Potosi, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Potosi, Missouri
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Washington County Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
A City for All Seasons
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Location of Potosi, Missouri
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Washington |
| Incorporated | 1826 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.33 sq mi (6.03 km2) |
| • Land | 2.33 sq mi (6.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 991 ft (302 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,538 |
| • Density | 1,090.21/sq mi (420.86/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
63664
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| Area code(s) | 573 |
| FIPS code | 29-59330 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396262 |
Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. It is located about 72 miles southwest of St. Louis. In 2020, the city had a population of 2,538 people. Potosi is also the main town, or county seat, of Washington County.
The city was founded by French settlers in 1763. They first called it Mine à Breton. Later, an American named Moses Austin renamed the community Potosi. He named it after a famous silver-mining city in Bolivia because he was involved in lead mining in the area.
Contents
Geography and Nature
Potosi covers about 2.33 square miles of land. It is located in the Lead Belt region of Missouri, which means there are still mining operations nearby. The city is also part of the St. Francois Mountain Range, so you will see lots of hills.
Potosi is close to many beautiful nature areas. These include Mark Twain National Forest and Washington State Park.
Climate in Potosi
| Climate data for Potosi 4 SW, Missouri (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
106 (41) |
112 (44) |
104 (40) |
101 (38) |
92 (33) |
84 (29) |
77 (25) |
112 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.1 (18.4) |
70.1 (21.2) |
77.7 (25.4) |
84.5 (29.2) |
87.7 (30.9) |
90.9 (32.7) |
94.5 (34.7) |
94.5 (34.7) |
90.4 (32.4) |
83.8 (28.8) |
74.3 (23.5) |
64.7 (18.2) |
96.4 (35.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.6 (4.2) |
45.3 (7.4) |
55.1 (12.8) |
66.3 (19.1) |
74.0 (23.3) |
81.9 (27.7) |
86.0 (30.0) |
85.2 (29.6) |
77.8 (25.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
54.1 (12.3) |
43.4 (6.3) |
64.7 (18.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.5 (−0.8) |
35.2 (1.8) |
44.3 (6.8) |
55.3 (12.9) |
64.1 (17.8) |
72.3 (22.4) |
76.3 (24.6) |
75.1 (23.9) |
67.4 (19.7) |
56.9 (13.8) |
44.7 (7.1) |
34.9 (1.6) |
54.8 (12.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.4 (−5.9) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
33.5 (0.8) |
44.3 (6.8) |
54.1 (12.3) |
62.8 (17.1) |
66.7 (19.3) |
65.0 (18.3) |
56.9 (13.8) |
46.2 (7.9) |
35.3 (1.8) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
44.8 (7.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 0.6 (−17.4) |
6.3 (−14.3) |
14.8 (−9.6) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
38.5 (3.6) |
50.5 (10.3) |
56.0 (13.3) |
54.8 (12.7) |
42.4 (5.8) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
7.1 (−13.8) |
−3.0 (−19.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) |
−28 (−33) |
−3 (−19) |
12 (−11) |
26 (−3) |
36 (2) |
42 (6) |
41 (5) |
16 (−9) |
11 (−12) |
0 (−18) |
−26 (−32) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.84 (72) |
2.69 (68) |
4.09 (104) |
5.11 (130) |
5.29 (134) |
4.15 (105) |
3.64 (92) |
4.00 (102) |
3.89 (99) |
3.07 (78) |
3.72 (94) |
2.97 (75) |
45.46 (1,155) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.6 (9.1) |
2.9 (7.4) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
2.4 (6.1) |
11.5 (29) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.2 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 12.6 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 108.6 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.4 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 8.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Potosi experiences a varied climate. Summers can be hot, with average high temperatures in July reaching around 86°F (30°C). Winters are cold, with average low temperatures in January around 21°F (-6°C). The city gets a good amount of rain throughout the year, with about 45 inches annually. Snowfall is lighter, averaging about 11.5 inches per year.
History of Potosi
A lead mining settlement was started here between 1760 and 1780. It was founded by Francis Azor from Brittany, France. He called it "Mine à Breton".
In 1798, Moses Austin came to the area with his family, including his son Stephen F. Austin. Moses received a large piece of land from the Spanish Empire. He began big mining operations and built a town to support them. Moses named the town Potosi after a famous silver mining city in Bolivia. You can still see Austin's tomb and the foundation of his home, Durham Hall, today.
Another important mining leader in Potosi at that time was James Bryan. Later, Firmin Rene Desloge came from France in 1822. He started a business that included trading furs and smelting lead. His family's lead mining business, Desloge Lead Company, later moved to other towns like Bonne Terre and Desloge.
Potosi was made the county seat, or main town, of Washington County in 1814.
The city is also home to the oldest standing Presbyterian church west of the Mississippi River. It is located on West Breton Street. The graveyard there holds the tomb of Moses Austin and his wife, Maria Brown Austin.
Several historic places in Potosi are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the George Cresswell Furnace, the Palmer Historic Mining District, the Washington County Courthouse, and the Washington State Park CCC Historic District.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 548 | — | |
| 1870 | 897 | 63.7% | |
| 1880 | 715 | −20.3% | |
| 1890 | 599 | −16.2% | |
| 1900 | 638 | 6.5% | |
| 1910 | 772 | 21.0% | |
| 1920 | 984 | 27.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,279 | 30.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,017 | 57.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,359 | 17.0% | |
| 1960 | 2,805 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,761 | −1.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,528 | −8.4% | |
| 1990 | 2,683 | 6.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,662 | −0.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,660 | −0.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,538 | −4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Potosi has changed over the years. In 1860, there were 548 people. The population grew to 2,805 in 1960, and then slightly decreased to 2,538 by 2020.
Potosi in 2010
In 2010, Potosi had 2,660 people living in 1,114 households. About 32% of these households had children under 18. The average age of people in the city was 39.1 years. About 24% of residents were under 18 years old.
Education in Potosi
The Potosi R-III School District manages public education in the city. Potosi also has a public library, called the Washington County Library.
Notable People from Potosi
- Moses Austin: An American who helped settle areas in Missouri. He was the father of Stephen Austin, who was important in the history of Texas.
- Jeremy Boyer: An organist for NHL and MLB sports teams.
- Dylan Coleman: A pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB).
- Firmin Rene Desloge: The first person in the Desloge Family in America, who started businesses in Potosi.
- Firmin V. Desloge: He founded the Desloge Consolidated Lead Company and the towns of Desloge, Missouri and Bonne Terre, Missouri.
- Tom Huck: A well-known artist and printmaker.
- John A. Lankford: A famous architect.
- Rodney Wilson: He founded LGBTQ History Month in October 1994. He was also the first openly gay public school teacher in Missouri to be granted tenure.
- Donne Wall: A baseball player.
See also
In Spanish: Potosi (Misuri) para niños
