Pacific (formerly Franklin) is a city in the
U.S. state of
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
in eastern
Franklin County and extending to the east into southwest
St. Louis County. The population was 7,414 at the
2020 census.
History
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
The Pacific Railroad (not to be confused with Union Pacific Railroad) was a railroad based in Missouri. It was a predecessor of both the Missouri Pacific Railroad and St. Louis-San Francisco Railway.
The Pacific was chartered by Missouri in 184 ...
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
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
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
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), earning recognit ...
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
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder and philanthropy, philanthropist Henry Shaw (philanthropist), Henry Shaw. I ...
purchased 1,300 acres (5.3 km
2) of land immediately to the west of Pacific in 1925 when pollution from coal smoke in Saint Louis threatened the garden's extensive plant collection, notably its orchids. The orchids were moved to the land, then called the Gray Summit Extension, the following year, but were restored to the original location of the garden when pollution waned. The Missouri Botanical Garden kept the land, and over the next fifty years, amounting eventually to the 2,444 acre (9.89 km
2) parcel currently known as
Shaw Nature Reserve.
The Route 66 era (1925–1977)
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
was commissioned by the federal government in 1926, but it originally did not go through Pacific; it was routed along what is now
Missouri Route 100 east of Gray Summit going into Saint Louis until 1933. That year,
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
took over the 1926 alignment, and Route 66 was routed down what is now Osage Street through downtown Pacific. As Route 66 exploded in popularity through the 20th century, new attention was brought to Pacific, as cross-country motorists would stop in the city to eat and stay the night. The
Red Cedar Inn, The Al-Pac Motel and Beacon Court, constructed in 1933, 1942 and 1946, respectively, are examples of
bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house.
''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
s that opened in Pacific along Route 66.
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.
In 1959, as part of
Project Nike, the
U.S. Air Force purchased some land approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of Pacific and constructed a
Nike Hercules
The Nike Hercules, initially designated SAM-A-25 and later MIM-14, was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) used by U.S. and NATO armed forces for medium- and high-altitude long-range air defense. It was normally armed with the W31 nuclear warhead, bu ...
missile site on the land. Nike Base SL-60, as it was called, was one of four surface-to-air missile sites surrounding the Saint Louis metropolitan area in case of an imminent attack from the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
during the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. It operated from 1960 until 1968. 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
Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...
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
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
had completely bypassed Route 66, and in 1974, the
AASHTO
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test quality control, protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway design and construction through ...
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.
Modern growth (1977–present)
The
Missouri Eastern Correctional Center, a medium-minimum security prison with the capacity to house 1,100 male inmates, was constructed immediately east of Pacific in 1979. The city annexed the prison in 2004 after a lengthy debate with neighboring
Eureka, who claimed they had also intended to annex the prison.
In 1982, following the Meramec River flooding around Pacific, dioxin contaminants in oil used to spray down the dirt roads in nearby
Times Beach were spread through the town, which caused disease and the eventual evacuation and demolition of the entire town. Some evacuees moved to Pacific, which caused a substantial population boom.
The
Gustav Grauer Farm, located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Pacific in unincorporated Franklin County, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1984.
Geography

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
The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...
(formerly
Missouri Pacific) railroad,
BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...
(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 United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, 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
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 7,002 people, 2,368 households, and 1,524 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 2,645 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 8.4%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.6%
Native American, 0.5%
Asian, 0.6% from
other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
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
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
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
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 5,482 people, 2,166 households, and 1,431 families living in the city. The population density was . There are 2,343 housing units at an average Value at $97,987.22 /km
2 (432.1/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 94.35%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 2.92%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.38%
Asian, 0.31%
Native American, 0.04%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.53% from
other races, and 1.48% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 2,166 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,554, and the median income for a family was $44,545. Males had a median income of $32,813 versus $22,529 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $17,865. About 8.8% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.
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 Pacific Board of Aldermen has staggered elections. Each of the three wards has two aldermen representing them; one seat is up for election in odd-numbered years and the other in even-numbered years. Each alderman serves a two-year term, and there are no term limits.
Education
Pacific and its surrounding communities are served by the
Meramec Valley R-III School District[ ]
Text list
/ref>[ ]
Text list
/ref>[ ]
Text list
/ref> 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).
Pacific has a public library
A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...
, a branch of the Scenic Regional Library system.
References
External links
City of Pacific official website
Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce
* Historic maps of Pacific in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
{{authority control
Cities in Franklin County, Missouri
Cities in St. Louis County, Missouri
Cities in Missouri