Saint Francois County, Missouri
St. Francois County /ˌseɪnt ˈfrænsɨs/ is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 65,359. The 2012 estimate is 65,917. The largest city and county seat is Farmington. The county was officially organized on December 19, 1821. It was named after the St. Francis River. The origin of the river's name is unclear. It might refer to St. Francis of Assisi. Another possibility is that Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit who explored the region in 1673, named the river for the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier. Marquette had spent some time at the mission of St. Francois Xavier before his voyage and, as a Jesuit, was unlikely to have given the river a name honoring the Franciscans.
St. Francois County is a component of the St. Louis CSA also known as Greater St. Louis and consists of several commuter cities of St. Louis.
Read more about Saint Francois County, Missouri: History, Education, Religion, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, See Also, References
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