Irondale, Missouri

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Irondale is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. The population was 437 at the 2000 census.

[edit] Geography

Irondale is located at 37°50′7″N, 90°40′21″W (37.835204, -90.672505)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²). 1.4 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (3.57%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 437 people, 169 households, and 117 families residing in the city. The population density was 312.5/km² (803.8/mi²). There were 198 housing units at an average density of 141.6/km² (364.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.71% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.46% Asian, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.

There were 169 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $30,156. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $15,909 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,819. About 19.5% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

Irondale was founded in 1807 and incorporated as a city in 1908. The town briefly changed its name to Savoy in 1906 to solve the problem of mail getting mixed up with the nearby towns of Ironton and Iron Mountain. The next year the citizens decided to change the name back to Irondale.

[edit] Camp Irondale

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Irondale once had a Boy Scout camp, called Irondale Scout Resorvation. It was opened in 1920 and closed in the fall of 1965. Legend has it that Camp Irondale built the first Olympic sized swimming pool not built for the Olympics. Scouts first started camping in the area in 1913, but the Camp Irondale name was adopted in 1920, when land was donated to the Saint Louis Area Council by Clarance Howard. Sadly, a crack formed in the pool in the 1970s(?), and the pool was rendered unusable, and today an 8 to 10-foot-tall (est.) cedar tree growing in the huge crack. Camp Irondale also had a chapel called Insperation Hall to serve the Scouts' religious needs. It has beautiful red granite walls and a dirt floor boardered with flagstone. A state grant of approximately $30,000 will be needed to fix the Olympic-sized pool. The city of Irondale can't afford to fix it by itself. The Chapel at Irondale has recently been remodeled and rededicated to the city by the Boy Scouts of troop 697. The camp is no a small subdivision, but many parts of the camp remain. The climbing tower, water towers, two lakes, many cabins, the chapel, a post office building, a small pavillion, the parade grounds and flag pole, the old pool that opened in the 1940's, and the springs that were used as swimming pools. As well as 5-15 old buildings including cabins, and the scoutmasters quarters. The old camp is currently under a very slow reonvation.

[edit] Recent Events

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Irondale had been 'cursed' with being involved twice this year in bad press. In February or March, the mayor of Irondale, Jennifer Hamelback, was caught by the city police, who were investigating her boyfriend. They found the mayor making methamphetamine in the basement. She was arrested on the spot. The other event was when the county was getting nervous about an Iraqi person, who they didn't know what he was doing. It was discovered that he was hiding cars under the bridge over Big River. He was arrested, and the FBI was involved. They told the county to do whatever they wanted. He was arrested. He didn't live in Irondale, he lived in a subdivision on the north bank of Big River, next to the bridge.

[edit] Famous Irondales

• Thomas Wesley Benoist (*1874 - †1917), aviator, aerospace engineer, founder the first airline in the USA from Tampa-St. Petersburg, 1914 (born in Irondale, Missouri 1874)

Pearl Royal Snyder (Province) Born may 22,1909, daughter of Myrtle Pricilla French and David Seaborn Province. Pearl grew up a country girl in the small town of Irondale by the Big River, and went on to earn a Bachelors and a Masters degree in education from the University of Missouri. She then taught for many years writing vivid and historical poetry throughout her life until her death in 1991. A true Missourian

[edit] External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 37.835204° -90.672505°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA