From the Mississippian Times to the founding of Fenton in the early 19th century, the close proximity to navigable water – the Meramec River – played an important role in the early and continuous occupation of this region. Following earlier European explorers, records show the area was occupied by settlers arriving in the 1770s. However, preceding the settlers were Native American Mound Builders which modern archeologists have associated with the great mounds at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Park Cahokia , Illinois Fenton City Park
Due to its proximity to fertile land and the Meramec River, this picturesque historic town of Fenton has been inhabited for over 1,000 years. The earliest proof of ancient dwellers was excavated from the "Fenton Mounds," two conical, earthen burial mounds located near the southwestern border of the City of Fenton. Diagnostic pottery shards from the mounds indicate they date from A.D. 1050 - 1400. In 2001, the mounds were leveled for construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
The Fenton territory was occupied by native Americans and early settlers in the 1770s. Fenton was founded by William Lindsay Long on March 23, 1818 and named for his Welsh grandmother, Elizabeth Fenton Bennett. The original plans consisted of an eight square block area divided into 80 small lots, known today as “Olde Towne Fenton”. The town was originally incorporated in 1874.
However, there is a local legend that tells a different story about our name. Fenton was first named Dibbleville after the first settler in the area, Clark Dibble, who moved there from New York in 1834. According to local legend, it was renamed Fenton as a result of an 1837 card game involving two men, William M. Fenton and Robert LeRoy. LeRoy Street, the city's main street, was named after LeRoy. The city's original name survives as the name of one of Fenton's neighborhoods.
A ferry boat was established in 1833 for ease in crossing the Meramec River , and in the same year the first post office opened its doors. In 1854 a group of businessmen formed a corporation to construct the first bridge across the river. This covered toll bridge was used until 1885 when it was replaced by an iron bridge. During the construction of the current “old bridge” in 1925, Gravois Road was rerouted around Olde Towne and it was at this time that Fenton gradually began to expand beyond the original eight square block area.
Fenton was incorporated as a village in 1863 and as a city in 1964. There are events throughout the year in the downtown. In the summer, there is a Fourth of July Festival, a weekly Farmer's Market, Taste of Fenton, and Art in the Park. During the December holiday season, the festivities include Jingle Fest and a New Year's Eve celebration.
As access to Fenton and the surrounding area improved, both the population and number and variety of businesses increased. On March 9, 1955 , Fenton was reincorporated, classified as a Fourth Class City and held its first election for a new Mayor and other city officials. With renewed confidence in being able to guide a “new” city, the residents voted in favor of an annexation plan consisting of 1,500 acres of land surrounding the original eight blocks to create the City of Fenton
In the spring of 2004, the Mayor of Fenton, Missouri, Dennis J. Hancock and the members of the Park Board (Board Chair--Glen Scholle, members Jeff Bodi, Charles Jahneke, Mike Lucas, Steve Covault, Gregg Cleveland, Diana Biras and Nannette Clark), determined that their city should build a memorial to the victims of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It was also determined that the memorial would honor police, firefighters, EMS southwest St. Louis County and is still one of the county’s best kept secrets
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