Herculaneum, Missouri
| Herculaneum, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 38°15′33″N 90°23′16″W / 38.25917°N 90.38778°WCoordinates: 38°15′33″N 90°23′16″W / 38.25917°N 90.38778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Jefferson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.5 sq mi (9.0 km2) |
| • Land | 3.4 sq mi (8.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 422 ft (129 m) |
| Population (July 2008)[1] | |
| • Total | 3,582 |
| • Density | 1,053.5/sq mi (402.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 63048 |
| Area code(s) | 636 |
| FIPS code | 29-31708[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0719395[3] |
Herculaneum is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population estimate in 2008 was 3,582.[1] It was 2,805 at the 2000 census. The City of Herculaneum was the first county seat of Jefferson County from January 1, 1819 to 1839. The city celebrated its Bicentennial throughout the year in 2008. The City of Herculaneum has received the Tree City USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for the past three years - 2007, 2008 and 2009. The City of Herculaneum is also the "honorary" hometown of the 40th Airlift Squadron "The Screaming Eagles" from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
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[edit] Geography
Herculaneum is located at 38°15′33″N 90°23′16″W / 38.25917°N 90.38778°W (38.259247, -90.387790).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which, 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (1.44%) is water.
[edit] Origins
Herculaneum was laid out by Moses Austin and Sameul Hammond in 1808 as a shipping point on the Mississippi River closer to Austin's lead mines in Potosi than was Ste. Genevieve. The town was named after the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, and Austin is said to have chosen the name because the limestone ledges overlooking the Mississippi River resembled a Roman amphitheatre. Shot towers were constructed next to the bluffs to manufacture lead ammunition, and lead cannonballs from Herculaneum were used in the War of 1812. Lead smelting by the Doe Run Company is still the major industry in this town.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,805 people, 1,028 households, and 736 families residing in the city. The population density was 815.8 people per square mile (314.8/km²). There were 1,078 housing units at an average density of 313.5 per square mile (121.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.65% White, 2.60% African American, 0.18% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 1,028 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,365, and the median income for a family was $50,615. Males had a median income of $33,603 versus $25,581 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,613. About 2.4% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] City government
The City of Herculaneum is a fourth class city in the State of Missouri governed by a six person Board of Aldermen and a Mayor. The day to day operations of the city are under the direction of a City Administrator.
[edit] Churches
The City of Herculaneum is home to several churches including Assumption Catholic Church, Buren Chapel AME, United Methodist Church, Assembly of God Church, New Testament Baptist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.
[edit] Education
Dunklin R-5 School District is based in Herculaneum including the Herculaneum High School and the Senn-Thomas Middle School. The original public school which has been serving as the high school since 1949 was demolished beginning on July 12, 2010. A new high school is being built on the same location as the previous building. One of the most prominent features of the Herculaneum High School Campus are the stone bleachers at the football and track field. The bleachers were a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project that began in 1935 and were completed in 1936. The Roy E. Taylor Elementary building also located in Herculaneum is owned by the district and is currently used by the Early Childhood Learning Center. Herculaneum had its own Douglass Elementary School (closed in 1957) that was operated by the public school system prior to integration in the mid 1950s. A school building was also in operation from 1937 to 1966 as part of the Herculaneum Assumption Catholic Church. Today, a large portion of the school age children in Herculaneum attend the neighboring Festus School District and Crystal City School District.
[edit] Fire department
The Herculaneum Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1951 and will celebrate its 60th Anniversary during the year 2011. The fire department contracts with the City of Herculaneum to provide fire protection to most of the city. The fire department operates from one fire station and has 16 volunteer firefighters and 1 paid firefighter. The City of Herculaneum has an ISO rating of 5.
[edit] Famous people
Thomas Clement Fletcher, the 18th Governor of Missouri, was born in Herculaneum on January 21, 1827. Governor Fletcher was the first native born governor in Missouri. Daniel Dunklin, the 5th Governor of Missouri, died in Herculaneum on August 25, 1844 and was buried in the family plot in Herculaneum. Campbell Morfit, a noted chemist was born in Herculaneum on November 19, 1820.
[edit] In fiction
- In the Broadway musical A Chorus Line, Richie Walters was born in Herculaneum, Missouri.
Tom McCord, a 1969 Herculaneum High School graduate, is the author of a novel, Some Forever, that tells a dual story about six friends growing up in Herculaneum. One story traces the lives of the friends in reverse order from 1969 back to 1959. This story touches on many aspects of life in Herculaneum during the 1960s. The other story is a mystery death of one of the friends and the effects it has on the other five friends.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Herculaneum, Missouri (City-Data.com)
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
[edit] External links
- Historic maps of Herculaneum in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri
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