History:

In the 1850s, William B. Ferguson, in true entrepreneurial fashion, agreed to deed a strip of land through his farm to the North Missouri Railroad, later known as the Wabash Railroad. This was done on the condition that they build a depot on his land and make it a regular stop. This stop, known as Ferguson Station, became the center of activity around the area, and Mr. Ferguson subdivided his land and sold lots to businesses and homeowners. By 1894, population had reached 1,000 and the town of Ferguson Station was incorporated as a Fourth Class city.

By the end of the 1800s Ferguson was a major hub for both freight and passenger rail traffic. As many as six trains a day served commuters working in St. Louis, and Ferguson became a popular location for suburban executive homes. In 1900, a streetcar line opened connecting Ferguson and Kirkwood, another growing suburb 10 miles to the south. Former slaves of Thomas January and other slaves freed after the Civil War contributed to the early establishment of a racially diverse population.

The City boomed during the post-World War II era. Commuter trains were replaced by automobile traffic. Plentiful employment was provided by new industries, including the relocated headquarters of Emerson Electric Co. Scores of new homes were built and the city's population continued to expand. In 1954, Ferguson became a Charter City, one of the first in St. Louis County to adopt the Council-Manager form of government.

Ferguson’s downtown is centered around the historic Ferguson Station train depot. Today, North Florissant road is the central business corridor and includes a mixture of historic structures located along the sidewalk as well as newer buildings set back from the sidewalk. Ferguson streets are laid out in a variety of patterns, including a historic grid directly surrounding the original train depot, as well as, a more elongated and less predictable street pattern further away from the depot. Ferguson’s oldest streets are fairly narrow and include sidewalks, helping slow traffic and facilitating both walking and bicycling. Some of Ferguson’s main thoroughfares currently lack safe cycling routes or sidewalks, and many of the sidewalks throughout town are fairly narrow. Ferguson is home to the St. Vincent Greenway trail, connecting Ferguson south to the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and the proposed site for the Maline Creek Greenway.

• Ferguson has a population of approximately 22,000 people and may have seen a slight decline in population in the last 10 years.
• Roughly 52% percent of the residents are African-American, 45% are Caucasians, and 1% are Hispanic.
• The median household income in Ferguson is approximately $35,647.
• The poverty rate is 12%.
• Approximately 23% of Ferguson residents work in educational, health, and social services; approximately 12% work in manufacturing; 10% work in retail trade; 10% work in arts, education, recreation, or food services; 9% work in professional, scientific, and management; and 9% work in transportation, warehousing, and utilities.

• City of Ferguson
• Live Well Ferguson!

Ferguson Initiates Sunday Parkways - August, 2009
Trailnet worked with the Live Well Ferguson! task force to develop Sunday Parkways - a rolling street festival hosted in Ferguson's Forestwood Neighborhood on August 23, September 27, and October 18. The event offers a variety of fun activities for all ages including: face-painting, hula hooping, clowns and balloon art, aerobics classes, Zumba classes, free-throw competition, BMX demos, and much more!

Sunday Parkways is part of an international movement of events that promote active living, strengthen local communities, and re-envision streets that are safe for pedestrian and cyclists of all ages. The concept originated in Bogota, Columbia 20 years ago, and now their streets are closed every Sunday from 9am-3pm. In the US there are similar events in Portland, Chicago, NY, San Francisco, Paducah, and others.
View photos from the first Ferguson Sunday Parkways Event on Flickr

Ferguson Adopts Complete Streets Policy - November, 2008
Trailnet worked with the city of Ferguson to develop a Complete Streets ordinance as one of the first communities in the state to adopt this important legislation. Complete Streets is an innovative solution to the obesity epidemic, a problem these communities are taking a stand against at the policy level. The policy also supports increased independence of the aging population and safe routes for children walking or biking to school. The policy adopted states that each community will design, build, and maintain streets in a manner that accommodates safe and contiguous travel for all users – seniors, persons with disabilities, children, pedestrians, cyclists, transit-users, and cars.
Learn more on Trailnet's blog

The City of Ferguson Passes Energy Conservation Ordinance - February, 2009
This ordinance will help Ferguson take important steps to become a "green" city and includes a focus on alternative modes of travel as a key element of reducing Ferguson's environmental impact.
Learn more on Trailnet's blog