Boone commandant of the Femme Osage District, which he served until the United States government assumed control in 1804. The name of the town, San Carlos, was anglicized to become St. Charles. William Clark arrived in St. Charles on May 16, 1804. With him were 40 men and three boats; there they made final preparations, as they waited for Meriwether Lewis to arrive from St. Louis. They attended dances, dinners, and a church service during this time, and the excited town was very hospitable to the explorers. Lewis arrived via St. Charles Rock Road on May 20, and the expedition launched the next day in a keelboat at 3:30 pm. St. Charles was the last established American town they would visit for more than two and a half years.

State capital and growth
When Missouri was granted statehood in 1821, a decision was made to build a "City of Jefferson" to serve as the state capital, in the center of the state, overlooking the Missouri River. Since this land was undeveloped at the time, a temporary capital was needed. St. Charles beat eight other cities in a competition to house the temporary capitol, offering free meeting space for the legislature in rooms located above a hardware store. This building is preserved as the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site and may be toured. The Missouri government continued to meet there until Jefferson City was ready in 1826. Gottfried Duden was a German who visited in the area in 1824. Travelling under the guidance of Daniel M. Boone, he wrote extensive accounts of life in St. Charles County during his year there. These he published upon his return to Germany in 1829, and his favorable impressions of the area led to the immigration of a number of Germans in 1833. The first permanent German settler in the region was probably Louis Eversman, who arrived with Duden but decided to stay. St. Charles, Missouri is where the first claimed interstate project started in 1956. Off of Interstate 70 going westbound to the right of the first capital exit a highway sign is displayed with a logo and information regarding this claim as Kansas and Pennsylvania also lay claim to the first interstate project.

Government
Saint Charles is a charter city under the Missouri Constitution with a City Council as the governing body, consisting of one member for each of the ten wards, each serving a three-year term. The executive head of the City government is the Mayor for all legal and ceremonial purposes. The Mayor appoints the members of the various Boards, Commissions, and Committees created by ordinance. St. Charles has about ten wards.

Education
The City of St. Charles school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and the Lewis & Clark Tech Building located on Zumbehl Road. St. Charles High School (sometimes called SCHS or simply "High") was the first built of the two high schools. St. Charles West ( SCW or simply "West") was added in the late '70's in response to the city's growing population. St. Charles West had their first graduation in 1979. St. Charles High School underwent renovation in 1995 to improve both the exterior and interior of the building, as did St. Charles West in 2005, in which a new library and auxiliary gym were built. Saint Charles is home to a variety of private schools including Immanuel Lutheran (Pre-K to 8), Zion Lutheran (Pre-K to 8), St. Charles Borromeo, St. Peter's, St. Cletus (K-8), Academy of the Sacred Heart (founded by Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, and the site of her shrine), Duchesne High School (formerly named St. Peter High school), and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton-St. Robert Bellarmine (K-8). There are other schools associated with the Francis Howell School District and the Orchard Farm School District that serve St. Charles as well. Many students who live on the southern edge of St. Charles City attend Francis Howell North High School and Henderson Elementary as well as Barnwell Middle and Becky David Elementary and Harvest Ridge Elementary. The Orchard Farm School District serves St. Charles but is outside of the city like Francis Howell. This school district to the North has two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.

Lindenwood University is located on Kingshighway, near downtown St. Charles and St. Charles High. Founded by Major George Sibley and his wife Mary in 1827 as a women's school named Lindenwood School For Girls, the instituition is the is the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the Mississippi River. The university is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, LU is one of the fastest growing universities in the midwest and enrolls close to 15,000 students, although it did briefly attract less welcome publicity when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals staged a small protest against its unusual tuition fee policies. Lindenwood is also home to 89.1 The Wood (KCLC), a commercial-free student-driven radio station.

St. Charles was also home to the now defunct St. Charles College (Missouri) (which should not be confused with St. Charles Community College).

Recreation and development
St. Charles lies at one end of the Katy Trail, a 225 mi long state park enjoyed by bikers and walkers. Since the late 1970s, there has been very healthy new home construction, commercial growth and explosive population growth in the St. Charles area. The phrase "Golden Triangle" was coined for this area in the Eighties, referring to the tremendous growth in real estate development in the St. Charles County region bordered by Highways I-70, U.S. Route 40, and Route 94. St. Charles City has a historic shopping district and most standard living features (with the exception of a public golf course) that are usually found in a community of St. Charles' size. The City also has many current events and features related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A new feature (opened Nov. 2006) of the St. Charles Parks and Recreation System is a dog park on the north side of town as a part of DuSable Park-Bales Area. This off-leash dog area has two sections- one for smaller dogs, one for larger. In 2007, St. Charles welcomed men's professional road bicycle racing riders and fans as it served as the stage 5 final for the 2007 Tour of Missouri.

The St. Charles Convention Center brings visitors to town along with a 11,000 seat arena called the Family Arena was built in the early 1990s near the Missouri River and is used by minor league sports franchises and hosts events.

Sports
The city has been home to several minor league sports teams. The Missouri River Otters hockey team of the United Hockey League, played from 1999 until the team folded in 2006. The River Otters played at the 10,000-seat Family Arena owned by the city of St. Charles. The St. Louis Steamers was a professional indoor soccer team, the Steamers played in the Family Arena from 2000–2001 and 2003-2004. The River City Rage professional indoor football team played in St. Charles from 2001 until 2005 and from 2007-2009. The team suspended operations for 2010, although the Indoor Football League noted the team could return in 2011 if new owners are found.

Riverfront St. Charles
The Riverfront area, with Main Street, is a central gathering place and focal point for the community. The primary features of the riverfront and Historic Main Street are residences and businesses open year-round. Each block features shops, restaurants and offices that visitors and locals frequent. Much is planned for the development and improvement of the area, including a northward extension of the Katy Trail, residential and commercial development, parking garage expansion, casino expansion and development of hotels in the Weasand district.

The "Christmas Traditions Festival", one of the nations largest Christmas festivals, takes place on the streets of St. Charles every year starting the day after Thanksgiving and going through until the Saturday after Christmas. Over 30 costumed Legends of Christmas stroll the streets and interact with guests, while Victorian Era Christmas Carolers fill the air with old-fashioned carols. Every Saturday and Sunday the Legends of Christmas and the world-renowned Lewis & Clark Fife and Drum Corps take part in the Santa Parade as it heads up Historic South Main Street to the site of the First Missouri State Capitol.

On the Fourth of July fireworks displays draw large numbers on two nights, July 4 and another night before or after the Fourth. Many bring blankets to sit near the riverfront. Others opt to view the festivities from the Old Courthouse. The festival, named Riverfest, has been sponsored by the city of St. Charles and organized by a volunteer committee formed of city residents and sponsoring private organization (like the Jaycees) leaders. Food and fun are always a major highlight of the event.

The Festival of the Little Hills is a historic St. Charles tradition that takes place every year in August, the third full weekend of the month. Started in the late 1960s, this festival is known nationally as one of the top ten craft fairs, and runs through an entire weekend featuring great food, live entertainment, craft sales, and shows for kids. The theme of the festival centers around the famous Lewis & Clark expedition: many participants don clothing from the era and act out historic events. The city also encourages individuals to bring their homemade crafts, jewelry, paintings, clothing and other items to sell at the festival.

Octoberfest celebrates the German influence on the history of the city. Many vendors sell beer and other German goods. Includes a parade. Missouri Tarten Day is a celebration of Scottish American Heritage and Culture held each Spring, coinciding as closely as possible with April 6, which is the anniversary (1320) of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. This document was one of the resources used by our Founding Fathers, when they were drafting our own Constitution. The event features a parade with marching bagpipers from around the World and region, Scottish heavy athletics (caber toss, hammer throw, etc.), musical entertainment, traditional and contemporary foods and lots of fun. Highlights include the Kirkin' o' the Tartans (ceremony of blessing for the Scottish clans), displays of traditional Scottish clan Tartans, and demonstrations of traditional Scottish activities and games.

The Fete de Glace is an Ice carving competition and demonstration held on North Main Street in Mid-January. The Missouri River Irish Festival is held every September in Frontier Park and on Main Street to celebrate Irish Heritage with music, dancing, storytelling, athletics, food, and fun. During Quilts on Main Street hundreds of quilts are displayed outside the shops up and down Main Street on storefronts and balconies. Stroll along and enjoy the beautiful handiwork. The event also features a lecture. Event is held annually in September. The Bluegrass Festival in Frontier Park on the big stage of Jaycee's pavilion early in September every year. Features talented local and regional acts.

Sister cities

 * 🇩🇪 - Ludwigsburg (Germany) since 1996

Transportation
St. Charles was home to the first interstate highway project in the nation. Major highways include Interstate 70, Missouri 40, Missouri 370, Missouri 94, and Missouri 364. Also see: St. Charles Area Transit

Geography
Saint Charles is located at °N, °W (38.788698, -90.511764). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.8 square miles (54.0 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.7 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (2.30%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 60,321 people, 24,210 households, and 15,324 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,962.4 people per square mile (1,143.9/km²). There were 25,283 housing units at an average density of 1,241.6 per square mile (479.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.28% White, 3.48% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.97% of the population.

There were 24,210 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,782, and the median income for a family was $60,175. Males had a median income of $40,827 versus $27,778 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,607. About 4.6% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Developments
One new development is New Town at St. Charles

Notable residents

 * Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer
 * Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox pitcher
 * Randy Orton, professional wrestler
 * Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, founder of Chicago
 * Josh Harrellson, College Basketball