Eureka, Missouri

Eureka, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1858
Population	10,189 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	10.45 mi²
Current mayor	Sean Flower

Eureka is a city located in southwestern St. Louis County, Missouri, about 20 miles southwest of the city of St. Louis. It had a population of 10,189 at the 2010 census.

History

In the pre-colonial era, Eureka, like much of the Meramec River valley, was heavily settled by various Indian tribes, taking advantage of the narrow but fertile floodplain. The latest of these was the Shawnee, who dominated through much of the 18th and early 19th centuries; archaeologists continue to unearth many artifacts left behind by them and other tribes.

Though a handful of American pioneers moved into the area during the first half of the 19th century, active settlement only began due to construction of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which was being extended west from St. Louis during the early 1850s. The track reached the present site of Eureka in 1853, and a village was laid out there in 1858. The story commonly told is that as the railroad work crews came out of the rugged terrain just to the east and saw the much more level land along the Meramec, they uttered the ancient Greek expression "Eureka!" or "I have found it!" This in turn was applied to the later community. The name may also have been linked to interest in the recently-formed state of California, which had just adopted this as its state motto.

Though Eureka remained small in size over the next several decades, it was fairly prosperous, thanks to the rich agricultural land along the nearby Meramec. By 1890, it boasted of three stores, two blacksmiths, a Catholic and a Methodist church, a saloon, and a Masonic Lodge. A public-school system was also already in operation, with the first high school class graduating in 1909. Movement into the western parts of St. Louis County added to the village's population and activity, as did the opening of U.S. Route 66, which linked it with St. Louis and Springfield, in the 1920s. In 1954, Eureka was finally incorporated as a fourth-class city; the next census, in 1960, showed it to have a population of 1,134.

Though it was still at this time a mostly rural community, Eureka grew significantly over the next several decades. This was due in part to the construction of nearby Interstate 44, which made it a convenient stop for travelers approaching or exiting the St. Louis metropolitan area, and to the westward population shift within the county as a result of continued suburbanization. Another major spur to growth was the opening in 1971 of the Six Flags St. Louis amusement park, located just to the west within the community of Allenton (which has since been annexed by Eureka), and which remains a popular attraction in the region.

In recent years, Eureka has been severely affected by heavy flooding along the Meramec River, especially in 2015 and 2017. On each occasion, large portions of the city were flooded, damaging buildings and requiring a number of boat rescues. Though some in the media blamed the floods on global warming, the real culprit was evidently poor flood-control measures, including overuse of levees, and recommendations have been made for more practical efforts.

Geography

Eureka is located in the southwestern corner of St. Louis County, its oldest section centered around the crossing of Interstate 44 and Missouri State Highway 109. It is directly adjacent to the city of Wildwood, just to the north, and lies about six miles east of Pacific and ten miles west of Fenton. Its exact coordinates are 38°30′10″N 90°38′42″W.

The city lies mostly between a loop of the Meramec River, to the southeast, and an extension of the Ozark Mountains, known locally as Rockwoods Range, just to the north. Most of the older parts of town lie in the narrow Meramec floodplain, with the Six Flags park and some of the newer neighborhoods in the more rugged terrain to the north and west. Eureka has a total area of 10.45 square miles, and an average elevation of 456 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Eureka had a total of 10,189 inhabitants, grouped into 3,474 households, with a population density of 984.4 people per square mile. This figure represented a dramatic increase from the 2000 census, when Eureka had a population of 7,676. 94.92% of the inhabitants were White, 0.81% were African-American, 0.25% were Native American, 1.90% were Asian, 0.06% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.31% were from some other race, and 1.75% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.00% of the population.

The median age in Eureka was 37.1 years, with 30.9% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.1% between 18 and 24 years old, 26.7% between 25 and 44, 26.7% between 45 and 64, and 9.6% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 49.6% male, 50.4% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Eureka had a median household income of $106,000, and a median family income of $117,617. The unemployment rate was 4.5%. The per capita income was $40,140. About 1.6% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 1.6% of people under the age of 18 and 1.8% of people 65 years old or older.

Government

Since its incorporation as a city, Eureka has had a mayor-council form of government. The elected officials consist of a mayor and a six-member board of aldermen, two of which represent each of the community's three wards. All are elected for two-year terms. The current mayor of Eureka is Sean M. Flower.

In the Missouri House of Representatives, Eureka is part of the 110th District, which is currently represented by Dottie Bailey (R-Eureka), first elected in 2018; it is part of the Missouri State Senate's 26th District, currently represented by Dave Schatz (R-Sullivan), first elected in 2014. It is part of Missouri's 2nd Congressional District, represented since 2012 by Ann Wagner (R-Ballwin).

Education

Eureka lies entirely within the Rockwood R-VI School District, which covers most of far western St. Louis County. The city's own high school, which dates back to 1908, was consolidated into Rockwood following the district's formation in 1964. At present, Eureka includes five of the district's schools: three elementary institutions (Blevins, Eureka, and Geggie); LaSalle Springs Middle School; and Eureka High School, which has an enrollment of about 1,750 students. Its mascot is the Wildcats.

There are also two private schools, Sacred Heart Elementary School (Roman Catholic) and St. Mark's Lutheran School (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod). Both serve kindergarten through 8th grade.

Community Life

Eureka's most notable attraction is the Six Flags amusement park, which during the summer months provides a great deal of local employment as well as revenue for nearby businesses catering to tourists. In addition, there are numerous city parks, trails, and golf courses, along with other opportunities for outdoor recreation in the vicinity.

The community has a number of notable annual events, including an Arbor Day celebration, an outdoor "block party" during the summer, and "Eureka Days," typically held in late September or early October and featuring a parade, car show, and carnival rides.

Notable People

• Robert Harold "Bob" Klinger (1908-1977); MLB pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox
• Rissi Palmer (born 1981); African-American country music singer
• Cameron Wesley Janssen (born 1984); former NHL player for the St. Louis Blues and the New Jersey Devils