What is the history of Eureka, Missouri?
The village of Eureka was platted in 1858 along the route of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. By 1890, the village consisted of about 100 homes. According to the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, railroad workers while clearing way for the track and the next railroad camp saw Eureka, level land with little to clear, and declared, “Eureka!” Greek meaning “I have found it.” Thus, Eureka was founded. In 1898, Eureka became home to the St. Louis Children’s Industrial Farm, established to give children from St. Louis tenement neighborhoods a chance to experience life in a rural setting. It later became known as Camp Wyman, now a part of Wyman Center, and as of 2004 is one of the oldest camps in the United States. Eureka was incorporated as a fourth-class city on April 7, 1954. The nearby railroad town of Allenton, older than Eureka, was annexed by Eureka in 1985. Allenton and other parts of Eureka have become part of a $500 million redevelopment plan proposed by a partnership including The Jones Co
