Valley Park, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Valley Park is a city in St. Louis County
, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 6,942 at the 2010 census.
Indian settlement along the Meramec River as early as the mid-18th century, until it was settled by French and German immigrant farmers in the 1760s. The town over time was known as Nasby, Sulphur Springs, Quinette, Meramec, and finally Valley Park by around 1890. It had one of the first post offices established in St. Louis County. It also became a railroad hub for the Missouri Pacific and St. Louis-San Francisco rail lines.
In 1894, the town became the site of the first lynching
in St. Louis County. A black man named John Buckner was lynched when accused of raping a local black woman and a white teenager. He was taken from the authorities by several local residents and farmers and hung from the main bridge in town overlooking the Meramec River. The lynchers were never apprehended.
In 1909, the town became incorporated. As many as 70 trains passed through Valley Park on any given day. The town became a center for industry until the great flood of 1915, when the main bridge was destroyed, as were the huge factories along the river. The town never recovered.
Valley Park and Castlewood Park were summer resorts. Castlewood Park is a short distance west on Big Bend. Castlewood Park became part of the St. Louis County Park system. However, Valley Park began to boom with the building of the glass factory and other industries. Grocery stores and restaurants opened up; churches went from being mission churches to being congregations. Valley Park had a Saddle and Paddle Club on Marshall and now Highway 141. Valley Park had the ever-popular realty term location, location, location. Valley Park had railroads, the Meramec River, and what was even then considered main roads. Railroads played a big role in the town in the late 19th century and early 20th century. At the time, the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) and Missouri Pacific served Valley Park; now it is Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe
. At one time, the Meramec River had barge traffic.
St. Louis families would board the trains for summer vacations, weekends, or second family homes along the Meramec River. Clubhouses were built on the banks of the Meramec. Some of those clubhouses stood until the 1990s. In 1992 and 1993 floods destroyed them beyond repair, and they were removed to accommodate the building of the Meramec Valley River Basin Levee. (The levee had its big flood test in March 2008; it saved Valley Park from yet another devastating flood.) One of the most charming old buildings still standing is the Frisco Hotel located at 28 Front Street. It is now the Whittle Shortline Railroad Shop. The owners make toy wooden trains.
Several parks are within the city limits, including Vance Trails Park, Leonard Park, Brignole Park, and Meramec Landing for anglers and boaters. Simpson St. Louis County Park and Lake and Lone Elk Park (with a wild bird sanctuary) are also within the city limits. With the completion of the levee, Valley Park will have trails along the Meramec River for hiking and biking as part of the Ozark Greenway Trails.
In the late 20th century, the city doubled in population.
The first elementary building, Hill School, opened in 1882. This school was located several blocks north of the present campus and was closed in 1931. A second elementary school, Benton School, named after the Missouri senator, Thomas Hart Benton, opened in 1908 and operated until 1954. The high school opened its doors on September 6, 1932, and the first class graduated two years later. It became the nucleus of the present school district campus.
The district serves about 1,000 students and is located in the southwest corner of St. Louis County. It encompasses 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²) that includes a large portion of Valley Park, the village of Twin Oaks
, and a section of unincorporated St. Louis County. District boundaries are Big Bend on the north, Barrett Station Road on the east, the Meramec River on the south, and Hanna Road on the west. Within the district boundaries are approximately 3,834 households with 1,456 registered voters. With low student-to-teacher ratios and all school buildings located on one campus at One Main Street, the district offers a private school atmosphere in a public school setting. The campus consists of five buildings: Valley Park High School and its Music and Industrial Technology building, Valley Park Middle School, Valley Park Elementary School and the Dennis Lea Early Childhood Center. Valley Park High School has an off-campus program called the Community School, which is located one block from the main campus. The Community School is an academic-recovery program for students who are unable to be successful in the traditional high school setting.
In 1989, a large two-story addition was made to the high school, and a second floor addition was made to the multipurpose building. During the past four years, every building on campus has undergone extensive construction and/or renovation. The Meramec Building (c.1951) and the Vance Building (c.1954) were torn down and a modern 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) elementary school was built. The multipurpose building (c.1968) was renovated to become Valley Park Middle School. In 1999, an 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) two-story addition was added to the existing high school, which was completely renovated. In 2003, the Early Childhood and Health Center was built with a connected hallway to the elementary building.
, which penalized landlords who rented to "illegal aliens
", businesses who employed "illegal aliens", and others who aided and abetted "illegal immigration."
Several landlords along with the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council filed suit against the city. The lawsuit was supported by Bryan Cave
, Washington University Law School, St. Louis University Legal Clinic, the ACLU, MALDEF, the Hispanic Ministry of the Catholic Church and several private attorneys, who won a temporary restraining order
.
Led by then-mayor Jeffrey Whitteaker, the Board of Aldermen amended the ordinance twice, and the coalition opposing the ordinances won restraining orders against both amended ordinances. The ordinances were invalidated following their repeal. A subsequent appeal by the city was dismissed as moot, in the Missouri Court of Appeals, as the subject ordinances had been repealed. Thereafter, following the city's passage and publication of an ordinance prohibiting the knowing employment of unlawful aliens, a subsequent suit was brought in state court, subsequently removed by the city to federal court. After the city abandoned its efforts to punish landlords who could not prove their tenants were lawfully present and narrowed the enforcement mechanism for the remainder of the ordinance, the district court upheld the remainder of the ordinance. The plaintiffs filed an appeal on procedural issues and asked for the district court decision to be vacated. The appeal was denied and the decision of the district court was affirmed. The city's immigration ordinances have never been enforced.
The Missouri General Assembly
, in the 2008 legislative session, enacted legislation, to take effect in August 2009, which included language similar to Valley Park's unlawful employment ordinance, to be enforced by the Missouri Attorney General. The state legislation had been under discussion and review for a significant time in both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. It remains unlawful, by Valley Park ordinance, to knowingly hire unlawful aliens within the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which 3 square miles (7.8 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), or 5.03%, is water.
. The tunnel and depot are now on the National Register of Historic Places
. With over seventy locomotives that visitors can look at and climb aboard, the museum has the most complete collection of American rail power anywhere, and its collection of automobiles, buses, streetcars, aircraft, horse-drawn vehicles and river boat material reflects the ever-changing nature of transportation. Guided walking tours and rides on the miniature Abbott Railroad (in season) are all part of the fun. There is a concession stand and gift shop of transportation memorabilia.
The World Bird Sanctuary can be found inside Lone Elk Park. Visitors can see famous or lesser-known birds of prey and other wild birds. During the summer and spring months they are always on display, and at listed times there are bird shows. The sanctuary was founded in 1977 by ornithologist Walter C. Crowford, Jr. Crowford began his career at the St. Louis City Zoo. Crowford, working with Wild Kingdom
star Marlin Perkins
, recognized a need for an organization dedicated to birds of prey. Today, Mr. Crawford continues to direct the organization he founded. He also travels nationwide to speak at conventions and banquets with his humorous and inspirational message of environmental conservation.
Lone Elk Park also contains animals such as elk, deer, buffalo, and turkeys, which can be viewed on a drive through the park.
Meramec Landing sits along the Meramec River. It is a small area to park and unload a boat or jet ski into the river, or for fishing.
Simpson Park is located on the border of Valley Park next to Kirkwood
. It has a large lake for boating and fishing, as well as a biking and hiking trail that goes all the way around the lake in a wooded area, and then stretches far outside the park down to the Meramec River. It also has a large playground and plenty of open fields to play soccer, baseball or even fly a kite.
Buder Park is located on the other side of the Meramec River and is considered a St. Louis County/Valley Park park. This park offers fishing access to the river, and open fields for flying kites, or playing football, soccer, or baseball. However, it is best known for its model plane activities. People from all over St. Louis and the surrounding counties come to this park to fly their model planes or fly tight lines. It has two tight lining tracks and a full runway for model airplanes.
of 2000, there were 6,518 people, 2,603 households, and 1,663 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,156.2 people per square mile (833.3/km²). There were 2,744 housing units at an average density of 907.7 per square mile (350.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.02% White, 4.11% African American, 0.09% Native American, 4.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races
, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.27% of the population.
There were 2,603 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% 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 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,548, and the median income for a family was $54,063. Males had a median income of $40,956 versus $31,617 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,720. About 8.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 6,942 at the 2010 census.
History
The town was a MississippianMississippian culture
The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally....
Indian settlement along the Meramec River as early as the mid-18th century, until it was settled by French and German immigrant farmers in the 1760s. The town over time was known as Nasby, Sulphur Springs, Quinette, Meramec, and finally Valley Park by around 1890. It had one of the first post offices established in St. Louis County. It also became a railroad hub for the Missouri Pacific and St. Louis-San Francisco rail lines.
In 1894, the town became the site of the first lynching
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
in St. Louis County. A black man named John Buckner was lynched when accused of raping a local black woman and a white teenager. He was taken from the authorities by several local residents and farmers and hung from the main bridge in town overlooking the Meramec River. The lynchers were never apprehended.
In 1909, the town became incorporated. As many as 70 trains passed through Valley Park on any given day. The town became a center for industry until the great flood of 1915, when the main bridge was destroyed, as were the huge factories along the river. The town never recovered.
Valley Park and Castlewood Park were summer resorts. Castlewood Park is a short distance west on Big Bend. Castlewood Park became part of the St. Louis County Park system. However, Valley Park began to boom with the building of the glass factory and other industries. Grocery stores and restaurants opened up; churches went from being mission churches to being congregations. Valley Park had a Saddle and Paddle Club on Marshall and now Highway 141. Valley Park had the ever-popular realty term location, location, location. Valley Park had railroads, the Meramec River, and what was even then considered main roads. Railroads played a big role in the town in the late 19th century and early 20th century. At the time, the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) and Missouri Pacific served Valley Park; now it is Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
. At one time, the Meramec River had barge traffic.
St. Louis families would board the trains for summer vacations, weekends, or second family homes along the Meramec River. Clubhouses were built on the banks of the Meramec. Some of those clubhouses stood until the 1990s. In 1992 and 1993 floods destroyed them beyond repair, and they were removed to accommodate the building of the Meramec Valley River Basin Levee. (The levee had its big flood test in March 2008; it saved Valley Park from yet another devastating flood.) One of the most charming old buildings still standing is the Frisco Hotel located at 28 Front Street. It is now the Whittle Shortline Railroad Shop. The owners make toy wooden trains.
Several parks are within the city limits, including Vance Trails Park, Leonard Park, Brignole Park, and Meramec Landing for anglers and boaters. Simpson St. Louis County Park and Lake and Lone Elk Park (with a wild bird sanctuary) are also within the city limits. With the completion of the levee, Valley Park will have trails along the Meramec River for hiking and biking as part of the Ozark Greenway Trails.
In the late 20th century, the city doubled in population.
Valley Park School District
The Valley Park School District is a rather small, but growing district. The early childhood development center, elementary, middle, and high school are all on one campus.The first elementary building, Hill School, opened in 1882. This school was located several blocks north of the present campus and was closed in 1931. A second elementary school, Benton School, named after the Missouri senator, Thomas Hart Benton, opened in 1908 and operated until 1954. The high school opened its doors on September 6, 1932, and the first class graduated two years later. It became the nucleus of the present school district campus.
The district serves about 1,000 students and is located in the southwest corner of St. Louis County. It encompasses 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²) that includes a large portion of Valley Park, the village of Twin Oaks
Twin Oaks, Missouri
Twin Oaks is a village in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 392 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Twin Oaks is located at According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, and a section of unincorporated St. Louis County. District boundaries are Big Bend on the north, Barrett Station Road on the east, the Meramec River on the south, and Hanna Road on the west. Within the district boundaries are approximately 3,834 households with 1,456 registered voters. With low student-to-teacher ratios and all school buildings located on one campus at One Main Street, the district offers a private school atmosphere in a public school setting. The campus consists of five buildings: Valley Park High School and its Music and Industrial Technology building, Valley Park Middle School, Valley Park Elementary School and the Dennis Lea Early Childhood Center. Valley Park High School has an off-campus program called the Community School, which is located one block from the main campus. The Community School is an academic-recovery program for students who are unable to be successful in the traditional high school setting.
In 1989, a large two-story addition was made to the high school, and a second floor addition was made to the multipurpose building. During the past four years, every building on campus has undergone extensive construction and/or renovation. The Meramec Building (c.1951) and the Vance Building (c.1954) were torn down and a modern 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) elementary school was built. The multipurpose building (c.1968) was renovated to become Valley Park Middle School. In 1999, an 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) two-story addition was added to the existing high school, which was completely renovated. In 2003, the Early Childhood and Health Center was built with a connected hallway to the elementary building.
Controversy
In 2006, Valley Park was featured in local, state and national news media when the City's Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance almost identical to the ordinance passed by the city council of Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
, which penalized landlords who rented to "illegal aliens
Alien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
", businesses who employed "illegal aliens", and others who aided and abetted "illegal immigration."
Several landlords along with the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council filed suit against the city. The lawsuit was supported by Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
, Washington University Law School, St. Louis University Legal Clinic, the ACLU, MALDEF, the Hispanic Ministry of the Catholic Church and several private attorneys, who won a temporary restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
.
Led by then-mayor Jeffrey Whitteaker, the Board of Aldermen amended the ordinance twice, and the coalition opposing the ordinances won restraining orders against both amended ordinances. The ordinances were invalidated following their repeal. A subsequent appeal by the city was dismissed as moot, in the Missouri Court of Appeals, as the subject ordinances had been repealed. Thereafter, following the city's passage and publication of an ordinance prohibiting the knowing employment of unlawful aliens, a subsequent suit was brought in state court, subsequently removed by the city to federal court. After the city abandoned its efforts to punish landlords who could not prove their tenants were lawfully present and narrowed the enforcement mechanism for the remainder of the ordinance, the district court upheld the remainder of the ordinance. The plaintiffs filed an appeal on procedural issues and asked for the district court decision to be vacated. The appeal was denied and the decision of the district court was affirmed. The city's immigration ordinances have never been enforced.
The Missouri General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
, in the 2008 legislative session, enacted legislation, to take effect in August 2009, which included language similar to Valley Park's unlawful employment ordinance, to be enforced by the Missouri Attorney General. The state legislation had been under discussion and review for a significant time in both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. It remains unlawful, by Valley Park ordinance, to knowingly hire unlawful aliens within the city.
Geography
Valley Park is located at 38°33′19"N 90°29′18"W (38.555320, -90.488304).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which 3 square miles (7.8 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), or 5.03%, is water.
Attractions
The Museum of Transportation was founded in 1944 and was at one time an original mainline of the Pacific Railroad. It was one of the first railroad tunnels west of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The tunnel and depot are now on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. With over seventy locomotives that visitors can look at and climb aboard, the museum has the most complete collection of American rail power anywhere, and its collection of automobiles, buses, streetcars, aircraft, horse-drawn vehicles and river boat material reflects the ever-changing nature of transportation. Guided walking tours and rides on the miniature Abbott Railroad (in season) are all part of the fun. There is a concession stand and gift shop of transportation memorabilia.
The World Bird Sanctuary can be found inside Lone Elk Park. Visitors can see famous or lesser-known birds of prey and other wild birds. During the summer and spring months they are always on display, and at listed times there are bird shows. The sanctuary was founded in 1977 by ornithologist Walter C. Crowford, Jr. Crowford began his career at the St. Louis City Zoo. Crowford, working with Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom, sometimes known as Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is an American television show that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and was revived in 2002...
star Marlin Perkins
Marlin Perkins
Richard Marlin Perkins was a zoologist best known as a host of the television program Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom from 1963 to 1985.-Biography:...
, recognized a need for an organization dedicated to birds of prey. Today, Mr. Crawford continues to direct the organization he founded. He also travels nationwide to speak at conventions and banquets with his humorous and inspirational message of environmental conservation.
Lone Elk Park also contains animals such as elk, deer, buffalo, and turkeys, which can be viewed on a drive through the park.
Meramec Landing sits along the Meramec River. It is a small area to park and unload a boat or jet ski into the river, or for fishing.
Simpson Park is located on the border of Valley Park next to Kirkwood
Kirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...
. It has a large lake for boating and fishing, as well as a biking and hiking trail that goes all the way around the lake in a wooded area, and then stretches far outside the park down to the Meramec River. It also has a large playground and plenty of open fields to play soccer, baseball or even fly a kite.
Buder Park is located on the other side of the Meramec River and is considered a St. Louis County/Valley Park park. This park offers fishing access to the river, and open fields for flying kites, or playing football, soccer, or baseball. However, it is best known for its model plane activities. People from all over St. Louis and the surrounding counties come to this park to fly their model planes or fly tight lines. It has two tight lining tracks and a full runway for model airplanes.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,518 people, 2,603 households, and 1,663 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,156.2 people per square mile (833.3/km²). There were 2,744 housing units at an average density of 907.7 per square mile (350.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.02% White, 4.11% African American, 0.09% Native American, 4.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.27% of the population.
There were 2,603 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% 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 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 41.5% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,548, and the median income for a family was $54,063. Males had a median income of $40,956 versus $31,617 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,720. About 8.7% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- City of Valley Park official website
- Valley Park School District
- Historic maps of Valley Park in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...