Editing Pacific, Missouri (section)

=== Post-war development (1864–1925) ===
The first issue of the Franklin County Democrat was published in Pacific in 1871, marking the first time a newspaper was published in the city. Production was moved to nearby [[Washington, Missouri]] on May 31, 1878, where the newspaper was published weekly until 1882.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Franklin County Democrat (Pacific, Mo.) 1871–1882|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/sn90061440/|access-date=2020-06-04|website=Library of Congress}}</ref>

A new railroad depot was opened in 1882. It was used continuously until 1961, when regular service between Pacific and Saint Louis was discontinued due to declining ridership, and the Frisco Railroad abandoned the depot in 1976. It was demolished shortly thereafter.

In 1891, a fire at the center of town broke out, destroying all buildings on Saint Louis Street, the main commercial thoroughfare in Pacific, between First and Columbus Streets. In the following years, the Meramec River flooded the southern extent of Pacific a number of times, most notably in 1895 and 1915. The old covered bridge south of town was severely damaged by the former flood, and was demolished.<ref name=":0" />

The [[Missouri Botanical Garden]] purchased 1,300 acres (5.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land immediately to the west of Pacific in 1925 when pollution from coal smoke in Saint Louis threatened the garden's extensive plant collection, notably its orchids. The orchids were moved to the land, then called the Gray Summit Extension, the following year, but were restored to the original location of the garden when pollution waned. The Missouri Botanical Garden kept the land, and over the next fifty years, amounting eventually to the 2,444 acre (9.89&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) parcel currently known as [[Shaw Nature Reserve]].