Crystal City, Missouri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crystal City is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,247 at the 2000 census.

Crystal City and its neighbor, Festus, Missouri, are often collectively known as the "Twin Cities"; however, they are incorporated separately.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 Items of Note
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Crystal City is located at 38°13′18″N, 90°22′57″W (38.221699, -90.382510)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²). 9.7 km² (3.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.27% is water.

[edit] History

The first settler in the area was Charley Conners, who built a log cabin here in 1803.

Around 1843 an Eastern company conducted a search was begun in this area of Missouri, looking for land with valuable minerals. In 1868 Forrest Sheppards, a mineralogist and geologist, located silica (sand rock) near the mouth of Plattin Creek. Samples sent to England determined the sand was of superior quality St. Peter Sandstone for glass manufacturing. What followed was an enthusiastic pursuit of development, and The American Plate Glass Company was founded here by Captain Ebenezer B. Ward of Detroit, in 1871. In May 1872 with Capt. Theodore Luce, as superintendent, the American Plate Glass Company attempted the first plate glass at a new site at the mouth of the Plattin Creek. It only consisted of one box furnace of unknown description. Plagued by investment and quality problems, death and sickness, the factory failed after a short time.

In 1876 the Crystal Plate Glass Company built four gas fired furnaces and produced plate glass. The glass was made on large square tables, ground with sand, smoothed with emery and polished with rouge.

Before glass was actually produced, brush was cleared and homes were built for the workers and their families moving to this new town, originally called New Detroit. As the town grew, the residents sought their own identity, and the name of the town was changed to Crystal City. American Plate Glass Company was sold in 1877 to the Crystal Plate Glass Company of St. Louis, and in 1895 the factory, town and all its holdings were acquired by Pittsburg Plate Glass Company, which later became PPG Industries.

By 1886 a railroad had been built to connect the glass factory with the Iron Mountain Railroad at Silica. Originally a narrow gauge it had been widened to standard gauge.

Purchased in 1895 by Pittsburg Plate Glass Company who in 1908 built a new factory powered by steam generated, direct current electricity. Thirty foot round tables laid with glass were moved by bull trucks to the grinders and polishers. With the additional power from the Gas Power House across the creek, Crystal City Works Nine became the largest plate glass plant in the world. The steam generators were shut down in 1925 and the round table G&P dismantled.

By 1899 the area's population was estimated at 1,200. Crystal City remained a company town until 1906, when PPG began selling lots to private citizens, thus promoting Crystal City's growth. However, for many years the company continued to rent houses, and provided many of the town's services, including the hospital, fire company, public schools, and other institutions.

Around 1903, just before the St. Louis World's Fair opened, the St. Louis, Memphis and Southern Railroad purchased the company-owned railroad's right-of-way through Crystal and Festus to establish what became the Frisco Line. It is now the Burlington Northern.

PPG's Works Nine produced high quality glass for mirrors. Prior to 1930 the Beveling Shop and Silvering Room shipped mirrors world-wide. After 1935 the Mirror Room became the re-inspection department where all plates of mirror and "silvering" quality were re-examined.

In 1925 Union Electric brought a power line down the east side of the Mississippi River from Cahokia. It crossed the river to a tower on Buck Knob (a hill just south of the city) to supply the new factory. Between 1925 and 1930 PPG constructed a continuous flow tank and 1,100-foot ribbon grinder and polisher.

In 1935 safety glass laws were enacted. The Duplate Department was opened to produce auto glass made of plastic laminated between two plates of one-eighth inch plate glass. Soon after, the Herculite Department was opened to cut and temper quarter-inch glass. By 1964, PPG had established a separate division for auto glass and all production was being done at Greensburg and other plants.

During World War II PPG set up the Bomber Department and produced canopy subassemblies for the Curtis Wright Company. Work done by the Duplate Department led to the formation of an Aircraft Glass Division within PPG.

In 1965 PPG obtained a license from an English firm to use their prints to build a Float Tank and Tin Bath. The new float glass, produced in a continuous process, replaced the production of plate glass, which had been produced in batches. The last plate glass was made in Crystal City in 1972.

In 1985 first word of Works Nine closing was announced, but it was operated until December of 1990. In May the glass factory at Crystal City turned over to the salvage company. June the first, the doors of the main office were locked. Glass was shipped until December.

The Monday after Christmas 1991, Union Electric shut off the power and the last life blood drained from Crystal City Works Nine. The factory, which employed more than 6,000 at its peak in World War II, was razed. Today, nothing of the glass factory remains, other than the company headquarters building and the hospital. Both are now used for other purposes.

Crystal City is now principally a bedroom community for St. Louis commuters and home to PPG retirees.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,247 people, 1,622 households, and 1,111 families residing in the city. The population density was 438.4/km² (1,136.7/mi²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 182.6/km² (473.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.11% White, 5.34% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.

There were 1,622 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,117, and the median income for a family was $45,288. Males had a median income of $41,111 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,816. About 12.6% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Items of Note

Crystal City is the hometown of former United States Senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley. Its original name was New Detroit, but it was quickly renamed.