Ellisville, Missouri
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Ellisville is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,104.
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Geography
Ellisville is located at 38°35'38" North, 90°35'15" West (38.594003, -90.587490)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 km² (4.3 mi²). 11.3 km² (4.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 9,104 people, 3,209 households, and 2,486 families residing in the city. The population density is 808.1/km² (2,094.1/mi²). There are 3,292 housing units at an average density of 292.2/km² (757.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.11% White, 1.58% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,209 households out of which 39.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.9% are married couples living together, 8.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% are non-families. 19.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.74 and the average family size is 3.16.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $65,016, and the median income for a family is $74,375. Males have a median income of $55,224 versus $32,062 for females. The per capita income for the city is $27,379. 3.5% of the population and 1.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.3% of those under the age of 18 and 5.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
EARLY ELLISVILLE HISTORY
Ellisville was settled by Captain James Harvey Ferris of Kentucky before 1837. He brought slaves with him when he settled his property south of Manchester and west of Kiefer Creek Road and it was here that the house that became known as the "Ellis House" was constructed. The bricks used for construction of the house were handmade by the slaves and it was also called the "Brick Place" for this reason.
Captain Ferris sold the house to Vespasian Ellis, a newspaper editor in St. Louis. The Old School Democrat, the Native American Bulletin, the Washington Temperance Paper, and The Native American were publications edited by Ellis. In 1842, Ellis became the United States consul to Venezuela. He ran several ads in the Native American Bulletin in an effort to sell his Ellisville farm. As a result, it was sold to William A. Hereford in 1842 or 1843. Hereford was a Virginian and is credited with the naming of Ellisville after his former post office in Ellisville, Virginia. Hereford opened the first post office here on May 2, 1843. Some believe that the Ellis House itself actually served as the post office for a time. All historical accounts of the area give the same history, but none state clearly whether the town was named for Vespasian Ellis or by William Hereford for his Virginian post office.
Hereford sold to Samuel Wilson and he sold to Major Clarkson of Kentucky for whom Clarkson Road is named. Major Clarkson sold to Captain Benjamin F. Hutchinson of Kentucky, a steamboat captain and the owner of at least three steamboats. Captain Hutchinson raised fine horses and planted extensive orchards, greatly improving the surrounding countryside. In 1968 Captain Hutchison subdivided his farm into small lots.
Adam Doering purchased the brick house and a considerable portion of the land. John Henry William Rasch purchased the house about 1896 from the Doering's. The Ellisville House stood until 1969 when it was razed.
ELLISVILLE INCORPORATION
The incorporation of Ellisville occurred in 1932 to create a public school district for Ellisville children. There were three schools in the area that had been organized by the early settlers. Oak Ridge School was organized sometime in the 1830's. It was used for church services as well as for school and other social events. Oak Ridge has been enlarged, moved; was closed during the Civil War, and then reorganized after the war ended. In 1909 a larger building was constructed. The school is now a private residence on Valley Road.
Alt School was built on land given to St. John's Lutheran Church by William Hutchison. This one-room schoolhouse still stands on Reinke road. In 1910, Alt School was designated as District 54 by the State of Missouri.
The third school was Ruwwe School located on Old State Road. Originally the school was known as Sappington School, named for the Sappington Estate, but later renamed Ruwwe School for Judge Francis Ruwwe. In 1910, Ruwwe School was designated as District 55 by the State of Missouri. Today the school is a private residence.
All three of these schools were operating in the 1930's but there were many people who wanted to create a public school district for Ellisville. To form a school district, they learned that they must first incorporate into a village. The election was held in May, 1932 and voters approved the proposition by the required 2/3 majority. Village trustees were Lester J. Gieselelr, William S. Shotwell, Wilfred Arft, Henry F. Reinke, and Earnest Karl.
On June 14, 1932, the Ellisville Village School District was formed. Classes were held in a one-room brick school building, which still stands on Weis Avenue. In 1938 Ellisville Elementary School was opened on Marsh Avenue.
In 1949 there was a statewide reorganization of school districts. The Ellisville Village School District became part of the Reorganized District R-6 of St. Louis County, later called Rockwood School District.
Ellisville remained a village until 1957. On November 12, 1957, the voters approved a proposition for the village to become a fourth class city.
In the 1980's and into the early 1990's the City of Ellisville experienced some fiscal mismanagement. On November 3, 1992, the citizens of Ellisville voted yes to establish a thirteen member Charter Commission to draft a new Home Rule Charter designed specifically for Ellisville. The Charter vests the power of government in the city residents instead of the State Legislature. The Charter Commission submitted the proposed charter to the voters at an election on August 3, 1993. Ellisville voters overwhelmingly approved a Home Rule Charter which created a Council/Manager form of government.