The two names, St. Joe and Bonne Terre, were used interchangeably for a number of years to designate this town. During the early mining done at this place, the name "bonne terre" was given by the miners to the mine, owing to the fact that a great deal of lead ore was found in small particles through the clay near the surface of the ground, and these deposits, from which the mineral was obtained by carting the earth to the creek and washing out the clay, was called "bonne terre", meaning "good earth", to distinguish them from the poor clay adjacent. The name attached itself to the "diggings", and in course of time a postoffice was established in the vicinity to which the same name was given.

News of the successful operations of these mines spread and in 1864 a company was formed in New York to purchase them. This was the beginning of the St. Joseph Lead Company and its original purchase was nine hundred forty-six acres of land from Anthony LaGrave. This Company carried on the industry of mining on a much larger scale. So part of the young town for a number of years was known as St. Joe.

Bonne Terre was surveyed in 1880, the land then being owned by Marshall Rongey and Malinder Rongey, his wife. There were only a few blocks at this time and the town ran in a northeast, southwest direction. In the years 1883 and 1885, Bonne Terre together with the Lead Company's works was largely destroyed by fire. Due to the intensive lead mining industry, Bonne Terre grew to a population of five thousand and it became unique because it remained unincorporated and the Lead Company kept the business of the town in their own hands. However, today Bonne Terre is an incorporated town with a population of 4021. Lots were leased over a period of time instead of being sold. Bonne Terre had wide streets and a distinctive type of architecture. Bonne Terre is the only town in the county to have the commission form of government.

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