Driving Around Small Town Potosi, MO in 4k Video

Filmed on Thursday, March 23, 2023, I drive around the village Potosi, Missouri to see what's going on.
Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is seventy-two miles southwest of St. Louis. The population was 2,660 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County.
Located in the Lead Belt, the city was founded in 1763 by French colonists as " Mine à Breton" or Mine au Breton." After the United States acquired this area, American Moses Austin renamed the community for the Bolivian silver-mining city of Potosí. He was involved in lead mining.
Potosi is located in the Lead Belt region of Missouri, as such, it has mining operations in the area. It is also geographically considered part of the St. Francois Mountain Range, meaning it has hilly terrain typical of the region.
The city is within close proximity to many nature areas including Mark Twain National Forest and Washington State Park.
A lead mining settlement at this spot, "Mine à Breton" or Mine au Breton, was founded between 1760 and 1780 by Francis Azor, of Brittany, France. Moses Austin came here in 1798 with his family, including his son Stephen F. Austin. Moses obtained a grant of 7,153 arpents of land from the Spanish Empire and started large-scale mining operations, building his town to support it. Moses named the town after Potosí in Bolivia, which was famous for its vast silver mines. Austin's tomb and the foundation of his home Durham Hall can still be seen.
Another mining entrepreneur in Potosi at the time of Moses Austin was James Bryan. Firmin Rene Desloge, who emigrated from Nantes, France in 1822 as the progenitor of the Desloge Family in America, located in Potosi and established a mercantile, distillery, fur trading and lead smelting business. The Desloge lead mining business Desloge Lead Company and later Desloge Consolidated Lead Company was later relocated to Bonne Terre, MO and also Desloge, MO by his son Firmin V. Desloge.
Potosi was designated county seat in 1814.
Potosi Is also home to the oldest standing Presbyterian church west of the Mississippi River. It is located on West Breton Street, also home to the graveyard that contains the tomb of Moses Austin and his wife Maria Brown Austin.
The Potosi Correctional Center, which opened in 1989, housed Missouri's death row and the state's executions were handled at the prison until 2005. The Potosi Center conducted all but one of the 62 Missouri executions between 1989 when capital punishment was reinstated and 2005 when executions were moved 25 miles east to the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri.
The George Cresswell Furnace, Palmer Historic Mining District, Washington County Courthouse, and Washington State Park CCC Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,660 people, 1,114 households, and 657 families living in the city.
The median income for a household in the city was $17,702, and the median income for a family was $23,958. Males had a median income of $31,548 versus $16,976 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,417. About 28.1% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.7% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.
The racial makeup of the city was 95.2% White, 2.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. #driving #travel #drivingtour

[@brassteeth3355]

We used to drive into Potosi on Saturday mornings. My folks would drop us downtown and we'd spend the allowance we made. (At the time it was a dollar so I regularly saved a few weeks at a time.
We lived way out in the sticks.
Potosi is a special place for me.
Greetings to all from central Texas.

[@terrybane6206]

Small town America as a passenger. This is hard to beat. Thanks

[@JamesWoodTN]

I grew up here, my sister's daughter found this and they shared it with me.
Thanks for the little slice of memories.

[@exploreusacities]

you're welcome!

[@martyaz]

Nice job, thanks.

[@thiagofigueiredo22]

Nice 👍

[@PEBBLESHAVESCRAY0NS]

Im in potosi

[@exploreusacities]

That’s crazy

[@Littleangelbear813]

Nightmare flashbacks! Worst town,demonic vibes,poverty and drugs.Go back there and go down a road called Simpson Rd aka Monkey mountain Rd and give us a tour. Thank you for your video and great tour back home from afar

[@justintyme4690]

How did you learn about this town? Most of my family lives there 🙂

[@exploreusacities]

I searched google for “what city is the Beverly Hills of Missouri?” and that’s what came up

[@Thisaintsunnyfarms]

They demolished the jail by the court house

[@exploreusacities]

What happened to the prisoners? Did they get squished?

[@kathyparkhurst7005]

weres the prison

[@exploreusacities]

it's on the moon

[@justintyme4690]

The town

[@Humpahna]

I counted 6 stop sign violations...hope the Potosi Police ain't watchin' your videos!

[@exploreusacities]

Don't snitch on me! :)

[@mistymoonwilderness4680]

I’m moving out this month hope I really like it there