Fenton, Missouri

Fenton is a city in southwestern St. Louis County, Missouri. It had a population of 4,022 at the 2010 census.

American charismatic teacher Joyce Meyer maintains her headquarters in Fenton.

History

Archaeological excavations in the Fenton area have determined that it was inhabited by Native American tribes for several centuries before the European explorations of the Americas. Earthen mounds for a long time existed near the Meramec River, and pottery shards have been discovered consistent with the Mississippian culture (AD 1200-1400). Like the later American pioneers, the Mississippian tribes were likely attracted by the fertile land in the narrow Meramec floodplain.

Farmers of European origin began settling along the Meramec in the 1770s, first French-Canadians and later English-speaking Americans. An actual community was established in 1818 by William Lindsay Long, who named it “Fenton” for his Welsh grandmother, Elizabeth Fenton Bennett. The original town center was eight square blocks in area, which today is known as “Olde Towne Fenton.”

The new community prospered from its position on the Meramec and its proximity to St. Louis. A ferry service began in 1833, and the first bridge across the river was constructed in 1854. Gravois Road (later Missouri State Highway 30) was eventually extended southwestward through the town, giving Fenton direct access to St. Louis. The town was first incorporated in 1874, then later disincorporated, and finally re-incorporated in 1948, with Garrett Hitzert serving as its first mayor.

During the 1950s, Fenton’s population rose dramatically, from about 200 residents in 1950 to just over 1,000 in 1960. This was largely a result of the opening of a Chrysler assembly plant in 1959, which would be the foundation of the local economy for the next half-century and lead to many of the new streets being named for Chrysler models—Fury, Imperial, Valiant, etc. In 2008-09, the factory shut down operations, causing a brief stagnation in the city's growth and general prosperity; the site has since been refurbished for occupation by other businesses, though, and the Gravois Bluffs Shopping Center in the south part of town has made Fenton a significant retail hub.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Fenton had a total of 4,022 inhabitants, grouped into 1,549 households, with a population density of 664.8 people per square mile. This figure represented a slight decrease from the 2000 census, when Fenton had a population of 4,195. 95.50% of the inhabitants were White, 0.37% were African-American, 0.20% were Native American, 2.09% were Asian, 0.17% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.32% were from some other race, and 1.34% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.89% of the population.

The median age in Arnold was 39.2 years, with 21.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.5% between 18 and 24 years old, 19.0% between 25 and 44, 37.3% between 45 and 64, and 16.0% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 48.8% male, 51.2% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Fenton had a median household income of $92,544, and a median family income of $109,094. The unemployment rate was 2.8%. The per capita income was $46,080. About 1.6% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 1.4% of people under the age of 18 and 5.9% of people 65 years old or older.