A Brief History of Jennings, Missouri

Jennings, Missouri was named for James Jennings, a Virginian farmer and merchant. Jennings, his wife Anne Montague and their seven children and 40 slaves moved to the outskirts of St. Louis in 1839. James Jennings died in 1855 just as the North Missouri Railroad bisected his property. By 1880, most of his heirs sold their property and moved from the area.

Early signs of growth appeared in September 1883 when Miles A. Seed opened the Seed Dry Plate Company. Employing nearly 110 workers, the company was located on the former Jennings Estate at Orchard (now X-Ograph) Avenue between McLaran and Hord Avenues. The company was sold to Eastman Kodak in 1902 and subsequently moved operations to Rochester, New York by 1911.

The years following World War II ushered in a new era: living the "American Dream" with new cars, homes, appliances and jobs. By 1946, north St. Louis City and County were booming with plenty of blue-collar jobs and convenient bus transportation. The decision to incorporate the communities of Jennings, Jenwood, and Woodland occurred after the nearby smaller communities of Country Club Hills and Flordell Hills incorporated in 1943 and 1945, respectively. Both cities snapped up portions of commercial property on West Florissant Avenue. Incorporation applications were filed December 26, 1946 with the State of Missouri and St. Louis County. The first elections were held in Spring, 1947. Jennings was the city with the small-town feel. Everyone knew each other and everything was within walking distance. Shopping, groceries, services and entertainment were located on or near West Florissant Avenue and Jennings Station Road.

Jennings is seeing progress once again. Northland Shopping Center is being replaced with the Buzz Westfall Plaza On The Boulevard, which includes a Target store and a larger Schnucks among the tenants. New homes and restaurants are planned for River Roads Mall, and demolition and construction is currently underway. The North Drive-In has been replaced with Alexandria Place housing development. The area near Interstate 70 is also in the early stages of redevelopment.

The future is looking bright for the city of Jennings!