Meramec Valley Historical Society Pacific, MO

10/19/2026

10/15/2026

Construction of Zitzman Elementary, Summer 1965

Opening in 1965 as Pacific Elementary School, it was later renamed in honor of Elda Zitzman, a longtime educator who taught in the Meramec Valley for over forty years and was the district's first female principal, when she retired in 1969.

Today, the school continues to serve generations of local children and remains part of the Meramec Valley R-III School District - Home of the Indians.

Meramec Valley Transcript, July 21, 1965

09/28/2026

Did you know there was a recreation farm along the Meramec River in Pacific?

Located behind Pacific Plaza, the Business Men's Recreation Farm opened in 1913 but only stayed open for a few years, likely due to damage sustained during a devastating flood in August 1915. By 1917, the property had been sold to the Moselle Sand & Gravel Company. For decades after, there was a huge gravel mining operation at the site but nothing remains today except overgrown concrete ruins.

Tri-County Journal, September 9, 1964

09/21/2026

Bridges on Highway F near Opeechee Beach in Pacific, August 1972

Located along the boundary of Jefferson and Franklin Counties, the older bridge on the left was constructed in the 1840's and was originally a wooden covered bridge. In 1895, a devastating flood damaged the structure. As a result, Franklin County elected to repair their side with steel while Jefferson County elected to repair their section. For the next twenty years, it was partially covered and partially steel, making it a unique local attraction. In 1915, the remaining covered section was replaced with a small steel span following damage from flooding and a fire. It remained a full steel span for the rest of its life.

By the early 1970's, the aging bridge had become rickety and dangerous. School buses would park at the end of the road and parents would walk their children across the bridge. A new bridge with a straighter alignment of Highway F was finished in 1972 and remains in use today. The older bridge was subsequently demolished but old asphalt from the previous alignment of the highway can still be seen. There are also intact pieces of this alignment that remain in use, such as Opeechee Beach Road and Buscher Road.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 17, 1972

09/17/2026

Students outside Pacific High School, 1920's

Before moving to West Osage Street in 1954, Pacific High School and all other grades were crammed inside the community school building at 413 West Osage Street, now home to Crosspoint Christian School. The growing population of town resulted in the construction of additions in 1901, 1920, and 1939.

Around the corner from the community school, at the corner of North 4th Street and West Osage Street, stood the B. F. Allen School, where area African-Americans were educated. Established in 1878, the school was named after a teenage teacher and visionary from Moselle, a railroad town located about 17 miles Southwest of Pacific. It operated for over seventy years, closing in 1955 when students were integrated. The historic building has been demolished and the site is now a plaza home to Clarkson Eyecare and Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Dan Monks. In January of 2026, a historical plaque was installed at the site of the B. F. Allen School, recognizing its significance to our shared history.