Fredericktown, Missouri

Fredericktown is the county seat of Madison County, Missouri. It is the largest city in the county, with a population of 3,985 at the 2010 census.

The city is among the oldest settlements in Missouri, having originated as a lead-mining center during the 18th and early 19th centuries. A number of locations in and around Fredericktown have been officially recognized for their historic significance.

History

Settlement in the Fredericktown area began in 1800, when the Spanish colonial government awarded some 400 arpents of land (around 340 acres) between the Saline and the Little St. Francois to thirteen individuals, mostly French farmers. The community they founded became known as St. Michaels (or St. Michel), which grew rapidly on account of its proximity to the lead-mining operations at Mine La Motte, a few miles to the north; after 1800, German Protestants in particular arrived in large numbers. However, St. Michaels suffered from frequent flooding by the Saline River, and after an especially damaging flood in 1814, most of the residents relocated to higher ground on the river's opposite bank. When a county seat for the newly-formed Madison County was being selected in 1819, the commissioners settled on this site as it was relatively close to the geographic center, and bought land from a citizen of the new community, Colonel Nathaniel Cook. It is generally believed the county seat was named "Fredericktown" in honor of Colonel George Frederick Bollinger, a settler of German descent who had been active in the territorial legislature and moreover was a close friend of Cook's (and for whom Bollinger County, then part of Madison County, would be named). There are some alternate explanations, such as its being named for Frederick Bates, then secretary of the Missouri Territory, or for Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, but these are not generally accepted.

The town enjoyed moderate prosperity during the antebellum era, but was heavily damaged during the Civil War, in which, owing to its proximity to the lead mines and to the main overland routes south from St. Louis, Union and Confederate forces fought several actions in the vicinity of Fredericktown between 1861 and 1864, including preliminaries to the Battle of Pilot Knob in 1864. Despite the devastation of the war, Fredericktown soon revived, especially after the completion of a branch of the Iron Mountain Railroad in 1869. The nearby mines, of lead as well as other valuable metals, would continue to be a source of local prosperity until after World War II, though farming remained an important element of the economy as well. After the decline of the lead mines, Fredericktown's population and economic strength fluctuated some, but its function as a seat of local government and a regional trade center has helped maintain its stability.

Geography

Fredericktown is located in north-central Madison County, along and just east of U.S. Route 67 at its intersection with Missouri State Highway 72, which skirts the town on the north. It is the largest community along U.S. 67 between Farmington (to the north) and Poplar Bluff (to the south).

The city has a total area of 4.50 square miles, including 4.33 of land and 0.17 of water. Like the rest of the county, Fredericktown lies within the St. Francois Mountains, though it is on relatively flat terrain between Saline Creek, which flows east to west just north of downtown, and the Little St. Francois, which the Saline flows into a short distance to the west. Its average elevation is 741 feet. The city is surrounded on the east, west, and south by a portion of the Mark Twain National Forest.

Fredericktown is directly adjoined by two small villages. These are Cobalt to the south, with a population of 226 at the 2010 census, and Junction City to the north (population 327).