St. James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,920 at the 2020 census. The settlement was origina…St. James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,920 at the 2020 census. The settlement was originally known as Big Prairie because of its location on the natural prairie of that name in the area. In 1859, when a man by the name of John Wood anticipated the extension of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, the settlement became known for a short time as Scioto, named after the town of Scioto, Ohio, where many of the town's early settlers originated. In 1860, the town was named St. James to honor Thomas James, who came from Ohio and created the Meramec Iron Works. The town was intended as a shipping point for the Meramec Iron Works, which had been shipping its products by wagon train.
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