Pacific (formerly Franklin) is a city in eastern Franklin County, Missouri, United States, extending east into southwest St. Louis County. The population was 7,414 at the 2020 census.
History
thumb|Downtown Pacific
thumb|Red Cedar Inn
Early history (1820–1864)
Throughout the early 19th century, the area that would eventually become Pacific slowly developed, with the first log cabin being constructed in 1820 and a covered bridge across the nearby Meramec River being constructed in 1838.
The Town of Franklin, Missouri was platted in 1852 by Major William C. Inks. The following year, the Pacific Railroad laid tracks in the town, and the railroad opened on July 19, 1853. A post office was opened in 1854, and has continuously operated since. The first city school was constructed in 1855.
In 1859, Franklin was incorporated as a fourth-class city and, in honor of the railroad, changed its name to Pacific.
The Battle of Pacific (1864)
On October 1, 1864, as a part of former Missouri governor and Maj. Gen. Sterling Price's unsuccessful Missouri Expedition, a brigade of the Arkansas Cavalry of the Confederate States Army under the command of Gen. William Cabell was sent to Pacific from near Saint Clair. The brigade entered Pacific at sunrise and burned major city structures, including the rail depot and a number of bridges.
Union authorities in nearby Saint Louis quickly dispatched three divisions of the 16th Army Corps originally destined for Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in Atlanta to Pacific to deal with Cabell's troops, who had, by most accounts, set up four pieces of artillery around the town. The troops from St. Louis encountered Confederate troops just east of Pacific, near what is now Allenton, who shelled the train and the troops. The two brigades engaged in battle for a few hours, and when additional Union supports from Saint Louis arrived, Cabell's troops were forced out of the city to nearby Union, Missouri.
Given Pacific's proximity to the St. Louis County line, the city was seen as the last defense against an attempted Confederate invasion of Saint Louis. The casualties numbered about a dozen on each side, but Cabell's troops had done the bulk of their plundering earlier in the day.
Post-war development (1864–1925)
The first issue of the Franklin County Democrat was published in Pacific in 1871, marking the first time a newspaper was published in the city. Production was moved to nearby Washington, Missouri on May 31, 1878, where the newspaper was published weekly until 1882.
A new railroad depot was opened in 1882. It was used continuously until 1961, when regular service between Pacific and Saint Louis was discontinued due to declining ridership, and the Frisco Railroad abandoned the depot in 1976. It was demolished shortly thereafter.
In 1891, a fire at the center of town broke out, destroying all buildings on Saint Louis Street, the main commercial thoroughfare in Pacific, between First and Columbus Streets. In the following years, the Meramec River flooded the southern extent of Pacific a number of times, most notably in 1895 and 1915. The old covered bridge south of town was severely damaged by the former flood, and was demolished.
The Jensen's Point overlook, named for Lars P. Jensen, the first president of the Henry Shaw Gardenway Association, was constructed in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps atop the sandstone bluffs towering above the Meramec River on the east side of town. It was restored by the city of Pacific in the late 2010s, and is open to the public, offering panoramic views of downtown Pacific and the Meramec River. The city of Pacific took control of the land in 1969 and the Meramec Valley R-III school district utilized the barracks to build an elementary school. The parcel is now mostly privately owned, with the airstrip becoming part of a residential subdivision later.
Interstate 44 was constructed throughout Missouri during the early 1960s, and when it opened in 1965, Pacific and Route 66 were bypassed immediately to the north by the highway. By 1972, the Interstate Highway System had completely bypassed Route 66, and in 1974, the AASHTO decided that Route 66 from Joplin, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois should be decommissioned. Former Route 66 was commissioned as Business Loop 44 through Pacific, and signs and shields referencing Route 66 in Pacific were removed in 1977.
Geography
thumb|Pacific's signature sandstone bluffs sit immediately next to historic Route 66.
The city straddles the Franklin/St. Louis county line, which lies halfway on the blocks between Elm and Neosho streets. St. Louis is northeast of Pacific, and the communities comprising the Missouri Rhineland are northwest of the city.
Pacific is bordered on the southeast by the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area. Access to the Meramec River, through the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area, is located east of the city, adjacent to Eureka on the north side. The majority of the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area is south of the river and can be accessed south of the city in Jefferson County.
The Union Pacific (formerly Missouri Pacific) railroad, BNSF Railway (formerly St. Louis–San Francisco) Railroad, Historic U.S. Route 66, Brush Creek, and Fox Creek run through the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. A total of of the city is located in St. Louis County. The city is located directly west from Eureka and east of Gray Summit.
Commercial areas
The Old Downtown Commerce Area is mostly located along First and St. Louis streets. The historic downtown buildings, built in the late 1800s, have been fully or partially restored, and new businesses have moved into the buildings.
The Red Cedar Inn, on the east end of town, was a meeting place for people around the country seeking out one of the oldest restaurants still standing on Route 66. The restaurant closed in 2007.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Pacific city, Missouri – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|White alone (NH)
|5,142
|6,118
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,984
|93.80%
|87.38%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |80.71%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|160
|587
|style='background: #ffffe6; |734
|2.92%
|8.38%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9.90%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|17
|37
|style='background: #ffffe6; |29
|0.31%
|0.53%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.39%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|19
|34
|style='background: #ffffe6; |54
|0.35%
|0.49%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.73%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|2
|2
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1
|0.04%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.01%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|4
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |26
|0.07%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.35%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|79
|89
|style='background: #ffffe6; |359
|1.44%
|1.27%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.84%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|59
|135
|style='background: #ffffe6; |227
|1.08%
|1.93%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.06%
|-
|Total
|5,482
|7,002
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7,414
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Pacific had a population of 7,414. The median age was 37.9 years. 18.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 126.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 132.7 males.
According to the 2020 census urban-rural classification, 96.3% of residents lived in urban areas and 3.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,673 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.9% were married-couple households, 20.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 7,002 people, 2,368 households, and 1,524 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,645 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.4% White, 8.4% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population. The population total also includes the Missouri Eastern Correctional Facility which houses over 1,000 inmates.
There were 2,368 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.6% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the city was 35.9 years. 20% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 55.6% male and 44.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census
Government
Pacific is a fourth-class city with a city administrator government. The elected, policy-making body of the city consists of a Mayor and a six-member Board of Aldermen. Pacific is divided into three wards, each with two aldermanic representatives. Municipal elections are held every year on the first Tuesday of April.
A city administrator is appointed by the Board of Aldermen and is the full-time administrative officer of the city, responsible for overseeing all daily operations and the municipal staff.
The mayor is Heather Filley.
Education
Pacific and its surrounding communities are served by the Meramec Valley R-III School District and the St. Louis Community College district, and many residents attend nearby East Central College.
Elementary and secondary schools in the Meramec Valley School District:
- Coleman Elementary School
- Nike Elementary School
- Robertsville Elementary School
- Zitzman Elementary School
- Meramec Valley Early Childhood Center
- Meramec Valley Community School- formerly Pacific Middle School
- Pacific Intermediate- 5th and 6th grades formerly Meramec Valley Middle School (formerly 6th and 7th grades and 6 through 8th grades)- formerly Pacific Junior High School (formerly 7th and 8th grades)
- Riverbend Middle School (7th and 8th grades)
- Pacific High School
St. Bridget of Kildare School is the only parochial school in Pacific (PreK-8th grade).
References
External links
- City of Pacific official website
- Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce
- Historic maps of Pacific in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri