Our History

Rock Hill got its name from the old church which was named by a Presbyterian minister because he encountered two steep and rocky hills while going there to celebrate founding of congregation.

Rock Hill Village today (1934), a thriving business and residential settlement on the Manchester road with a progressive administration and a satisfied population, occupies territory included in early French and Spanish grants, and was first inhabited by French pioneers, who, coming from Port Chartres first located in St. Louis and later established permanent homes in the great forests to the west of the Mississippi River trading post founded by Pierre Laclede, the fur trader from New Orleans, in 1864.

While the historic background of Rock Hill Village is an interesting chapter in the history of St. Louis, it is also an important cog in present-day life of the county, and the inhabitants of today, while interested in past events there, are more concerned about current governmental and civic progress. Communities cannot prosper and grow on the history and romance of their past and those of the present generation look to their governments for the things necessary in the make up of the communities in which they live.

Although the settlement of Rock Hill dates back to 1800, and possibly earlier, as authentic data is not available, Rock Hill Village, as an incorporated community dates back only five years, and during this short space of time the administrations has written a history of municipal achievements fully as interesting and of far greater importance then its chronological history.

Businesses began emerging in the 1920s and Rock Hill became incorporated as a village with a Board of Trustees. By 1941, the government was changed to a 4 Class City, having a Mayor and Board of Aldermen, and City Hall was built on Manchester road.

(The above information is taken from the "Watchman-Advocate", Friday, August 3, 1934.)