In the late 18th Century, French traders arrived in the area that is now Old Town St. Peters. From 1830 to 1850, German Catholics who settled the little village joined with most of the French inhabitants. Through the efforts of those people, the area developed into a prosperous farming community. The settlement took its name from the first log church established in 1815, called St. Peters on Dardenne Creek.
By the end of the 19th Century, the little town boasted two railroad depots and a flourishing main street of shops, hotels and saloons. The original log church relocated and expanded several times, eventually becoming the lovely, gothic All Saints Church. The church still sits on a hill overlooking the community, and even today, the steeple is visible from Interstate 70 and many areas of the City. Stones in the Church graveyard date from the early 1800s.
In 1910, the community formally incorporated as a village. Over the next decade, automobiles and trucks replaced horses and railroads. Part of the Salt River Road became Highway 40 in the 1920s. Later, a new span of highway, that eventually became Interstate 70, was built over the Missouri River and bisected the little village.
In 1959, the 404 people living in 88-acre St. Peters voted to become a city of the Fourth Class under Missouri statutes. This enabled the small community to issue bonds to build a municipal water system. By 1968, the City began building a new sewage system. Far-sighted elected officials of the time realized that the new interstate and acres of vacant farmland inside the City could combine for spectacular growth in St. Peters. They also predicted that the baby-boom generation would have a desire for affordable housing in a country atmosphere. The City’s civic leaders and merchants realized that accommodating and encouraging business development could make St. Peters prosper, so they put together a plan for growth.
During this time, St. Peters’ voters backed the commitment to growth by continuously passing annexation propositions and bond issues. Over 75 percent of annexations have been voluntary. This indicates that people and businesses want to be a part of St. Peters. In addition, during this time the City actively pursued industrial and commercial growth. In the 1970s, St. Peters provided the Cave Springs Venture Store (which later became Big K, run by Kmart Corporation) with water and sewer lines.
Mid Rivers Mall opened in the 1980s. City residents have reaped many benefits through all of this commercial growth. The property tax rate has been cut in half since the 1970s.
From its wilderness beginnings as a traders’ town, St. Peters has become a mecca for homeowners and businesses seeking a family-friendly community.
