Potosi, Missouri

Potosi is the county seat and largest city of Washington County, Missouri. It had a population of 2,660 at the 2010 census. One of the first cities founded in the Lead Belt of southeast Missouri, it was named for the great mining city of Potosí in Bolivia.

History

The first settlement in the future Potosi area was the village of Mine a Breton, established about 1763 as a mining camp by François Azor dit Breton (named for his homeland of Brittany, France), who had discovered significant deposits of lead on the site. Though not the first permanent community in Missouri, it quickly became one of the most important, drawing French colonists from Ste. Genevieve and other towns to the east to extract the valuable metal, and many of the workers became wealthy as a result. Though its activity flagged somewhat after 1780, it rebounded beginning in 1798, when Moses Austin, a native New Englander who would later be prominent in the colonization of Texas, settled near Mine a Breton, obtaining a land grant from the Spanish colonial authorities and expanding the operations of the mine. As a result, it was, for a time at the beginning of the 19th century, among the most important economic hubs in Missouri. Austin built a stately home nearby, Durham Hall, and would later be buried near the Presbyterian church built in 1832.

As part of his efforts, Austin organized the building of a new town immediately northeast of Mine a Breton, which, unlike the older community, drew primarily English-speaking American settlers. Sometime before 1814, the town had come to bear the name Potosi, chosen apparently by Austin himself to invoke the South American city of Potosí, long famous for its great silver mines. Though Mine a Breton was originally chosen as the county seat upon Washington County's organization in 1813, that honor was transferred to Potosi early the following year, signaling that it had permanently eclipsed the older French village. Mine a Breton would later be completely absorbed into Potosi, though the distinction between the two is still somewhat visible in the city's street plan.

Potosi, first incorporated in 1826, had during its early years a reputation as one of the more stately towns in Missouri as well as one with promising economic prospects, and for a time there was an effort to make it the capital of the new state. Nothing came of this, however, and over the 19th century the town's relative importance declined, especially after the Civil War when most of the intense lead-mining activity would move farther east between Farmington and Bonne Terre, although several companies did maintain operations in the area for some time. Through the early 20th century, its population never exceeded a thousand, though it retained a reputation as an important economic and social hub for the surrounding area.

Over the last several decades, the city's population has steadily grown. One significant boost to the local economy came in 1989, with the opening of the Potosi Correctional Center, which until 2005 was also the site of executions of Missouri's death row inmates. That capacity was transferred later to the correctional center at Bonne Terre, but the prison at Potosi continues to operate and to house a number of maximum-security criminals. Today, Potosi is a small but thriving community that prides itself on its "beautiful historic homes," "passionate churches," and its "engaged civic organizations."

Geography

Potosi is located in central Washington County, about 55 miles southwest of St. Louis. It lies at the intersection of Missouri State Highways 8 and 21, approximately 12 miles west of Bonne Terre and nine miles northwest of Irondale. Its exact coordinates are 37°56’11”N 90°47’16”W.

The city sits upon a rolling plateau of sorts, just west of the St. Francois Mountains, with Mine a Breton Creek, a tributary of the Big River, flowing immediately southwest of the downtown section. It has a total area of 2.33 square miles, and an average elevation of 902 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Potosi had a total of 2,660 inhabitants, grouped into 1,114 households, with a population density of 1,141.6 people per square mile. This figure was practically unchanged from the 2000 census, when Potosi had a population of 2,662. 95.15% of the inhabitants were White, 2.18% were African-American, 0.38% were Native American, 0.41% were Asian, 0.26% were from some other race, and 1.62% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.58% of the population.

The median age in Potosi was 39.1 years, with 24.2% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 8.8% between 18 and 24 years old, 23.9% between 25 and 44, 24.3% between 45 and 64, and 18.7% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 44.1% male, 55.9% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Potosi had a median household income of $34,214, and a median family income of $51,111. The unemployment rate was 7.7%. The per capita income was $20,045. About 23.5% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 21.1% of people under the age of 18 and 20.3% of people 65 years old or older.

Government

Potosi has a mayor-council form of government, composed of the mayor (elected for a four-year term) and a board of aldermen, two of whom are elected from each of the city's two wards for a two-year term. The current mayor is Joseph Blount, elected in June 2020.

Education

The city and the surrounding area of central Washington County are served by the Potosi R-III School District, a PK-12 public institution with a total enrollment of over 2,100 students. It consists of Potosi Elementary School (PK-3), Trojan Intermediate School (4-6), John A. Evans Middle School (7-8), and Potosi High School (9-12). The mascot is the Trojans, and the school colors are purple and gold.

Potosi also has a satellite campus of Mineral Area College, based in Park Hills.

Community Life

Potosi prides itself on its roots in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and there are many historical markers alluding to the early life and importance of the town. It sometimes bills itself as "The Cradle of Texas," due to the prominent role of the Austin family that would later lead American settlement of Texas; Austin, the state capital, is named for them. Local points of interest include the Washington County Courthouse (built 1908), the George Cresswell Furnace (built c. 1840), a large lead smelter, and the Civilian Conservation Corps facilities at nearby Washington State Park; all are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Potosi is the corporate headquarters of Purcell Tire and Service Centers, established in 1936 and now the third-largest independent commercial tire dealership in North America, operating stores as far away as Alaska.