Mercer, MO

Mercer is a city located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,848. Mercer is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area and is adjacent to Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis that has been subject to protests and riots since 2014 following the shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer from Ferguson.

The city's economy is based on its proximity to St. Louis, which is home to more than 1 million people and accounts for more than two-thirds of Mercer's tax base. The city has attempted to diversify its economy by developing new businesses such as a bioscience research center and an incubator for technology startups, but these efforts have not yet resulted in sustained growth.

The history of Mercer can be traced back to 1806 when fur trader Pierre Laclede established Fort Osage on what would become known as Laclede's Point near present-day Lambert-StLouis International Airport in nearby Saint Louis County, Missouri Territory (now in Saint Louis City). In 1811, Laclede sold Fort Osage to American Fur Company representative William Clark for $5,000; it became one of the first permanent settlements within what would become Missouri Territory (now in Jackson County). The town that grew up around Fort Osage was originally named " Laclede" after Laclede but was later renamed " Mercer" after Secretary of War Henry Knox visited the site and pronounced it "most excellent".

In 1836, Mercer became part of newly organized Clay County; it remained within Clay County until 1870 when it was annexed by Ferguson Township (now Ferguson) due to its geographic proximity to that town. In 1904, Mercer annexed portions of adjoining townships due to its continued growth; this annexation process ended with the creation of present-day Mercer City in 1954.

Mercer experienced significant growth during World War II as a result of military installations located within its boundaries: Camp Shelby (1942–1945), Naval Air Station Stennis (1941–1946), and Army Chemical Center (1942–1977). These installations led to increased demand for housing and commercial properties; as a result, Mercer experienced rapid suburbanization between 1950 and 1970.

A notable event during this time period was the 1955 tornado outbreak which caused extensive damage throughout central Missouri; most notably in nearby Ferguson where over 60%of homes were destroyed or damaged beyond repair. This event led many families who had previously lived in rural areas within Mercer Township or adjacent townships to move into newly constructed subdivisions near Camp Shelby or Naval Air Station Stennis which helped spur further suburbanization throughout central Missouri during the 1960s and 1970s . However, suburbanization did not continue at similar rates after 1970 due to increased availabilityof affordable housing outside urban areas; this trend has reversed somewhat since 2000 as more people are moving into urban areas due to high costs associated with living outside major metropolitan areas .

Today , Mercer is primarily an inner-city suburb located adjacentto Ferguson , although pockets exist along I-70 eastward towards O'Fallon , Maryland Heights , Chesterfield , Florissant , Kirkwood , University City / Webster Groves , Ladue , Wildwood Crest among other suburbs . While much has changed since 1955 – including increased development pressure from neighboring municipalities – much remains relatively unchanged including demographics – 89%of residents are white while only 3%are black ; median household income stands at $86K while nearly halfof households earn less than $40K annually . Despite recent challenges faced by cities across America such as rising taxesand increasing regulation impacting business investment opportunities – both locallyand nationally – there remain many reasons why people choose livein cities such as Mercer: accessto great schools ; vibrant neighborhoods with plentyoffunctional space ; low crime rates ; easy commute times into largermetropolitan areas ; diverse cultural amenities including topnotch restaurantsand theaters ; ample green space availablefor recreation