The First Female Mayor in Missouri

1921: The citizens of St. James elect the first female mayor in the state.

Two years after women in Missouri were finally allowed to vote, the first female mayor in Missouri history was elected in St. James. Mayme Ousley was born in nearby Edgar Springs and went to high school in Rolla where she graduated in 1906. She moved to St. James after her husband graduated from Washington University dental school in St. Louis and set up his practice. They became prominent residents in St. James and were involved in social functions, city business, as well as politics. She was so well respected in the town that locals encouraged her to run for office shortly after the Nineteenth Amendment was certified in 1920.

Women were highly motivated to vote and were getting a stronger voice in politics following the passage of the historic amendment to the constitution. Women and men alike in St. James now had a woman they could vote for and she was deemed the right person for the job. She ran her campaign based on cleaning up the town, cracking down on speeders, forcing landlords to install indoor plumbing in residences, and treating people fairly. She won the election by only eight votes but made history in the process.

St. James History

St. James used to be a settlement known as Big Prairie. It was later changed to Scioto, then renamed St. James in 1860. It was named after a wealthy businessman named Thomas James who helped establish the historic Maramec Iron Works. He chose the area for the iron plant after meeting with Native Americans who were wearing red face paint. That was a sign to James that the area near the Maramec Spring was rich in iron, which had the same pigment. So he built his furnaces near Maramec Spring and close to the railroad tracks a few miles north in town. Many of James’ descendants continued to live in the area including Lucy Wortham James. The philanthropist funded numerous projects and groups in the following years.

St. James Today

Today, the town has a population of around 4,000 and lies within Missouri’s Wine Country and alongside Historic Route 66. It is a popular tourist area due to the beautiful scenery and local award-winning wineries like the St. James Winery. Thousands of people annually also come to enjoy Maramec Spring Park and its proximity to beautiful rivers and streams, the Ozark Trail, and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.