The town was a Mississippian Indian Settlement along the Meramec River as early as the mid-eighteenth century, until it was settled by French and German immigrant farmers in the 1760s. The town over time was known as Nasby, Suphur Springs, Quinette, Meramec, and then Valley Park around 1890. It was one of the first Post Offices in St. Louis County. It also became a railroad hub for the MO Pacific and St. Louis-San Francisco rail lines. In 1894, the town became the site of the first Lynching in St. Louis County. A black man named John Buckner was lynched when accused of raping a local black woman and white teenager. He was taken from the authorities by several local residents and farmers and hung from the main bridge in town overlooking the Meramec River. The lynchers were never apprehended. In 1909, the town became incorporated. As many as 70 trains passed through Valley Park on any given day. The town became a center for industry until the great flood of 1915, when the main bridge was destroyed, as were the huge factories along the river. The town never recovered. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Park%2C_Missouri