The St. Francois County ELECTRIC RAILROAD WAS A LINK TO COUNTY
PROGRESS Journal, Flat River, Mo., Monday, March 19, 1979
article in the 1909 Detailed Financial Report of St. Francois
County should be forgiven if it took too much for granted. But
it to underscore the importance of railroad transportation in
the first decades of the 20th century. “In addition to these
(the had mentioned other railroad lines) we have the St.
Francois County Electric Railway, connecting the county seat and
the lead belt with the St. L.I..& S. at Delassus, the M.R. &
B.T. at Flat the I.S. at Esther,” the article said. “The
probabilities are that when the Number’ of this pamphlet will be
issued, and the history in respect recorded, it will tell of
trolley lines from St. Louis through the lead belt of St.
Francois County and on to the county seat, connecting here with
points south and southwest of us.” The vision of the pamphlet’s
author Joseph A. Lawrence, never materialized. Today Farmington
has no railroad connections at all. But