Steele, Missouri
Steele is a city in southern Pemiscot County, Missouri. It had a population of 2,172 at the 2010 census.
History
The town of Steele came into existence in the 1890s, following the construction of a branch line of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad through the region. A post office was established in 1897 and the community was incorporated in 1901; around this time, it was named for L. L. Steele, a prominent farmer and businessman who had come to Pemiscot County in the 1880s.[1]
Steele was situated in a swampy area, near one or more lakes, and thus had a tendency to flood early on. It was said that the sidewalks had to be built four feet above ground level, and following heavy rains, one could make one's way through the streets by boat. Organized efforts at draining and clearing the region began after 1910, however, and Steele prospered and rose in population from the rich farmland made available.[2]
Geography
Steele is located near the junction of Interstate 55 and U.S. Route 61 in southern Pemiscot County, about eleven miles southwest of Caruthersville and eleven miles northeast of Blytheville, Arkansas. I-55 and U.S. 61 connect it with both cities, while Missouri State Highway 164 extends from Steele to southern Dunklin County to the west. Its exact coordinates are 36°05’02”N 89°49’45”W.
The city lies on the flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain, partly atop a drained lake. It has a total area of 1.87 square miles, and an average elevation of 262 feet.[3]