- Saint Joseph
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city, seat (1894) of Berrien county, southwestern Michigan, U.S. Located about 85 miles (140 km) southwest of Grand Rapids, it is a port on Lake Michigan (Michigan, Lake), at the mouth of the St. Joseph River (Saint Joseph River), opposite Benton Harbor. The French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, sieur (lord) de La Salle (La Salle, René-Robert Cavelier, sieur (lord) de), established Fort Miami at the site in 1679, using it as a base (commemorated by a historic site). Later known as Saranac and Newburyport, it was renamed (1833) for the river. It developed after 1836 with improved harbour facilities and the opening of the Territorial Road from Detroit. Its northeastern portion was separately incorporated as Benton Harbor in 1869. Industries (including the manufacture of auto parts, plastics, and computer and scientific equipment), fruit processing, and tourism (beaches and mineral springs) support the economy. The Krasl Art Center houses a collection of contemporary sculpture and exhibits works by regional artists; its annual (July) art fair attracts many visitors. Warren Dunes (16 miles [26 km] south) and Van Buren (25 miles [40 km] north) state parks are nearby on the Lake Michigan shore. Inc. village, 1834; city, 1891. Pop. (2000) 8,789; (2005 est.) 8,675.byname St. Joecity, seat (1846) of Buchanan county, northwestern Missouri, U.S. It is located on the Missouri River (there bridged to Elwood, Kan.), 28 miles (45 km) north of Kansas City. A trading post was established (1826) on the site by Joseph Robidoux, a French Canadian trapper from St. Louis. The Platte Purchase (1836), adding about 2,000,000 acres (800,000 hectares) of Indian land to the state territory, resulted in an influx of settlers. Robidoux laid out the town in 1843 and named it for his patron saint. During the California Gold Rush (1849), St. Joseph boomed as a steamboat base and supply depot for westward-bound wagon trains. The western terminus of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad (completed 1859), it became the eastern terminus of the Pony Express, launched from St. Joseph on April 3, 1860. During the American Civil War the city became a point for guerrilla operations and was frequented by border outlaws such as W.C. Quantrill and Jesse James; the latter was killed (1882) in his home there (which has been preserved).In the 1840s the city was well on its way to becoming an important meatpacking centre but was eclipsed by Omaha, Neb., and Kansas City when transcontinental railroads bypassed it. It has survived as one of the great livestock and grain markets of the central west and is the trade centre of an extensive agricultural region. Manufactures are diversified and include structural steel, chemicals, soybean products, pet foods, school and office supplies, machinery, and batteries. Tourism is of growing importance."Lover's Lane, Saint Jo," by Eugene Field, expresses the poet's nostalgic remembrance of the St. Joseph street where he courted his wife. Patee House, a national historic landmark, comprises the reconstructed headquarters of the Pony Express office. The Pony Express Museum is housed in the original stable that was the starting point for the rides west to Sacramento, Calif., and the St. Joseph Museum houses a notable collection of Native American artifacts. Pigeon Hill Wildlife Area and Lewis and Clark State Park are nearby. The city is the seat of Missouri Western State University (founded 1915 as St. Joseph Junior College). Inc. 1843. Pop. (2000) city, 73,990; St. Joseph MSA, 122,336; (2005 est.) city, 72,661; (2004 est.) St. Joseph MSA, 122,209.
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Universalium. 2010.
