About the Rolla, St. James and Phelps County, Missouri Area 

ROLLA Welcome to sensational Rolla, "Gateway to the Ozarks." Located in scenic South Central Missouri's Phelps County, Rolla's one of the best small towns in the whole country. What is it that makes Rolla so great? The stunning Ozarks natural splendor boasting blossoming dogwood and clear mountain streams are a start but there's so much more. Rolla is a community that values education and local public schools have been awarded national Blue Ribbon status and state Gold Star status. Rolla is also home to the University of Missouri, one of the country's leading technological universities creating a climate of incomparable intellectual stimulation. Sports fans can also cheer on the UMR Miners who field exciting teams in many sports including football, baseball and men's and women's basketball. Phelps Regional Medical Center provides the highest quality treatment and care, crime is unheard of and cultural opportunities abound. The Ozark Actors Theater and the Regional Opera Company perform professional theatrical productions to keep you entertained throughout the year plus there are concerts, lectures, exhibitions and festivals of all kinds, not to mention church picnics and socials. The big-city attractions of St. Louis are only a two-hour drive away and the bright lights of Branson, the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World" are only two-and-a-half hour drive away. You can tour quaint museums and historic buildings and there's sensational shopping in a charming small town atmosphere. Famed dollmaker Phyllis Parkins "Collectables" doll factory and shop is located right in Rolla and is a destination in its own right. There are wonderful opportunities to go antiquing and superb farmer's markets offering fresh produce. Restaurants dish up delicious food ranging from famed Missouri barbecue to fresh local fish and game to Midwestern comfort food favorites served in cozy Mom and Pop diners. The area has also come to be acclaimed for its locally made wines and there's no more enjoyable excursion than taking a tasting tour of area wineries many of which also offer fine dining restaurants or casual cafes. The Rolla area is also a great place to do business. Home to 16,000 residents, it is the regional trade center of the surrounding area, which includes more than 190,000 people with a well-trained work force and a stable economy. Taxes and unemployment rates are some of the lowest in the country. And of course the natural environment is beyond compare offering recreational opportunities of all kinds including world class trout and bass fishing, canoeing, rafting, hunting, hiking, biking and horseback riding. Rolla maintains 32 parks and recreation facilities totaling more than 300 acres with everything from basketball and tennis courts to a skate park and fitness center. The million plus acre Mark Twain National Forest is only minutes away and so are the spectacular underground caverns of Onondaga State Park boasting amazing geologic formations in a rainbow of colors. Missouri is known as the "Cave State" and the area around Rolla is a spelunker's paradise. Whether you're looking to settle down in a turn-of-the-century Victorian or a new two-story brick Colonial with a backyard pool, you can find it in Rolla where your dollar goes farther. With a wide variety of styles in every price range, from a sweet rancher to a small farm to a secluded wooded lot to build that custom dream house, it's all within reach because housing prices are some of the most affordable in the nation. Come home to Rolla and live on easy street. LOCATION Rolla is located in scenic South Central Missouri's Phelps County at the crossroads of I-44, US-63, and MO-72. Nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks, Rolla's in the middle of everywhere, half way between historic St. Louis and exciting Branson, the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World." It is the county seat of Phelps County and surrounded by more than 100,000 acres of state and national parks boasting sparkling lakes, clear running rivers and wooded paths with blooming dogwood in the spring and spectacular flaming foliage in the fall. Jefferson City, the state capital, is 62 miles to the north, St. Louis is 106 miles northeast, Springfield is 110 miles southwest and Branson is 150 miles south. Rolla is the commercial center of several charming, smaller towns, which surround it including Newberg, St. James, Vienna and Belle. TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS Rolla is nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks and is conveniently situated at the junction of I-44, US-63 and MO-72 making it easy to get anywhere. Interstate 44 is the region's main transportation artery and Rolla sits at the midpoint between St. Louis and Springfield. US-63 runs north and south while US-50, runs east and west along the northern border. There are several connector roads including Highways 72, 28, 68, 19 and 8 creating a web of well-maintained roads where bumper-to-bumper traffic is unheard of. Public bus service is provided by the Southeastern Missouri Transportation Service (SMTS) connecting towns in Crawford, Dent and Phelps counties. Greyhound has a station in Rolla offering bus travel to destinations beyond and Amtrak's Mule Trains connecting Kansas City and St. Louis and Ann Rutledge Train traveling to Chicago stop in Hermann and Jefferson City, each about an hour away. Rolla is served by Waynesville Regional Airport at Fortney Field in Fort Leonard Wood, about a thirty-minute drive south down the I-44. TWA's Trans World Express offers flights connecting to larger airports including Lambert International Airport in St. Louis which is also only about a two hour drive, where you can fly non-stop to many domestic and international destinations. Other nearby commercial airports include Jefferson City Memorial Airport and Lee C Fine Memorial Airport, each about fifty miles away while Rolla Downtown Airport and Rolla National serve private planes and helicopters. BRIEF HISTORY Phelps County saw it's first white settlers in 1818 when they settled along the area's fertile riverbanks as farmers. Sixteen years later, Thomas James bought a tract of land about 12 miles southeast of Rolla at Maramec Springs and built the first Iron Works in the area and by 1844 the first house was built within the present city limits of Rolla. The following year reconnaissance surveys began for the construction of rail lines and by 1853, Edmund Ward Bishop, originally a railroad construction contractor in New York, came to the area commissioned to build the Frisco Branch of the Southwest Railroad. Bishop would go on to become the founder of Rolla when he offered a tract of 50 acres of land for the official town site and made it the terminus of his rail line. The town was named after Raleigh, NC, home to some of the town's original settlers but Bishop decided against what he called "that silly spelling" and instead amended the town name to Rolla and by 1858 Rolla was officially surveyed and laid out. The railroad ran its first train on December 22, 1860, although the arrival of the Civil War halted the economic expansion that commenced. The railhead gave Rolla enormous strategic importance during the war and it was quickly seized by federal troops out of St. Louis on June 14, 1861. Once secured, the Union military never relinquished control of Rolla although Missouri was the scene of bitter and partisan fighting. Rolla was a newly incorporated frontier settlement of 600 people at the beginning of the war but it soon resembled a military camp with anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 military personnel stationed in the area. When the war finally ended, economic opportunity soon returned and by the 1870s the Missouri Legislature chose Rolla as the site of a land grant college. The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy now known as the acclaimed University of Missouri-Rolla was founded and today is known as one of the leading engineering schools in the world. As with most frontier towns, when the railroad arrived the economy expanded. Settlements along the railroad could find ready markets for cash crops and entrepreneurs and businessmen soon followed and benefited greatly as well. During the final decades of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth century Rolla grew exponentially as a center of government, commerce and industry. The Gasconade River was bridged and mills, factories, breweries and distilleries sprang up making products for the consumers in the community and for shipment to other markets via the railroad. Jobs made possible by the railroads attracted many people to Phelps County and after its fitful beginnings and the interruption of the war years, the railroad ultimately fulfilled much of its promise. . A new era dawned in 1926 when Route 66 was laid out passing right through the heart of Rolla. Never an ordinary road, Route 66 was known as, "The Main Street of America" and was the nation's first cross-country highway. It came to be recognized around the world especially after Bobby Troup's 1946 hit, "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" made it a destination unto itself. With breathtaking caverns and scenic mountains along its portion, Rolla welcomed tourists from around the country and around the world, as Route 66 became the ultimate road trip of the twentieth century. Unfortunately as the interstate system grew, Route 66 was finally decommissioned and completely decertified by 1985. The route was replaced by speedy I-44 although there are still portions of the road with some of the unique architecture and roadside attractions that are a living memory of Rolla's exciting past. Today's Rolla is a safe, clean, attractive community ideally located in a paradise of outdoor adventure opportunities offering something for everyone. The stunning beauty of the surrounding Ozarks has some of the most accessible spring-fed rivers in the United States and the Rolla region boasts more miles of trout streams than any place else in the Show Me State. The town has diversified and expanded its economy, which is remarkably recession proof due to high employment in government and education and now include several clean manufacturing firms as well as the University of Missouri-Rolla, Phelps County Regional Medical Center and the US Geological Survey. Rolla's a place to pursue your version of the American dream where the past is fascinating and the future is always promising. ABOUT EDUCATION Rolla boasts a Blue Ribbon, Gold Star public school system with a student-teacher ration of 1-21. There is one senior high school, one junior high school, one middle school and three elementary schools with well-trained teachers, strong parental involvement, high academic standards and many extracurricular activities. There are also five private, parochial schools educating students at all grade levels. Rolla is also famously home to the University of Missouri-Rolla, one of the nation's premier technical colleges, renowned for its engineering program. UMR was the first technological university west of the Mississippi as well as one of the first in the US and now awards undergraduate and graduate degrees in 35 fields of engineering, science, humanities and social sciences. It is one of the top 25 American universities in the number of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded each year. Rolla is also the site of the Technical Institute, one of the most modern technical schools in the Midwest providing comprehensive vocational training to students from 12 area high schools as well as evening instruction and customized training for those already in the working world. Other area colleges include Columbia College, Drury University, East Central and Webster University, Lincoln University, the University of Missouri-Columbia and Jefferson College.

ST. JAMES Breathtaking St. James, Missouri is known as the "Forest City of the Ozarks" and Time Magazine once described it as the "most handsomely wooded town in the nation." Proudly declaring itself, "Home to 3,700 friendly people," St. James is safe, small town located in South Central Missouri. Just ten minutes from Rolla, home to the renowned University of Missouri, it's also only two-hour drive to the big city pleasures of St. Louis as well as the bright lights and incomparable entertainment of world famous Branson. Set along Old Route 66, St. James is an outdoor enthusiasts dream, bordered by gorgeous Maramec Spring Park and the Woods Memorial, a 6,500-acre conservation area offering awe-inspiring Ozark vistas. The million plus acres of surrounding open space includes the Mark Twain National Forest, Ozark National Scenic Riverways and the Lake of the Ozarks where you can engage in every kind of recreational pursuit imaginable. St. James is home to trout fishing at Maramec Spring, hunting and fishing at Woodson K. Woods Memorial Conservation Area and canoeing on the upper Meramec River. The kids will enjoy Nelson Park featuring basketball courts, soccer and baseball fields while the privately endowed James Foundation enhances community life with a public library, tennis courts and swimming pool. St. James boasts a quaint downtown, home to several charming gift and antique stores and surrounding lush vineyards that supply local wineries creating award-winning wines. A grape growing and wine-producing region that has come to rival CA's famed Napa Valley, St. James offers incomparable opportunities to enjoy the delicious fruit of the local harvest accompanied by a flavorful, locally made sausage. Community activities include the annual Grape and Fall Festival, where you can expect to be entertained with festive music, arts and crafts plus the hilarious grape stomp and Old Iron Works Days held in October when the town celebrates its ties to its industrial past and recreates the nineteenth century through fun exhibits and demonstrations. St. James has a wonderful village atmosphere and features charming, older style homes on tree-lined streets that are so lovely they'll take your breath away especially when the leaves change colors in the fall. St. James welcomes you to join its friendly residents and come enjoy all that it has to offer. Look no further because there's no finer town to call home! LOCATION St James is a charming small town nestled into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains at an elevation of 1,088 feet. It is set in scenic Phelps County located in South Central Missouri along Old Route 66 at the junction of I-44 and MO-68. Rolla, home of the renowned University of Missouri is 10 miles southeast along the I-44 and world-class St. Louis is 90 miles southwest on the I-44. Several charming communities surround St. James including Cuba, Doolittle, Newburg and Belle while the state capital at Jefferson City with its famed Thomas Hart Benton murals adorning the capital building is 60 miles north. TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS St James sits conveniently at about the middle of I-44's St. Louis to Springfield stretch. Surrounded by a well maintained, easy to access infrastructure of modern roads and highways, US-63, runs north and south while US-50 runs east and west along the north. Several additional state highways including 72, 28, 68, 19 and 8 make navigating the area a breeze and traffic is unheard of. Public transportation is provided by the Southeastern Missouri Transportation Service (SMTS), which operates buses connecting the towns of Phelps, Crawford and Dent counties. There's a Greyhound station in nearby Rolla and Amtrak's Mule Trains connecting to Saint Louis and Kansas City as well as the Ann Rutledge Train connecting to Chicago, stop in Hermann and Jefferson City, each about an hour's drive. St. James is served by Waynesville Regional Airport at Fortney Field in Fort Leonard Wood, about a thirty-minute drive south down the I-44. TWA's Trans World Express offers flights connecting to larger airports including Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, also only about a two hour drive, where you can fly non-stop to many domestic and international destinations. Other nearby commercial airports include Jefferson City Memorial Airport and Lee C Fine Memorial Airport, each about fifty miles away while Rolla Downtown Airport and Rolla National serve private planes and helicopters. BRIEF HISTORY St. James was laid out in 1859 by John Wood who anticipated the extension westward of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. Intended as a shipping point for the nearby Meramec Iron Works, the Civil War intervened and Union Army took control of the area after fierce partisan fighting took place. During the Civil War, a detachment of German volunteers, encamped near the town, were so impressed with the location that when their enlistment ended they brought their families to live in the area creating an ethnic flavor that remains today evident in the flavorful local sausages. The Maramec Iron Works, which mined ore along the banks of the Maramec River, offered the first employment. Lime for flux and wood for charcoal came from the surrounding hills and the water power was provided by Maramec Spring located in a tiny wooded valley at the foot of a high, rock-studded cliff where 271,000,000 gallons flowed daily. Thomas James, owner of the mines and iron works, was born in Maryland in the 1770's and local tradition says James learned of the Missouri iron deposits from a band of Shawnee Indians who visited his Brush Creek furnace in Adams County, Ohio. The mine continued to operate until 1891 when deposits became exhausted. St. James then turned to lumber, agriculture, and wine making. Italian immigrants fleeing exploitive working conditions in Chicago founded the vineyards bringing new residents to the town and by 1870 St. James was officially incorporated and had elected its first mayor and city council. In 1921, St. James proved itself to be very progressive when it elected Mrs. Mayme H. Ousley as mayor, one of the first women mayors in the US. Over the next twenty years the town was the business and commercial center of the "Big Prairie." Berries and dairy products as well as oak, hickory, cottonwood and elm cut from the surrounding hills were shipped from St. James to parts near and far. The town even boasted its own small distillery and a women's garment factory. The arrival of Route 66, the nation's first cross-country highway put St. James on the map as a travel and tourism destination. "The Main Street of America" as it came to be known, immortalized in the Bobby Troupe song, brought travelers from around the nation and around the world through town and many were so charmed they remained although St. James has always worked diligently to preserve its small town character. By the time Route 66 was decommissioned in the 1980's, St. James had taken steps to diversify its economy and today at the dawn of the 21st century, while it remains a prime tourism and recreation destination there are also industrial parks and a Wal Mart Distribution Center in the region. There is an ongoing drive to protect and enhance the town's parks and natural resources as well as to grow the economy in a business friendly way that preserves the history and character of nostalgic easy living that makes St. James so special. ABOUT EDUCATION St James has its own well-funded public school system committed to providing an educational environment that enables students to acquire strong intellectual and social skills necessary for successful participation in society. Parental involvement is encouraged and there are caring and qualified teachers and administrators. There is one elementary school for students pk-5, one middle school for grades 6-8 and one high school for students in grades 9-12. St. James is also home to the private Boys and Girls Town of Missouri, serving children with behavioral and developmental difficulties. Nearby Rolla is home to the University of Missouri-Rolla, one of the nation's premier technical colleges renowned for its engineering program. UMR was the first technological university west of the Mississippi as well as one of the first in the US and now awards undergraduate and graduate degrees in 35 fields of engineering, science, humanities and social sciences. It is one of the top 25 American universities in the number of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded each year. Rolla is also the site of the Technical Institute, one of the most modern technical schools in the Midwest providing comprehensive vocational training to students from 12 area high schools as well as evening instruction and customized training for those already in the working world. Other area colleges include Columbia College, Drury University, East Central and Webster University, Lincoln University, the University of Missouri-Columbia and Jefferson College.

PHELPS COUNTY Phelps County is the "Gateway to the Ozarks" offering a setting of natural splendor where recreational opportunities abound and the quality of life is exceptional. Making in your home in any one of the charming towns like Beulah, Doolittle, Duke, Edgar Springs, Jerome, Newburg, Saint James or Rolla means enjoying all the best life has to offer. Whether you're searching for the perfect three-bedroom rancher, a turn-of-the-century Victorian showplace or a new two-story brick beauty with a backyard pool, you can find it in Phelps County and your dollar goes farther. Perhaps a small farm is in your future or a secluded wooded lot for that custom home, you can realize your dreams at a price that's nice. New construction continues at a record pace and the cost of housing in Phelps County is among the most affordable in the nation. The stunning environment features gently rolling hills, deep valleys and plateaus. Numerous rivers and streams traverse the region, creating an incomparable setting for canoeing, rafting, floating and fishing. Phelps County has the most miles of fresh and clear trout streams in the whole Show Me State. Parks and open space offer hunting, hiking, camping and biking opportunities where dogwood flowers in the spring and the changing leaves create a rainbow of colors in the fall. There are caves to explore, vineyards and wineries where you're sure to want to stop for a taste, specialty shops, bakeries, fine restaurants and live entertainment. Many of the small towns are industrial havens, yet the small farmer is still prevalent and farmer's markets abound. There are fascinating historic sites, world-class educational opportunities at the University of Missouri at Rolla and excellent medical care is available at the Phelps County Regional Medical Center. Enjoy shopping on quaint main streets that transport you back to simpler times with personal service from friendly merchants. There are many churches and denominations in every faith, crime is almost non-existent, citizens are neighborly and local governments provide excellent services. Phelps County is conveniently located right in the middle of everywhere, half way between St. Louis and Springfield and just two hours from Branson, the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World." Come home to Phelps County and start living happily ever after! LOCATION Phelps County is located in captivating South Central Missouri, an area of unique natural splendor. The "Gateway to the Ozarks" it's nestled in the foothills in the Ozark Mountains, half way between St. Louis and Springfield along the I-44, Missouri's main highway. Part of Missouri's breathtakingly beautiful Maramec Region, the area features gently rolling hills, deep valleys, rivers and streams and miles of open space. Including the towns of Beulah, Doolittle, Duke, Edgar Springs, Jerome, Newburg, Saint James and the county seat of Rolla, Phelps County is far enough away to offer an unspoiled rural environment yet it's still close to major cities and attractions. St. Louis is 100 miles northeast, Springfield is 110 miles southwest the state capital at Jefferson City is 60 miles north and the fantastic family friendly shows of world famous Branson are about 150 miles south, just a two-and-a-half hour drive. TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS I-44 is the main travel route through Phelps County crossing from the southwest and running northeast towards Springfield. US-63, runs north and south, US-50, runs east and west along the northern border and historic Route 66 runs right through the heart of the county. There are also several well maintained connector roads that make getting from town to town a breeze including Highways 72, 28, 68, 19 and 8. Public transportation is provided by the Southeastern Missouri Transportation Service (SMTS), which operates buses connecting the towns of Phelps, Crawford and Dent counties. There's a Greyhound bus station in Rolla and Amtrak's Mule Trains connecting to St. Louis and Kansas City as well as the Ann Rutledge Train connecting to Chicago, stop in Hermann and Jefferson City, each about an hour's drive. Phelps County is served by Waynesville Regional Airport at Fortney Field in Fort Leonard Wood, about a thirty-minute drive south down the I-44. TWA's Trans World Express offers flights connecting to larger airports including Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, also only about a two hour drive, where you can fly non-stop to many domestic and international destinations. Other nearby commercial airports include Jefferson City Memorial Airport and Lee C Fine Memorial Airport, each about fifty miles away while Rolla Downtown Airport and Rolla National serve private planes and helicopters. BRIEF HISTORY Phelps County saw it's first white settlers in 1818 when they settled along the fertile riverbanks of the area as farmers. Sixteen years later Thomas James bought a tract of land at Maramec Springs and built the first Iron Works in the area. In 1844 the first house was built within the present city limits of Rolla and by 1845 reconnaissance surveys began for a railroad. The railroad ran its first train on December 22, 1860, with Rolla as the terminus. The coming of the Civil War halted the expansion of the railroad although Phelps County had enormous strategic importance because of its presence of the terminus in Rolla, and it was quickly seized by federal troops out of St. Louis on June 14, 1861. Once secured, the Union military never relinquished control although Phelps County was the scene of bitter and partisan fighting. Union troops and their supplies came to Rolla by train from St. Louis and then were transferred to wagon trails to go to the battles of Wilson Creek in Springfield, Mo., Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove in Arkansas as well as other smaller skirmishes. Phelps County was a frontier settlement at the beginning of the Civil War but it soon resembled a military camp as Rolla became the delivery point of all Union supplies and up to 60,000 troops were stationed in the area. After the war, many soldiers who had passed through Phelps County decided to stay and call the area home creating a rich and diverse ethnic heritage. The presence of German immigrants is still evident today in the architecture, customs and penchant for organization in the region. The heavy influence of English immigrants is apparent in the individualism and independence prided by residents as well as the preference for minimal government interference. If they could accomplish it on their own, they would and still do. Italian heritage was thrown into the mix in the wine-growing area around St. James creating an wonderful cultural texture that still enhances Phelps County's superior quality of life. Rich in history with a fascinating cultural fabric, Phelps County has continued steadily growing as more and more people decide to leave the cities behind and return to the kind of clean, peaceful and picturesque environment that Phelps County has preserved like a snapshot in time. ABOUT EDUCATION Phelps County is a great place to raise a family and boasts safe and secure towns each with its own public school system. There is strong parental involvement and well-trained teachers who strive to instill rigorous academic standards. The towns of Beulah, Doolittle, Duke, Edgar Springs, Jerome, Newburg and Rolla offer low student to teacher ratios and strong preparation for college education. There are many private parochial schools of varied faiths within the county combing excellent educational instruction with religious teaching Rolla, the largest town in Phelps County and the county seat is home to the University of Missouri-Rolla, one of the nation's premier technical colleges, renowned for its engineering program. UMR was the first technological university west of the Mississippi as well as one of the first in the US and now awards undergraduate and graduate degrees in 35 fields of engineering, science, humanities and social sciences. It is one of the top 25 American universities in the number of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded each year. Rolla is also the site of the Technical Institute, one of the most modern technical schools in the Midwest providing comprehensive vocational training to students from 12 area high schools as well as evening instruction and customized training for those already in the working world. Other area colleges include Columbia College, Drury University, East Central and Webster University, Lincoln University, the University of Missouri-Columbia and Jefferson College making Phelps County a place rich in educational opportunity and achievement.

Request our Free Rolla, St. James and Phelps County Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the Rolla, St. James and Phelps County, Missouri area. Don't move here without it! Remember: we'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and we will send it right out... 

It's our job to know EVERYTHING about Rolla, St. James and Phelps County! Ask us any question. Or request a FREE information package. There's no obligation, and we promise to get back to you quickly...