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==History==
==History==
European settlement of the Chesterfield area began in the late 18th century, when a small number of French pioneers were given land grants by the Spanish colonial government along the Missouri River and several small streams that fed into it, such as Bonhomme and Caulks Creeks. They and the American settlers who followed after the [[Louisiana Purchase]] took advantage of the rich soil in the Missouri River floodplain, and by the mid-19th century several small farming communities had sprung up in the region, including '''Bellefontaine''', '''Bonhomme''', '''Gumbo''', '''Lake''', and '''Monarch'''. Another such was '''Drew's Station''', laid out in the 1810s; at some point thereafter, its name was altered to "Chesterfield," apparently for an English town of the same name in [[Derbyshire]], though precisely how this came about is unclear.<ref>https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/C2366/st-louis-city-and-county</ref>
European settlement of the Chesterfield area began in the late 18th century, when a small number of French pioneers were given land grants by the Spanish colonial government along the Missouri River and several small streams that fed into it, such as Bonhomme and Caulks Creeks. They and the American settlers who followed after the [[Louisiana Purchase]] took advantage of the rich soil in the Missouri River floodplain, and by the mid-19th century several small farming communities had sprung up in the region, including '''Bellefontaine''', '''Bonhomme''', '''Gumbo''', '''Lake''', and '''Monarch'''. Another such village, the original "Chesterfield," was settled about 1817 by Colonel Justus Post, a native of Middlebury, [[Vermont]]. Laid out along Wild Horse Creek Road, with cross streets bearing such names as Mulberry, Locust, and Walnut, it was dominated by Post's brick mansion, regarded as one of the finest in the area. Chesterfield (whose town plat was not recorded until 1838) was apparently named for an English town of the same name in [[Derbyshire]], though precisely how this came about is unclear.<ref>https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/C2366/st-louis-city-and-county</ref>
In the late 1870s, the first railroad reached the Chesterfield Valley, as it was sometimes called; a branch of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific line. This led to another burst of development at "Drew Station," where Olive Street Road crossed the line, and which eventually merged with the older Chesterfield. By the 1920s, a thriving commercial district had appeared, near what is now the intersection of Chesterfield Airport Road and Baxter Road.<ref>https://www.chesterfield.mo.us/history.html</ref>
Despite these advances, the towns in the floodplain area remained relatively obscure and rural in nature until the mid-20th century, when rapid suburbanization of west St. Louis County led to a population surge and commercial development. By the 1970s, numerous shopping establishments and other business complexes had appeared, and the desire to take advantage of potential tax revenue and establish suitable local services for the region--now coming to be collectively known as "Chesterfield"--led many community leaders to push for incorporation. After several years of campaigning for voters' support, they succeeded in having the city of Chesterfield established in 1988. At the 1990 census, Chesterfield had a population of about 38,000; since then, it has grown to approach the 50,000 mark.
==Geography==
==Geography==