Pacific, Missouri

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Location of Pacific, Missouri

Pacific is a city located in Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,482.

Contents

Geography

Pacific is located at 38°28'53" North, 90°45'0" West (38.481503, -90.750015)Template:GR. The city stradles the Franklin/St. Louis County lines less than one mile (2 km) north of Jefferson County. One-fifth of the city sits in St. Louis County, however the area located in St. Louis County is almost all commercial, hosting 1/3 of the city's department stores, 1/3 of the city's restaurants, and much of the city's retail and service business. The St. Louis County portion of the city has about twenty residents. The St. Louis / Franklin county line lies halfway on the blocks between Elm and Neosho streets. The historic Red Cedar Inn restaurant is located on the east end of the city along historic Route 66. Saint Louis is 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Pacific and the communities comprising the Missouri Rhineland are 20 miles (30 km) northwest of the city.

Pacific is bordered on the Southeast by the Pacific Palisades Conservation area. Meramec River access, through the Pacific Palisades conservation area, is located one mile east of the city next to Eureka on the north side although another access point is located on the south bank of the river also. The majority Pacific Pallisades area itself, south of the river, is accessed 1 mile south of the city in Jefferson County.

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Pacific's signature sandstone bluff sits immediately next to historic Route 66.

The Union Pacific railroad, Burlington Frisco Railroad, historic Route 66, Brush Creek, and Fox Creek run through the town. The Meramec river is located at the south of the city and large St. Peter Sandstone bluffs line the north end of the city. Fox and Brush creeks empty into the Meramec River east of Pacific just outside of Eureka. The historic Missouri Pacific train station, at the end of the First 38 mile division, is located in the old town center. Interstate 44 cuts through the northern section of the city while HWY 00, F, and N run through the eastern part of the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.1 km² (5.4 mi²). 14.0 km² (5.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.18% is water. 1.2 mi² of the city is located in St. Louis County. The city is located roughly one mile (2 km) west from Eureka and five miles (8 km) east of Gray Summit.

City layout

Pacific's layout has been influenced by its proximity to Franklin and St. Louis county borders. The city's sprawl has helped preserve original downtown buildings which preventing it from having a single downtown core.

Commercial areas

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Part of historic downtown Pacific

Pacific has four commercial areas:

  • Old Downtown,
  • The Eastern Commerce area,
  • The Central Business Loop 44 Commerce area, and
  • The Western Commerce area.

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 local library and video store along with a series of bars and restaurants are located in this area. Pacific Foods, one of the two local grocery stores, is located across the street from the historic Royal Theater, which now houses Brengard Carpet and tile store.

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Red Cedar Inn

The Eastern Commerce Area begins at Columbus Street and continues east into St. Louis County along Osage street. A series of strip malls built at various times and joined to each other forms a plaza area, which houses many businesses. Red Cedar Inn and Sheffield's restaurants are located in this area.

The Central Business Loop 44 Commerce area is located off of the Interstate 44 exit and entrance ramps and continues west along Osage street. Most of the city's fast food and gas stations are located in this area. This area also contains both of the city's hotels and the local bowling ally.

The Western Commerce Area is a series of small modern strip malls and plazas located from a vacant lot, which used to be Lazy Larry's Discount Store, ending at Pacific High School. The new city hall is located in this area as well as the new medical center. Most of the city's banks and car lots are located in this area. The city's other grocery store, Queens Market, and Pamida are located in the old Wal-Mart Plaza.

Industrial areas

Most of the city's 50 Manufacturing and Industrial business are located in 3 areas; Saint Louis County (Eastern side), A series of industrial parks in the South Central portion of the city located behind City Park between South Denton and Hwy N, and along the far west end of the city around the High School and Cedars subdivision.

Residential areas

The city of Pacific has several subdivisions and residential areas most of which, except the old town areas, are separated geographically by wooded or commerce areas. Sidewalks do not connect most of the subdivisions or city areas. These areas include; North Old Town, South Old Town, The Hawthorne Subdivision, The Hogan subdivision, The Monroe Woods area, Osage Hills, Glen Forest Estates, Hidden Hills Estates, Silver Lake Estates, and the Thornton road area.

The old town area is split by the railroad into a North and South division. The entire old town area is quite historic with most of the homes built in the mid to late 1800s into the early 1900s.

The northern area is rich in historic architecture mostly of residences of Folk Victorian, Victorian, Queen Anne Victorian, 1.5 - 2 story double pen houses with high style influences, and French vernacular designs many retaining their tin roofs. The northern area is lined with modern attached homes along its northernmost edge.

The homes in the south division are somewhat older and more modest than the north division. The south section includes German vernacular styles, one story double pen houses, upright and wing vernacular types, Folk Victorian, American Four Square, and the few Missouri shotgun houses are located in this area. Several trailer homes are located in the southern division.

The Cedars subdivision, built in the late 1960s - early 1970s, is mostly a double tear-shaped subdivision of modest single-family ranch style homes built on 0.5 to 1 acre (2,000 to 4,000 m²) lots. It is located adjacent to Pacific High School and Truman elementary school along the western edge of the city. A series of attached family homes were built across from the High School in the mid 1980s and a series of apartment complexes were built on Lisa Lane in the late 1990s.

Monroe Woods is an area north of Interstate 44 composed of many apartments, condos, townhouses, and attached homes built in the late 1980s and 1990s. The largest apartment complex being Monroe Woods.

Osage Hills and Forest Glen Estates are modern luxury homes built along the northeast edge of Pacific while Silver Lake and Hidden Hills are modern luxury homes built on the southwestern edge of the city.

Voting wards

Pacific has three voting wards.

  • Ward 1 is mostly the eastern portion of the city, including most of the old city area, Osage Hills, Glen Forest estates, and the Monroe woods area. 0
  • Ward 2 is mostly the center part of the city, including the southwest portion of the old city, the Hawthorn subdivision, and Hogan subdivision, and the Thornton road residential area.
  • Ward 3 includes the Silver Lake, Hidden Hills, and Cedars subdivisions.

Historic timeline

  • 1852 The city was plated as the town of Franklin. Although the written histories don't agree on the size of the town, or even if there was a town when plated, architectural record suggests that there were some structures in 1852.
  • 1853 The Atlantic-Pacific Railroad laid tracks into the town of Franklin and opened on July 19. The railroad was having financial difficulties during this period and it appeared as if they would not be able to finish the tracks to the Pacific Ocean. The town of Franklin applied for a post office and found that the name was already in use. The railroad changed its name to the Missouri-Pacific Railroad and the town changed its name to Pacific, at the request of the railroad, so they could claim that they had indeed built the railroad to Pacific. The railroad stationed its bridge engineering office in the city.
  • 1854 The Pacific post office opened.
  • 1859 The city of Pacific is incorporated as a city fourth class.
  • 1861 the beginning of regular rail service between Pacific and Saint Louis.
  • 1864 In October General Price invaded and held the town for the confederacy. Union troops dispatched from Saint Louis along the railroad to the nearby town of Allenton. The two forces engaged in battle between the hills of the two towns. The Union forces won the battle which stopped General Price's advance towards Saint Louis.
  • 1896 Mining of the St. Peter Sandstone begins in Pacific.
  • 1905 Pacific City School is opened as an all white school. The school was one of the best in the area for its time using highly qualified educators and the most modern teaching methods of its time.
  • 1925 The Missouri Botanical Garden Acquires land directly west of the city to relocate living plants that were being destroyed due to pollution caused from coal burning in Saint Louis. Some of the collection is moved to the area, however the pollution problem cleared in 1926 reducing the need to move the entire collection.
  • 1961 The end of regular rail service between Pacific and Saint Louis due to declining ridership.
  • 1969 The Nike Missile Base turned over to the city.
  • 1970 Meramec Valley School district opens a school in the barracks of the old Nike Missile base.
  • 1979 Missouri Eastern Correctional Center is built east of the city. the city of Pacific builds Lift Station NO. 1 and contracts to treat the waste from the prison.
  • 1982 The south side of the city floods, flooding city hall. Many residents help the down river community of Times Beach evacuate during the floods. The flood of 1982 spread dioxin contamination into the Times Beach residents homes. The CDC recommends permanent relocation. Many Times Beach residents relocate to nearby Pacific.
  • 1985 Kroger food markets exits the Saint Louis Market and sells most of its St. Louis stores to the National Food Market chain. National food markets decides to close the Pacific store due to the larger and more modern store located in Eureka. Local residents purchase the store and operate it under the Name of Pacific Foods.
  • 1989 Racial tensions flair at the local High School when several African -American football players where beaten by Caucasian classmates who were later beaten by their African-American classmates. Although none of the students were seriously injured many threats were made. The local police intervened when rumors of threats made by students of both races were heard and several hunting bows were found on the school parking lot. The school banned hunting weapons/firearms on school property and created a program for handling future disputes.
  • 1993 The south part of the city floods, as does city hall, again in the Great Flood of 1993. The city relocates city hall to the high ground in the northwest side of the city.
  • 1994 The south side of the city floods in the flood of 1994.
  • 1995 The local Wal-Mart closed after opening Super Centers in the nearby cities of Eureka and Union.
  • 1997 To replace the sales tax income lost from the closing of Wal-Mart the city issued a TIF for a parcel of property adjacent to the Wal-Mart site. They contacted developers to build a large Outlet Mall. Plans were submitted to build the mall but plans to build an Outlet Mall south of Six Flags in nearby Eureka, in the town of Allenton, quickly killed the Pacific Outlet Mall project. The city of Eureka ended up suing the developer of their project after they refused to upgrade the infrastructure and ended up as the owner of the property.
  • 1998 The retailer known as Places leases the old Wal-Mart space. Places is soon bought out by Pamida.
  • 2002 Pacific Partnership is formed as a non-profit organization to restore the old downtown area. Plans include building a public plaza in the center of the old downtown area.
  • 2003 The State, refusing to add more businesses to the sewer line running to the prison for many years, offers to turn it over to Pacific provided that they upgrade and repair the line after the Eureka Fire Protection District builds a Fire Protection Training Center Directly west of the prison without the means to treat its sewage. House Bill 574, allowing the annexation of the line and the prison into the city of Pacific, is drafted by the state legislator and passed into law by the governor. The city of Eureka disputes the annex after it is discovered that the taxes from the prison amount to over $200,000 annually. Mediators are called in November to try to resolve the dispute, but no compromise could be reached.
  • 2003 The Wild Canid Survival and Research Center acquires land directly south of Pacific after its lease with Tyson Research Center expires, with plans to move the Wolf Sanctuary to the new land.
  • 2003 Pacific officials voice concerns over housing projects planned by the city of Eureka in what was Allenton. The town of Allenton, before being bought out and ultimately owned by city of Eureka through a series of litigations, was in a flood plain. The proposed project in Allenton and Wallach farms would require the developers to raise the level of the land and may increase the chances of areas upstream in eastern Pacific to flood. Public safety is cited as the reason for the objection.
  • 2004 In January, after half a year of failed negotiations with the nearby city of Eureka, Pacific is allowed to annex the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center, the new Eureka Fire District training facility, and the sewer line connecting them both to Lift Station One located in Pacific. A previous act by the Sate Legislator allowed the annexation, but the cities were told, by the governor when signing the bill, to come to an agreement over the annexation after the city of Eureka protested it, which they only voiced when they realized that whichever city annexed the prison would receive an additional $200,000 annually in tax revenue and could count the individuals detained at the prison, roughly 1500, as residents. As part of the compromise developed by the governor, after negotiations between the two city failed, the city of Pacific is only allowed to use the increase in tax revenues gained through the annexation in the Saint Louis County portion of the city.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 5,482 people, 2,166 households, and 1,431 families residing in the city. The population density is 390.5/km² (1,011.0/mi²). There are 2,343 housing units at an average density of 166.9/km² (432.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 94.35% White, 2.92% African American, 0.38% Asian, 0.31% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 2,166 households out of which 33.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% are married couples living together, 15.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% are non-families. 28.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 3.05.

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $39,554, and the median income for a family is $44,545. Males have a median income of $32,813 versus $22,529 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,865. 14.7% of the population and 8.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.7% of those under the age of 18 and 19.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Schools and colleges

Pacific and its surrounding communities is served by the Meramec Valley R-III school system. The area is in the Saint Louis Community College district although many residents have preferred to attend the closer East Central College.

Local newspapers

Surrounding towns, cities, and communities

City parks and attractions

  • Historic Downtown Pacific
  • Pacific City Park
  • Blackburn Park
  • Pacific Fairgrounds

Nearby atractions

Pacific is near a number of area attractions:

External links

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