Concept

Ferguson, Missouri

Summary
Ferguson is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 18,527, and predominantly black. What is now the city of Ferguson was founded in 1855, when William B. Ferguson deeded of land to the Wabash Railroad in exchange for a new depot and naming rights. The settlement that sprang up around the depot was called Ferguson Station. Ferguson was the first railroad station connected directly to St. Louis. The station is a focal point of the city's history and is depicted on the city flag, designed in 1994. Ferguson's first schoolhouse was built in 1878. Ferguson was incorporated as a city in 1894. Emerson Electric moved its headquarters to Ferguson during the 20th century. Ferguson made frequent worldwide headlines for months following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown Jr. by a police officer and the ensuing civil unrest. The United States Department of Justice investigation which followed resulted in large legal fees for the town, in excess of $300,000 a year. The city now has a higher sales tax, utility gross receipts tax, and franchise tax for 2017/2018 to generate more revenue. Ferguson elected its first black and first female mayor, Ella Jones, on June 2, 2020. The population of Ferguson grew rapidly during the late nineteenth century. In 1880 the population of the then Ferguson Station was 185 people. By 1890 the population was recorded as being 750 and only four years later it had increased to 1200. The population of Ferguson continued to grow rapidly during the first six decades of the twentieth century, from 1,015 people in 1900 to 22,149 people in 1960, an average growth rate of 5% per year. The ethnic composition of Ferguson has shifted, however. In 1970, 99% of the population of Ferguson was white and 1% black. In 1980, the proportion of white residents went down to 85%, whereas the proportion of black residents rose to 14%. In 1990, residents of Ferguson who were identified in the U.S. Census as white comprised 73.
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