Bonne Terre, Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bonne Terre, Missouri
City
Bonne Terre, Missouri, May 2019
Motto(s):  Good Earth, Good People
Location of Bonne Terre, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	St. Francois
Area
• Total	4.10 sq mi (10.63 km2)
• Land	4.07 sq mi (10.54 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Elevation	824 ft (251 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,903
• Density	1,696.90/sq mi (655.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	63628
Area code(s)	573
FIPS code	29-07102
GNIS feature ID	2394219
Website	City of Bonne Terre, Missouri

Bonne Terre (/bɒnˈtɛər/ bon-TAIR) is a city in St. Francois County, Missouri, United States. In 2020, about 6,903 people lived there.

This city is in the Southeast Missouri Lead District. Lead mining has been a big part of its history. French settlers first arrived in the 1720s, looking for minerals. The main mine, the Bonne Terre Mine, opened in 1864 and closed in 1962. Today, this old mine is filled with spring water and is a popular spot for scuba diving.

Over the years, leftover mining materials caused some pollution. Because of this, the Bonne Terre Mine Tailings Site was named a Superfund site in 1992. This means it's a place that needs a special clean-up. Work to clean up the area is still happening today.

The Bonne Terre Depot (a train station from 1909), the St. Joe Lead Company Administration Building, and the Bonne Terre Mine are all important historical places. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Exploring Bonne Terre's Location

Bonne Terre is located in the Ozark Plateau region of Missouri. This area has rolling hills that can be up to 300 feet high. The soil is mostly red clay, and underneath it is limestone rock.

This region is famous for having a very high amount of galena. Galena is a mineral that contains lead.

The city covers about 4.10 square miles (10.63 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

A Look at Bonne Terre's History

Lead Mining: Shaping the City (1860s-1963)

Bonne Terre was first settled by French people in 1720. They came to the area after finding lead ore. Around 1825, surface miners called the area La Bonne Terre, which means "the good soil." They named it this because of the lead they found.

In 1828, the first Catholic church in St. Francois County, St. Anne, was built here.

The Bonne Terre Mine was started in 1864 by the St. Joseph lead mining company. In 1865, a new manager brought many Cornish miners to the area. These miners were very skilled.

Underground mining began in 1869. After a post office opened in 1868, the town's name changed from "St. Joe's mines" to Bonne Terre.

Other big lead mining companies, like the Desloge Lead Company, also started operations in the 1870s. Miners were often local farmers or timber cutters who wanted to earn more money. Later, immigrants from Hungary and other parts of Europe also came to work in the mines.

In 1890, the Mississippi River & Bonne Terre Railroad began moving lead ore to smelters in Herculaneum. The historic Bonne Terre Depot from 1909 is still standing today.

By the early 1900s, St. Joe Lead was the only major mining company left. It had bought out many smaller companies. The Bonne Terre mine finally closed in 1962. For many years, leftover mining materials were even used to pave roads.

Cleaning Up the Environment

After the mines closed, large piles of leftover mining materials, called "chat dumps" or "mine tailings," remained. Dust from these piles contained lead, which could be harmful to people living nearby.

In 1992, the Bonne Terre Mine Tailings Site was listed as a Superfund Site. This means it was a place that needed a special clean-up because of pollution. By 2021, over 1,400 yards in homes had been cleaned.

Because lead levels are still high in fish downstream from the mining area, people are advised not to eat fish caught from the Big River.

Understanding Bonne Terre's Population

In 2010, there were 6,864 people living in Bonne Terre. By 2020, the population had grown slightly to 6,903 people.

The city has a mix of different people. Most residents are White, with a significant number of Black or African American residents.

The average age of people in Bonne Terre in 2010 was about 34 years old. Many households had children under 18 living with them.

Learning in Bonne Terre

The North St. Francois County R-I School District serves Bonne Terre. It includes:

• North County Primary School
• North Co. Sr. High School
• Unitec Career Center

The town also has a public library called the Bonne Terre Memorial Library. This beautiful limestone building was built in 1905.

Arts and Culture in Bonne Terre

The Space Museum, exterior view, May 2019

The Bonne Terre Mine and the St. Joe Lead Company Administration Building are both important historical sites. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and 1984.

The Bonne Terre Mine was the first of many lead mines in the area. At one point, Missouri produced 70 percent of the United States' lead because of these mines. During the American Civil War, the mine was a target in Price's Raid.

Today, you can take tours of the mine. It's also famous as a place for scuba diving because it's filled with clear spring water.

Downtown Bonne Terre has some interesting old buildings. The Shepard house, built in 1869, is the oldest. The former post office is from 1878, and an old bathhouse is from 1889. The city hall, built in 1909, looks like Shakespeare's home!

Bonne Terre is also home to a Space Museum. It has a special flag that traveled to the moon with astronaut Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17.

Notable People from Bonne Terre

• Ron Bockenkamp
• Will Compton
• Firmin V. Desloge
• Ray Sanders
• Jon Simmons
• Patrick Williams

See also

In Spanish: Bonne Terre (Misuri) para niños