Kirkwood, Missouri

Kirkwood, Missouri
City

Kirkwood Amtrak Station

Location of Kirkwood, Missouri
Coordinates: 38°34′50″N 90°24′51″W / 38.58056°N 90.41417°WCoordinates: 38°34′50″N 90°24′51″W / 38.58056°N 90.41417°W
Country United States
State Missouri
County St. Louis
Government
 • Mayor Arthur J. McDonnell
 • Chief Administrative Officer Russell B. Hawes
Area[1]
 • Total 9.20 sq mi (23.83 km2)
 • Land 9.16 sq mi (23.72 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation 659 ft (201 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 27,540
 • Estimate (2012[3]) 27,553
 • Density 3,006.6/sq mi (1,160.9/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
FIPS code 29-39044[4]
GNIS feature ID 0756252[5]
Website www.kirkwoodmo.org
Kirkwood Historic District

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.[6] 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 of the Mississippi River.[7][8]

History

Plans for a new community close to St. Louis began following the St. Louis Fire (1849) and the 1849 cholera outbreak that killed a tenth of the residents of downtown St. Louis. Kirkwood was the first suburban municipality built outside of the St. Louis City boundaries.

Hiram W. Leffingwell and Richard Smith Elliott bought land 14 miles (23 km) from downtown in 1850 at about the same time James P. Kirkwood was laying out a route for the Pacific Railroad. Kirkwood was platted in 1852, and named for James P. Kirkwood, chief engineer of the Missouri Pacific Railroad.[9] When the railroad reached the community in 1853, the developers sold lots for the Kirkwood Association. Other Leffingwell developments were to include the construction of Grand Avenue and the establishment of Forest Park.[10]

The original town plat including quarter section blocks and families could be a block estate of 5 acres (20,000 m2). Deed restrictions prohibited industrial development.

The train station of Richardsonian Romanesque style was built in 1893. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), it has become a symbol of the town. It is the only station stop that Amtrak makes in the St. Louis metropolitan area outside the central city. Among the four other buildings in Kirkwood listed on the NRHP is a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Ebsworth Park Foundation.

In 1895 the Meramec Highlands resort was built on the bluffs above the Meramec River.

Traditions

The Greentree Festival is held every September. The Greentree Festival has many things to do such as arts and crafts for kids and many different foods from many different cultures. Greentree has been a tradition for over 50 years. Since 1961, it has been held in Kirkwood Park. The festival consists of a parade and a fair held in Kirkwood park. The festival was originally created to replace the drought-stricken trees in the park.

The Kirkwood High School Pioneers and Webster Groves Statesmen alternate as hosts of the annual Turkey Day Game, the longest-running football high school Thanksgiving Day rivalry west of the Mississippi. The 100th anniversary game was in 2007.[11] The winner of the Turkey Day Game receives the Frisco Bell, while the loser gets the Little Brown Jug.

The Kirkwood Farmers' Market was founded in 1976. It is an outdoor market that has a variety of homegrown vegetables and fruits. There are more than 300 local businesses that contribute to the market.

The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum in Kirkwood has become a popular family attraction for the region. Originally opened in 1979, the Museum receives over 500,000 visitors annually and has been visited by more than 10 million people since its opening.[12] The Museum's original house was built in 1901 and has undergone several renovations and expansions. The Magic House was ranked by Zagat as America's top travel destination based on child appeal.[13]

Geography

Kirkwood is located at 38°34′50″N 90°24′51″W / 38.58056°N 90.41417°W (38.580652, -90.414289).[14]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.20 square miles (23.83 km2), of which, 9.16 square miles (23.72 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water.[1]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1890 1,777—    
1900 2,825+59.0%
1910 4,171+47.6%
19204,422+6.0%
19309,169+107.3%
194012,132+32.3%
195018,640+53.6%
196029,421+57.8%
197031,679+7.7%
198027,739−12.4%
199027,291−1.6%
2000 27,324+0.1%
2010 27,540+0.8%
2012 (est.) 27,553+0.0%

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 27,540 people, 11,894 households, and 7,327 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,006.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,160.9/km2). There were 12,895 housing units at an average density of 1,407.8 per square mile (543.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.4% White, 7.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 11,894 households of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 42.6 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

2000 census

In 2000 there were 11,763.5 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $70,261, and the median income for a family was $89,219.[15] Males had a median income of $51,515 versus $36,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,012. About 2.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

Kirkwood City Hall where the scene of a spree shooting occurred in 2008.

The city is normally low in crime. In 2007 and 2008, Kirkwood was the site of three sensational events. On July 5, 2005, Kevin Johnson shot and killed Sgt. William McEntee. McEntee was investigating a fireworks call when Johnson walked up and shot Sgt. McEntee several times. Johnson was upset with police because he felt that the police were responsible for his younger brother dying (although the brother died from a heart condition). Johnson is on Missouri death row for the murder of McEntee.

On January 12, 2007, Michael J. Devlin was arrested for abducting 13-year-old William "Ben" Ownby. Police investigating the case had discovered Ownby and also 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck living at Devlin's apartment. Hornbeck had been missing since the age of 11, when he was abducted from near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. The Shawn Hornbeck Foundation was set up to find him and other missing children.

Wikinews has related news: Gunman opens fire at Missouri city council meeting

On February 7, 2008, a gunman shot multiple people at a Kirkwood city council session, killing five: Council Member Connie Karr, Council Member Michael H. T. Lynch, Public Works Director Kenneth Yost, and two police officers, Sgt. William Biggs and Officer Tom Ballman. Sergeant Biggs was killed in the lot of a nearby Imo's Pizza restaurant; Thornton stole his gun and proceeded to enter City Hall. Once inside, he killed Officer Ballman and opened fire on the city council. Kirkwood mayor Mike Swoboda and Suburban Journals reporter Todd Smith were wounded. The gunman, Kirkwood resident Charles "Cookie" L. Thornton, had a history of disruptive behavior and legal actions against the city government. The legal actions were related to ordinance violations and other issues with the police and the city council. Thornton was shot and killed by additional officers, who responded after one of the dying officers was able to activate his emergency signal on his radio. Within minutes, dozens of officers were on the scene. Mayor Swoboda died later the same year on September 6, 2008, succumbing to cancer in addition to complications from the February shootings.

Transportation

Stan Masters painting of the rail line in downtown Kirkwood

Rail

Kirkwood sits along the Jefferson City Subdivision of the Union Pacific Railroad. Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak. Kirkwood Station is located near the center of downtown Kirkwood and is a stop for Amtrak's Missouri River Runner.

Bus

Bus service in Kirkwood is provided by Metro. Bus service connects Kirkwood to other suburban communities and downtown St. Louis.

Road

Interstate Highway 270 runs along the western edge of Kirkwood. Interstate 44 passes through the community along the southern portions of the city limits. Major surface streets include Manchester Road (Missouri Route 100) bordering the city to the north, and US 61/67 (Lindbergh Boulevard) which runs north-south through downtown Kirkwood as Kirkwood Road.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public education in Kirkwood falls under the Kirkwood R-7 School District, which includes five elementary schools, Tillman Elementary, North Glendale Elementary, Keysor Elementary, Robinson Elementary, and Westchester Elementary, two middle schools, Nipher Middle School and North Kirkwood Middle school, and a single high school, Kirkwood High School, which dates back to 1865 (the institution, not the current campus, which was first built in 1958). North Glendale, Robinson, and half of Tillman go to Nipher Middle School, and Keysor, Westchester, and half of Tillman go to North Kirkwood Middle School. The district covers all of Kirkwood as well as all or parts of the neighboring smaller communities of Des Peres, Frontenac, Glendale, Huntleigh, Oakland, and Warson Woods.

Colleges and universities

St. Louis Community College operates a 78-acre (320,000 m2) campus in Kirkwood, STLCC-Meramec. Meramec is the largest community college in Missouri, with over 12,000 undergraduate and transfer students.

Economy

Shop 'n Save, a grocery store chain, is headquartered in Kirkwood.[16]

Notable people

Awards

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  3. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  4. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Kirkwood city, Missouri". U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder 2. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ The City Of Kirkwood - History
  9. ↑ Eaton, David Wolfe (1918). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 360.
  10. ↑ Kirkwood Neighborhood - St. Louis Convention and Visitors Center
  11. ↑ Turkey Day - Turkey Day
  12. ↑ Thompson, Danette (7 July 2009). "Magic House Anticipates Record Attendance This Year". stltoday.com. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  13. ↑ ZAGATSURVEY U.S. Family Travel Guide: Sites & Attractions, Restaurants, Lodging. New York: Zagat Survey, LLC. 2004. p. 24. ISBN 1-57006-624-8.
  14. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  15. ↑ "Kirkwood city, Missouri - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder". Factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
  16. ↑ Stroud, Jerri. "Ground Broken, Work Stalled." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. May 3, 1989. Edition 5, Page 9a. Retrieved on August 19, 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kirkwood, Missouri.