Couple at the De Lassus Depot, early 1900s
Hello everyone, and welcome back to the blog! It's been a while, and I am so glad to see you again. Before we get into today's article, I want to thank all of my readers for being so supportive and patient during this break. As most of you know, I deal with physical health issues. Back in spring, I found myself in a poor health state. I needed to take some time away from my work to get to a better place. I have had a great recovery, and am so excited to bring you new content that I hope you will love!
As you may have noticed, this is the first installment in a new series! Not to anyone's surprise, I am a big fan of small, bypassed, and historic areas. If you're new, you may not know about my Small Town Saturday series. In that series, I write about small towns and villages with populations under 1,000. This series is called Forgotten Settlements, and will have a similar theme and layout to Small Town Saturday. The different element of this series, is the communities featured will be abandoned, bypassed, or left to wither in time. There will be locations you may have heard of, and some you haven't. I'm very eager for this project, and hope you enjoy!
De Lassus, 2020
Today's location is the community of De Lassus (also spelled DeLassus) in St. Francois County, Missouri. De Lassus is located primarily within modern-day Farmington, with some of the community lying on the outskirts of the city limit. You can find De Lassus by traveling on Highway 221 from Farmington, and turning on De Lassus Road less than one mile to the left.
De Lassus was first platted in 1869, when the railroad was extended to that point. At this time, the land was an estate granted by Spain, to Charles de Hault de Lassus de Luziere. Charles was the last Spanish Lieutenant Governor of Upper Louisiana. With this land grant, Charles made a plan for a prosperous city, one that could compete with nearby Farmington.
The railroad extension through De Lassus was crucial for the town's founding, but De Lassus was not the first choice for this extension. When the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad were creating plans for this new branch line, Farmington was chosen as a stop. Officials in Farmington were keen on this idea, as the railroad would add another valuable asset to the city. Though while plans began for this new project, Farmington officials made an interesting choice to aid in funding the construction. Residents of Farmington were prompted to purchase railroad bonds, and this idea was heavily marketed to every social and financial class. Though officials were optimistic, this proposition didn't go over as well as they had hoped. The residents of Farmington promptly refused to purchase these bonds. There were a few reasons for this response, a main reason being the U.S. was just 4 years out of the Civil War, causing financial strain on most families throughout the country. This predicament was fatal for the railroad plans, and caused the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad to pull out completely.
Thankfully for the railroad, they caught wind of an up and coming town just two miles away where the branch line could be directed. Soon, De Lassus became a stop on the Belmont Branch of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad, which now detoured Farmington completely. This was amazing for the small village, bringing jobs, residents, and notoriety. By 1870, a post office was opened under the name De Lassus, and the growth began.
Alanzo and Lizzie Overall (and family) next to their newly built home, 1895 (Photo courtesy of Gena Overall Sweeney)
As the late 1800's progressed, De Lassus was doing well. The town now consisted of 28 city blocks, two being set aside for commercial buildings. Families were moving into the area, building homes and founding farms. Small businesses popped up along the streets, providing for the locals. Things were going so well, that De Lassus offcials, inculding Charles de Hault de Lassus de Luziere, grew their ambitions even further. During this time, a proposition was made to move the county seat from Farmington to De Lassus, including building a brand new courthouse. Although residents found this admirable, the idea was quickly denied and dismissed.
Regardless to this setback, progress was still being made in the town. De Lassus became a very important railroad shipping point, a crucial asset for both Farmington and Doe Run. This created several jobs for locals, positions that would last for decades. Even in the railroad's final years, the segment which ran through De Lassus would aid the nearby State Hospital, (now Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center) by delivering goods such as coal, which the entire hospital campus ran electricity and boilers on.
With all of this rich, 19th century history in De Lassus, you may wonder why nearly all of the existing architecture dates no earlier than the 20th century. This is due to a nearly forgotten tragedy that shook the De Lassus community in the early 1900's. Between 10:00pm and 11:00pm on April 15th, 1912, a tornado touched down in St. Francois County. Most towns and communities would come out unscathed, De Lassus was not so lucky. The tornado ripped through De Lassus, destroying nearly all of the town. Homes and businesses were flattened, along with several reported injuries. The railroad freight house was completely swept away, the depot was severely damaged, and the De Lassus Hotel was beyond repair. Among this devastation, the community banded together to rebuild. The lumber from the hotel was repurposed to build new homes for the Overall, Yancy, Hill, and Cole families. All four of which are still standing today! The best news of all being, there were no reported fatalities.
After the reconstruction of the town, De Lassus continued to be home to the railroad, several businesses, and a school. The Delassus School taught first through eighth grade, and graduated hundreds of children over the decades. De Lassus contributed to the 144 8th grade graduates in the area in 1949, the last year of operation before consolidating with the Farmington School District. Many former students have fond memories of the school, and their education there. “My daddy went to school there and graduated from eighth grade there. He talked about how so many of the teachers were very young girls, often only a year or two older than some of the seventh and eighth graders” - Linda Russell on Facebook.
Around the mid 1900's, changes started to arise for the local railroad. In 1904, the city of Farmington created their own solution to being bypassed by the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad. This solution would be an electric trolley system that ran throughout the city. These trolleys would primarily transport passengers, and was popular for doing so. Although by the 1940's, the electric railway was in desperate need for expansion. The city of Farmington and the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad would agree to connect their lines, creating a larger rail system. This allowed train access between Farmington, Hurryville, and De Lassus. Passengers were now able to board a train at the Washington Street Depot in Farmington, and be taken to the depot in De Lassus.
In 1947, the Farmington railway was officially dieselized, as most railroads were doing at this time. This meaning that the electric trolleys were swapped out for diesel locomotives, which opened great opportunity for the area. At this time, De Lassus was still a major freight hub for the county, processing and shipping nearly all of the area's goods. With the approved dieselization, freight trains could now travel from De Lassus into Farmington directly by rail. This was a breakthrough for both Farmington and De Lassus, heightening the function of both cities. I am blessed to say that there is rare footage of this railway in use, as trains travel between Farmington and De Lassus. This film dates to the late 1940's, and I suggest everyone give it a watch! Click here to see the video.
Because the presence of the railroad in De Lassus existed until the mid 1900's, several residents and former residents have memories regarding this. “When I was young, we lived in the old feed store just to the right of the road on the right side of the depot. The building was owned by Lorris and Ruth Cole. It was torn down years ago. There was generally a freight wagon parked on this side of the depot. They were big and heavy. I remember the older men used to gather on the wagon and tell tales. I loved those guys and was constantly running down there to talk to them. Then my poor mother would have to come get me and take me home. She came after me with a switch one time because I had ignored her calling me. Those men gave her a hard time about the switch. As I recall the switch was only a prop (threat). She never used it.” - Linda Russell on Facebook.
Also during this time, there were still several businesses that called De Lassus home. One of the most memorable being the feed store owned by the Pratt family. “The feed store was right down by the railroad tracks you would pass to get down to the river. I grew up in that wonderful little spot on the map. Things sure have changed a lot.” - Marla Hammers recalls.
Although the city of De Lassus is no longer, there are still several things that can be seen within the community that tells its story. From historic homes, to small businesses, to loving churches. Though my favorite relics are those that you may not see at first glance. Such as the old railbed that is visible from Delassus road, the very one that lived and died with this town. That piece of land saw all of the prosperity, hardships, success, and dwindle. I also must mention the Delassus Cemetery, which many have no knowledge of. The Delassus cemetery has been unkept since 2005, and is no longer visible to the road. On the contrary, from my findings it is still a public cemetery that may be visited. There is at least 56 recorded graves, with the oldest having a death date of 1872. The cemetery location is several feet off of the corner of 4th street and Delassus Road. If you decide to visit, I suggest going in winter to minimize the threat of injury and animal bites.
De Lassus may not be a county or state recognized settlement anymore, but anyone who lives in or near the former town can tell you that this tight knit community is alive and well! Still proudly representing the name, the people of De Lassus are not going anywhere. My goal with this series is to bring the spotlight back to these forgotten places, that still have so much to say. I suggest everyone pay De Lassus a visit, just to cruise along the hidden streets and admire the relics of a once booming city.
Thank you all for reading, I do hope you enjoyed and learned something new. I'd love to hear your feedback, and your requests for future installments of this series. I'd also be thrilled to hear any stories, memories, or photos you have on De Lassus! Until next time.
Jennie Moore
