De Soto, Missouri

==History==
De Soto was [[plat]]ted in 1857 and named after [[Hernando de Soto]] (c. 1496/1497–1542), Spanish conquistador.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_jefferson.html |title=Jefferson County Place Names, 1928–1945 (archived) |publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri |access-date=19 October 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624071321/http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_jefferson.html |archive-date=24 June 2016 }}</ref> A post office has been in operation at De Soto since 1858.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Jefferson |title=Post Offices |publisher=Jim Forte Postal History |access-date=19 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019143136/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MO&county=Jefferson |archive-date=19 October 2016 }}</ref>

The city is known as "Fountain City" because of its numerous [[Artesian aquifer|artesian wells]]. Water from these wells and springs were bottled and shipped by tank car to the [[Louisiana Purchase Exposition|1904 World Fair]] in St. Louis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.desotomo.com/desoto_history.htm |title=De Soto History |access-date=2010-10-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329233426/http://www.desotomo.com/desoto_history.htm |archive-date=2010-03-29 }}</ref>

The [[Central School Campus]] and [[Louis J. and Harriet Rozier House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

===Tornado activity===
On December 21, 1967, an F4 tornado 16.8 miles away from the city center killed three people, injured 52 people, and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.<ref name="city-data.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/city/De-Soto-Missouri.html|title=De Soto, Missouri (MO 63020) profile: Population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders}}</ref>

On June 22, 1969, an F4 (max. wind speeds 207-260&nbsp;mph) tornado 13.5 miles away from the De Soto city center killed two people and injured 22 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.<ref name="city-data.com"/>

On April 22, 1981, a tornado destroyed the Joachim Savings & Loan, the offices of the Republic and Press newspaper, and a tire store. One person was killed in the Savings & Loan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=799&dat=19810423&id=_LVPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V1IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4368,2023484|title=The Bryan Times - Google News Archive Search}}</ref>

On [[Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003|May 6, 2003]], at approximately 3:45 pm, a tornado outbreak began in [[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Tennessee]]. At 5:14pm, a tornado touched down two miles northwest of De Soto. Fourteen minutes later, the tornado sirens went off in [[Jefferson County, Missouri|Jefferson County]]. The tornado hit De Soto at F3 intensity, causing $12,800,000 in damage. The tornado destroyed the junior high gymnasium, caused significant damage to the high school and Vineland Elementary, destroyed 58 houses and a local grocery store. It injured 23 and killed nine inside De Soto.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WEATHER/05/06/tornadoes/ |title=Tornado strikes eastern Missouri town - May. 6, 2003 |publisher=CNN.com |date= |accessdate=2022-06-10}}</ref>