Desloge, Missouri

Desloge is a city in central St. Francois County, Missouri, part of the famed "Lead Belt." It had a population of 5,054 at the 2010 census.

History

Desloge owes its name and existence to the Desloge family, a prominent Franco-American family in Missouri during the 19th and 20th centuries. Its founder, Firmin René Desloge, had immigrated from France in 1823 and became a successful and wealthy lead-mining operator in the Potosi area. His son, Firmin Vincent Desloge II (1843-1929), took over the business in the 1860s and expanded its mines into the Bonne Terre region. In 1874, the business was incorporated as the Missouri Lead and Smelting Company, renamed the Desloge Lead Company in 1876 and finally the Desloge Consolidated Lead Company in 1887.

Shortly afterward, Firmin Desloge became interested in a patch of land south of the Bonne Terre mines, where a small-scale lead mine already existed. This had been discovered by American pioneers as far back as 1801, and for some time had been owned and operated by Joseph Bogy, for whom it was known as "Bogy Mine" or "Mine a Joe." Desloge purchased the property and operations in 1887, digging a new shaft and constructing houses and offices for his staff and employees nearby. Actual production of lead began in the early 1890s, simultaneous with the opening of the new Mississippi River and Bonne Terre railroad, whose construction Desloge had partly financed for rapid shipment to the river ports on the Mississippi. Given his vital role in the existence of the community that developed around the mine, it was first known as "Deslogetown" before later being shortened to "Desloge."

Desloge (the community) remained very much a company town through the early 20th century, as first Firmin Desloge and then his son, Firmin Desloge III, directly oversaw operations there. In the 1920s, however, the family moved to St. Louis and diversified its interests, selling its mining plant to the St. Joseph Lead Company in 1929 (for $18 million, making it for a time one of the wealthiest families in America). Now separated from its creators, the town began a more independent existence, incorporating in 1941.

The St. Joseph Lead Company continued to run the Desloge mine through the mid-20th century, at which point it began to shift towards untapped lead deposits farther west. The Desloge mine shut down in 1958, forcing the city to find new means of economic prosperity; like other nearby communities, it increasingly relied on light manufacturing and the service industry to keep itself afloat, and has now seen several decades of sustained growth.

In 2012, as a nod to its origins, city leaders and several descendants of the Desloge family dedicated a bronze medallion bearing Firmin Desloge's image, which the family had donated to the community.

Geography

Desloge is located in north-central St. Francois County, immediately north of Park Hills and approximately three miles southeast of Bonne Terre. U.S. Route 67 passes through the eastern part of the city, which is also the eastern terminus of Missouri State Highway 8. Its exact coordinates are 37°52’22”N 90°31’14”W.

Though located within the St. Francois Mountains, the city itself sits on relatively flat ground between the Big and Flat Rivers, which flow together just to the northeast. It has a total land area of 2.90 square miles, and an average elevation of 805 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Desloge had a total of 5,054 inhabitants, grouped into 2,092 households, with a population density of 1,742.8 people per square mile. This figure marked a slight increase from the 2000 census, when Desloge had a population of 4,802. 97.37% of the inhabitants were White, 0.77% were African-American, 0.24% were Native American, 0.16% were Asian, 0.06% were from some other race, and 1.40% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.09% of the population.

The median age in Desloge was 37.4 years, with 24.0% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.8% between 18 and 24 years old, 26.2% between 25 and 44, 25.2% between 45 and 64, and 15.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.7% male, 52.3% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Desloge had a median household income of $38,799, and a median family income of $50,708. The unemployment rate was 6.3%. The per capita income was $21,643. About 15.4% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 20.2% of people under the age of 18 and 9.3% of people 65 years old or older.

Religion

Like most of southern Missouri, a majority of Desloge residents are Protestants, with a smaller but sizable Roman Catholic population. However, the city is also home to one of the region's few Eastern Orthodox churches, Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church. It was established to serve Russians and Ukrainians who came for work in the mines around 1900.

Government

Desloge has a mayor-council form of government, composed of the mayor and six aldermen, two of whom are elected from each of the city's three wards; all positions are for two-year terms. A city administrator also assists with day-to-day operations. The current mayor is David Kater, first elected in April 2005 and the longest-serving mayor in city history.

Education

Desloge is included within the North St. Francois County R-I School District. Although headquartered in Bonne Terre, several of the school facilities, including Parkside Elementary (grades 3-4), Intermediate School (5-6), and Middle School (7-8), are located in Desloge itself.

Economy

Since the closure of the lead mines, Desloge has shifted to a mostly "post-industrial" economy. A number of light manufacturing operations still function in the area, but the service sector, including education, health care, and retail trade, is now predominant. Wal-Mart and the North County School District are among the largest local employers. A number of residents work in the neighboring communities of Bonne Terre and Park Hills as well.