HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS OF PERRYVILLE
Courtesy of CityOfPerryville.com
Perry County, Missouri was organized in 1821. No one knows why Perryville was chosen as the location for the county seat of Perry County government, but on August 7, 1821, Bernard Layton deeded fifty-one acres to the commissioners in exchange for one town lot. Fifty-three of the ninety-nine town lots were sold for $1,486.25, which was used to build the first courthouse. The one existing today is actually the third such structure. It was built in 1904 at a cost of $30,000.
Some of the first stores included one owned by Barnabus Burns on the east side of the square in 1828 where Tisher?s Sales and Service is now located, a two story brick building built by Levi Block in 1830, which now houses Hilderbrand Jewelers and a log structure built on the north side of the courthouse square and purchased by Ferdinand Rozier, Sr. in 1835.
Perryville was incorporated in 1831. In the early 1800?s Henry Burns built a home on South Spring Street. Later, William P. Faherty bought the house, which is now a museum operated by the Perry County Historical Society.
As both merchandisers and consumers grew in sophistication, so did the types of establishments in the County. Built in 1843, the Hoose Hotel, often called the ?white house?, was a prominent structure in early commercial days. The Hoose Hotel was located at the site presently occupied by Eagle Bank and served as a hotel, a brewery and an auction block.
In 1856 there was a city annexation and by 1874 it had its first fire engine. Fourth Class City status was attained in 1879 and the following year Charles A. Weber was elected its first mayor. With the building of the Perryville, Chester, and Ste. Genevieve Railroad, prosperity came.
Largely because of its role as the county seat of government and because of its central location, Perryville began to develop as the major commercial and service center in Perry County. The populations jumped from 897 in 1890 to 1275 in 1900. In 1893, the telephone arrived. The first horseless carriage, deemed a ?loco-mobile? by The Perry County Republican newspaper, was reported in Perryville in 1903. The first power plant was built in 1913 to provide Perryville with electric lights. This building has been renovated and is now occupied by the Perry Art Alliance.
In 1923 the Chamber of Commerce was formed, and Perryville launched its first industrial development offensive by raising $100,000 to build an industrial building in the hope of persuading International Shoe Company in St. Louis to open a Perryville plant. The venture was successful and the opening of the International plant spurred a cycle of growth, which included the paving of city streets and a host of new businesses and city services.
In 1940, a second International production facility, known as the Kiefner Branch, opened in Perryville. However, in 1964 an economic downturn forced the closing of International?s original Magnolia branch plant.
The loss of 250 jobs in the Magnolia plant closing only served to heighten the community?s enthusiasm to move toward a more diverse industrial base. The ingenuity and dedication of the Chamber of Commerce, Perryville Development Corporation, and city officials led to the development of the Perryville Industrial Park and the establishment of an Enterprise Zone. The City of Perryville hired its first City Administrator in 1976. The Perry County Industrial Development Authority was established in 1983 and our first Economic Development Director was hired.
The goal of diversification in the City?s industrial base has been extremely successful. Tenants in the Perryville Industrial Park include TG Missouri Corporation, TNT Plastics, Falcon Foam a division of Atlas Roofing, Perry County Sheltered Workshop.
Among other important contemporary manufacturers in the Perryville area are Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation, with five Perry County facilities, which processes and globally markets a wide variety of grain-based food products; Sabreliner Corporation, a company which provides maintenance and overhauling for both military and business jet aircraft engines; BBL Buildings and Components Ltd. and Stark Truss, Inc. both of whom manufacture building trusses for commercial and residential construction; and Sequin Moreau, Inc., a French wine barrel manufacturer which utilizes Perry County?s superb white oak to supply white oak wine barrels to the international wine industry.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Courtesy of CityOfPerryville.com
Population (2000 Census):
City: 7,667
County: 18,132
Incorporated: 1831
Sales Tax Rate:
City: 1.875%
County: 1.625%
State: 4.225%
Total 7.725%
Property Tax Rate: 73.65¢ per $100 of assessed valuation
Operating Budget: Approximately $20 million
City operates it's own gas, water, and sewer systems.
AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
Courtesy of CityOfPerryville.com
Perryville Area Chamber of Commerce
2 West Ste. Marie Street
Perryville, MO 63775
Phone No.: 573-547-6062
FAX No.: 573-547-6071
Melissa Hemmann, Executive Director
Email: perryvillemo@sbcglobal.net
http://www.perryvillemo.com/
Perry County Economic Development Authority
112 West Ste. Marie Street, Suite 5
P. O. Box 109
Perryville, MO 63775
Phone No.: 573-547-1097
1-800-211-0554
FAX No.: 573-547-7327
Larry W. Tucker, Executive Director
Email: perryida@perrycountymo.org
http://www.perrycountymo.org/
County of Perry
Perry County Administration Building
321 North Main Street, Suite No. 2
Perryville, MO 63775
Phone No.: 573-547-4242
FAX No.: 573-547-7367
Randy Taylor, County Clerk
Email: rtaylor@c-b-s-i.net
http://www.perrycountymo.us/
