De Soto, MO

DESOTO   A post village of Jefferson county, Desoto township, on the St. Louis and Iron Mountain railroad, six miles from Hillsboro', the county seat, and 42 miles from St. Louis. It contains two churches, viz., Methodists, (South and North,) an Express agency, two general stores, two hotels, one hardware store, one steam saw and corn mill. This town is growing rapidly; several thousand pigs of lead are shipped from here to St. Louis. Extensive lead mines are within two miles of the village. Population 250.  (Missouri State Gazetteer..., 1860)