In 1859, when a man by the name of John Wood anticipated the extension of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, the settlement became known for a short time as Scioto, named after the town of Scioto, Ohio, where many of the town's early settlers originated.

She was a descendant of Thomas James, a Chillicothe banker who founded the Maramec Iron Works.

[9] The Maramec Iron Works District, St. James Chapel, and Verkamp Shelter are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tacony Corporation manufactures Simplicity and Riccar vacuum cleaners in St. James.

The Meramec River, a clear calm Ozark stream, flows through the park providing excellent fishing.

A daily entry fee is required to enter the park from mid-February through October.

Maramec Spring Park is privately owned and operated by The James Foundation.

The Guide closed in 2018 and the Daily News was merged into the Phelps County Focus in 2021.