Incorporated in 1869, the City of De Soto is a city with a population of 6,375 and is located in the southeastern part of Missouri, approximately 45 miles south of St. Louis. De Soto is in Jefferson County, which is one of the fastest growing counties in Missouri. De Soto was part of the Louisiana Territory and was transferred from France to Spain and back to France again and in 1803 was sold to the United States. During that same year, Isaac Van Metre came to the place that was later named De Soto and erected a cabin. A marker now stands to commemorate the first log cabin built in De Soto. In 1859, the St. Louis Iron Mountain Railroad built a Depot. Later named the Missouri Pacific Railroad, it established a major rail car repair facility in De Soto. The city is known as "Fountain City" because of the numerous artesian wells. Water from these wells and springs was bottled and shipped by tank car to the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis.