Cuba, Missouri

Cuba, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1857
Population	3,356 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	3.20 mi²
Current mayor	Cody Leathers

Cuba (also known as "Route 66 Mural City") is a city in Crawford County, Missouri. It had a population of 3,356 at the 2010 census, making it the largest town situated entirely within the county.

History

The town of Cuba was first laid out in December 1857, in anticipation of the arrival of the Pacific Railroad, then being extended southwest from St. Louis. The first business operating in the area was a joint post office and store run by George Jamison, who called it "Amanda" in honor of his wife, and it was intended at first to extend that name to the new community as well. However, locals eventually decided to name it for the island of Cuba, which a few of them had visited while returning from California after the 1849 Gold Rush. The Jamison couple remained a part of the community's tradition, though, with a festival held on June 2 (Amanda Jamison's birthday) in recent years.

Though the actual population of Cuba grew only slowly, not surpassing the 1,000 mark until the 1930s, the railroad brought prosperity, as did the arrival of U.S. Route 66 in the 1920s. A number of service businesses flourished serving the highway travelers, and the town drew several high-profile visitors over the years, including actress Bette Davis, aviator Amelia Earhart, and President Harry S. Truman.

After being superseded by the construction of Interstate 44 along the same route, Route 66 was decommissioned in the 1980s; however, community volunteers and artists worked to commemorate the role that highway played in the city's history, forming the Viva Cuba Project and painting a series of murals depicting their interaction on buildings across the downtown section. These gained considerable interest, leading the Missouri legislature to officially designate Cuba as "Route 66 Mural City."

Today, Cuba has a population of over 3,000 and continues to be a significant magnet for tourism within Missouri, especially for those with an interest in Route 66 and its history.

Geography

Cuba is located along Interstate 44 in north-central Crawford County, crossed from north to south by Missouri State Highway 19. Historic U.S. 66 parallels the interstate just to the southeast, crossing through the central business district. Cuba is about seven miles northwest of Steelville and twelve miles northeast of St. James. Its exact coordinates are 38°03’47”N 91°24’12”W.

The city lies between the relatively open "prairie" lands to the north and the comparatively rugged upper Meramec valley to the south. An artificial reservoir, Indian Lake, is located about a mile to the northwest. Cuba has a total area of 3.20 square miles, and an average elevation of 1,001 feet.