Difference between revisions of "Kimmswick, Missouri"

Revision as of 19:17, August 2, 2021

Kimmswick is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri. It had a population of 157 at the 2010 census.

History

The Kimmswick area was settled as early as 1770, by American pioneers who established a salt works there, and later by visitors to some mineral springs nearby.^[1] The city itself was laid out in 1859, immediately following the extension of a branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad (later the St. Louis-San Francisco or "Frisco" Railroad) along the Mississippi River. It was named for Theodore Kimm, a prominent local resident.^[2]

Kimmswick was a river port of some prominence in its early years, thanks to its direct access to the railroad, and it possessed a major forge for a time in the late 19th century, smelting the iron ore shipped from mines in the Ironton area.^[3] It was gradually eclipsed by other communities in the region, though, and remained relatively small in size, even during Jefferson County's wave of suburbanization in the mid- and late 20th century (much of which occurred in the Imperial district just to the west). In recent decades, it has benefited from this relative isolation: many of the original houses and local businesses have been preserved, and these, combined with several pioneer-themed festivals hosted by the town, have made Kimmswick a major tourist destination in Missouri.

Kimmswick was severely damaged financially in 2020 by the lockdowns that occurred in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which in the process cut off much of its tourism trade, and the community is still struggling to recover.^[4]

References