1800's |
1900's |
2000's
1800's
1808
Founding of Herculaneum by Moses Austin and
Samuel Hammond.
1809
John Maclot, a French refugee, builds the
first shot tower in Herculaneum.
1810
Moses Austin builds the second shot tower in
Herculaneum.
1811
The first post office is established in
Herculaneum. Herculaneum is described as a town
of twenty houses, two hundred residents, a
ferry, a store, a blacksmith and a hatter.
1813
Christian Wilt and John Honey built the third
shot tower in Herculaneum. Lots in Herculaneum
were sold by Hammonds at $30.00 a lot.
1815
Herculaneum's first school was established by a
man named Wilson.
1817
The Zebulon Pike, the first steamboat to
navigate the upper Mississippi River, stopped at
Herculaneum on its way to St. Louis. From that
point on, the steamboat made regular stops in
Herculaneum.
1818
Jefferson County is organized by an act of the
Missouri Legislature.
1818
Herculaneum is described as a town having
between thirty and forty homes, three stores, a
post office, a jail, a court building and a
school. There were three shot towers on the
adjoining cliffs.
1819
County court records show that a survey was made
to incorporate the town of Herculaneum on July
27.
1819
Jefferson County establishes rates of taxation
and petitions the court to establish highways
toward Ste. Genevieve, Potosi and Meramac The
same year, John W. Honey, a Herculaneum merchant
and prominent early settler, captains a
steamboat, the Maid of Orleans, to New Orleans.
1819
The first Masonic Lodge was chartered by the
Grand Lodge of Tennessee. It consisted of three
separate lodges: Missouri (St. Louis), Joachim
(Herculaneum) and St. Charles (St. Charles).
1819
On March 19, 1819 the first county court
convened. Samuel Woodson and Andrew Scott were
commissioners of the new court
1820
James & Emily Bryan, Moses Austin's
daughter and son-in-law donate land to the
County for the construction of public buildings.
1820
The first General Election is held in Jefferson
County. Daniel Dunklin and Samuel Perry were
elected as the first State Senators. The first
judge to preside in Jefferson County was
Nathaniel Beverly Tucker.
1821
Missouri is admitted to the Union as the 24th
state.
1821
The first justices of the County Court were L.B.
Boyd, Elias Bates and Samuel Hammond. The first
meeting was held in the rented home of a
African-American man named Abe on October 1.
1821
Josiah Craft built the first county jail in
Herculaneum on land donated for public buildings
by James and Emily Bryant.
1832
The County Court voted to move the County seat
to a more centrally located town.
1839
By an act of the Missouri Legislature, the
Jefferson County seat is moved from Herculaneum
to the more centrally located town of Hillsboro.
1840
The County Seat is moved to Hillsboro.
1858
The post office in Herculaneum is closed.
1861
Jefferson County voters oppose Missouri's
secession from the Union.
1864
Thomas Fletcher becomes the first native born
Governor of Missouri. Fletcher was born in
Herculaneum in 1827.
1864
The St. Joe Lead Company, a New York based firm,
was organized to produce lead in the Missouri
Lead Belt area.
1887
At the direction of Charles Bunyan Parsons, the
St. Joe Lead Company chooses Herculaneum as a
lead smelting site.
1887
The M.R. & B.T. Railroad was started near Bonne
Terre and ran to Herculaneum. This railroad line
intersected with the Iron Mountain Railroad at
Riverside.
1887
St. Joe Lead Company acquired a 540 acre tract
of land along the Mississippi River to locate
its new lead smelter.
1890
Construction begins on the St. Joe Lead Company
smelter.
1890
The post office reopens in Herculaneum.
1892
The first operation of the smelter begins with
the operation of calcine furnaces, two blast
furnaces, a refinery and a powerhouse for the
generation of steam and electricity.
1899
Thomas Clement Fletcher dies.
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1900's
1904
Four-room frame school built on School Street.
1908
The Buren Chapel, A.M.E. is built.
1908
The First Baptist Church of Herculaneum is
organized.
1910
St. Joe Lead Company constructs a 350 foot smoke
stack at their facility
1911
St. Joe Lead Company donates land for the
development of a public cemetery.
1912
Eight room brick schoolhouse is built.
1912
The Douglas African-American Elementary School
is organized by the Herculaneum School District.
1915
Reverend Burk and Reverend Hoffs organize the
Methodist Church in Herculaneum..
1916
The St. Joe Lead Company donates land to the
Methodist Church for the construction of the
first church building.
1916
The Catholics of Herculaneum organize and build
the Assumption Catholic Church.
1919
Five students comprise the first graduating
class of Herculaneum High School.
1919
Molds for the bear pits at the St. Louis Zoo are
cast from the limestone bluffs in Herculaneum.
1920
The Assumption Catholic Church organizes a
parish school in the basement of the church
building.
1921
The bridge next to the train depot is washed
out by high water.
1922
The First Assembly of God Church is organized
and meets in a three-room house at the
intersection of Circle Street and Main Street.
1930
The Senior Class of Herculaneum High School
adopts a senior ring.
1934
The WPA builds the track and football field at
the Herculaneum High School.
1936
Ferry service is established between
Herculaneum and Harrisonville, Illinois.
1937
The Assumption Catholic Church builds a parish
school (for grades 1-8) next to the church
building.
1938
The Joachim Study Club is formed.
1939
The St. Joe Lead Company donates a company
building for use as a town library.
1940
The Junior Club "Joli Coeur Club" is formed by
the Joachim Study Club.
1942
The Herculaneum Public Library opens to the
public.
1942
The Joachim Study Club erects the first
street signs in Herculaneum.
1944
Ferry service to Illinois ceases to operate.
1945
Herculaneum Girl Scout Troop is organized by the
Joachim Study Club.
1947
The Herculaneum Public School building is
destroyed by a Christmas Day fire. Classes are
moved to the First Baptist Church until repairs
are made.
1949
The first Community Christmas Tree was erected
at the intersection of Station Street and Main
Street. The project was the result of the
combined efforts of St. Joe Lead Company, Union
Local 132 and the Joachim Study Club. The
tradition was continued for twenty years.
1948
The Horine Elementary School is organized within
the Herculaneum School District.
1950
Six classrooms and an office are built to
establish the Roy E. Taylor Elementary School.
1951
The Herculaneum Fire Department is organized by
a group of thirteen volunteers. The fire
department purchases a used 1936 General Monarch
fire truck. Lynn Johnston is elected as the
department's first fire chief.
1951
The Herculaneum Volunteer Fire Department
responds to their first fire call on August 3rd.
The fire call was a garage fire at the home of
Leo Thomas at 818 Curved Street.
1952
St. Joe Lead Company donates a former church
basement to the fire department for use as the
first fire station.
1952
The Herculaneum Fire Department initiates the
sale of fire tags to fund the activities of the
fire department.
1956
The First Assembly of God Church constructs a
new church building at the intersection of St.
Joseph Street and Highway 61-67.
1957
The Douglas Elementary School is integrated into
the Roy E. Taylor Elementary signaling the end
of school segregation in Herculaneum.
1957
The Herculaneum Fire Department purchases the
first new fire truck for the town of
Herculaneum. The new truck is a 1957 Ford.
1965
Pevely Elementary School District is organized
into the Herculaneum R-5 School District. The
district is renamed as the Dunklin R-5 School
District.
1966
Herculaneum firefighter Jim Evans was awarded
the American Legion Silver Star of Valor (along
with Assistant Chief Steve Siracusa of Crystal
City Fire Department) for their heroism as they
successfully removed a gasoline tanker truck
from a raging fire at the Crystal Tire Company.
Two other Herculaneum firefighters were injured
in the blaze and transported to Jefferson
Memorial Hospital.
1966
The Assumption Catholic Parish School is closed
and the students are transferred to the Festus
facility.
1967
The Herculaneum Public Library is closed due to
lack of funds.
1967
Herculaneum Fire Chief Tom Robart is elected
President of the Fire Fighters Association of
Missouri. He held the office until 1971. Robart
was again elected President in 1973.
1971
The Herculaneum Fire Department builds the first
new public building in the town of Herculaneum.
The new fire station replaces the old renovated
church basement in use since 1952. The building
is dedicated on March 17, 1971.
1971
A group of concerned citizens form the
Neighborhood Improvement Association seeking to
re-incorporate Herculaneum.
1972
On January 7, the Jefferson County Court
designated Herculaneum as an incorporated city.
1972
The City Hall operates from the old Douglas
Elementary School. The first board of aldermen
is elected as follows: Lester Boyer, Robert
Turley, James Evans, Don Kelley and Don Stotler,
Stotler is elected as the City's first Mayor.
John "Hoot" Douglas is elected as the first City
Marshal and Nick Bates is elected as the first
Municipal Judge.
1972
The City of Herculaneum contracts with the
Herculaneum Fire Department to provide fire
protection to the citizens of Herculaneum. With
this contract, the sale of fire tags in
Herculaneum ended.
1973
The Senn-Thomas Junior High School is built on
North Main Street.
1973
The Herculaneum Fire Department is selected
as the "Fire Department of The Year for
Missouri" by the Fire Fighters Association of
Missouri.
1975
William Burlage is elected Mayor of Herculaneum
and serves until 1979.
1977
The new Herculaneum City Hall opens at #1
Parkwood Court.
1977
The Herculaneum Memorial Library is closed
temporarily,
1978
The Herculaneum Memorial Library reopens in the
City Hall building.
1979
William Wildish, a write-in candidate, is
elected Mayor of Herculaneum and serves until
1980.
1981
Richard Marberry is named Mayor of Herculaneum
and serves until 1981.
1981
Frances Pashia is elected Mayor of
Herculaneum and serves until 1987.
1983
The "Hiney Winery" opens and closes in
Herculaneum.
1983
Herculaneum celebrates its 175th Anniversary
of its founding with a three day celebration
(August 19, 20 & 21).
1987
Tom Griffith is elected Mayor of Herculaneum and
serves until 1991.
1991
Tom Robart elected Mayor of Herculaneum and
serves until his death in 1993.
1991
The First Baptist Church of Herculaneum was
destroyed by fire on February 14. The church was
moved to Pevely.
1991
A 9-1-1 centralized dispatch service began in
the cities of Herculaneum and Pevely.
1993
Jerry Martin is elected Mayor of Herculaneum and
serves until 1997.
1993
Herculaneum residents are greatly affected by
the Great Flood of 1993 and again 1995.
1993
Teamsters Union Local 688 strikes against the
Doe Run Lead Company.
1995
The City of Herculaneum purchases the
Herculaneum Sewer Company.
1997
Tom Griffith is elected Mayor of Herculaneum and
serves until 2001.
1999
Herculaneum Historical Society organizes.
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2000's
2000
Herculaneum residents vote to become a member of
the Jefferson County Water Authority.
2001
John Chamis is elected Mayor of Herculaneum.
2001
Herculaneum Fire Department celebrates their
50th anniversary on October 20th.
2003
The Jefferson County Water Authority Plant
building is dedicated and the City of
Herculaneum begins to receive water from the
Mississippi River (July 30).
2003
The city dedicates the Shot Tower Memorial Park
located at Dunklin Drive and North Main Street.
2003
The Herculaneum Sewer District is dissolved by
the citizens of Herculaneum and all assets are
transferred to the City of Herculaneum.
2004
The City of Herculaneum creates the position of
Police Administrator and Chris Pigg is selected
to serve in the position.
2004
The citizens of Herculaneum vote to abolish the
office of City Marshal effective 2005.
2005
With the death of Mayor John Chamis in 2005,
Jeff Kendall was appointed Mayor.
2006
Bill Whitmer is hired as first-ever City
Administrator.
2006
Gina Vinyard was elected to a one year term as
Mayor.
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From
the founding of the City to current events, this
history page covers just about everything that has
happened to the City of
Herculaneum.
