Visitors Guide to Wentzville
Saint Charles County, Missouri
The City of Wentzville calls itself the “The Crossroads of the Nation” because it is conveniently located at the intersection of Interstate 70 and Highway 40-61 (Interstate 64). Wentzville was founded in 1855 as a depot with seven blocks along the south side of the planned route of the Northern Missouri Railroad. William P. Allen who named the town Wentzville after Erasmus L. Wentz, Allen’s friend and the railroad’s survey engineer, donated the land and money for the site. Wentzville began to grow after 1857 when the railroad arrived, bypassing the older town of Flint Hill by about four miles. During the American Civil War, the city was the site of a series of skirmishes along the railroad from July 15 to July 17, 1861. Elements of the 2nd and 8th Missouri Infantry Regiments en route to Mexico, Missouri engaged Confederate guerillas that were threatening the railroad. From the time of its founding Wentzville became a shipping point for local farmers and the railroad allowed the town to prosper and incorporated in 1872. During the 1870’s Wentzville developed into a tobacco-manufacturing center, giving rise to some of the industry’s most notable capitalists, including George S. Myers (Ligget & Myers Co. began here) and Paul Brown (founder of Brown Tobacco Co.)
In December 1967, before the Tet Offensive, the town dedicated what is believed to be the first memorial to Vietnam veterans. The original memorial was replaced in 1985 by today’s monument, a column with a red granite base and topped by an eagle. Notable natives include rock and roll legend Chuck Berry. The song "Back to Wentzville" by George Thorogood is a tribute to the city of Wentzville and Berry.
