Civil Municipal Magazine Aug 2023

225 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 8 TROY, MO. “the Gateway to the West,” as St. Louis was then known. According to The Kansas City Star, some folks believe the county seat of Lincoln County was named for Troy, N.Y., whilst others favor the notion that Troy, Vt., is its namesake. Whatever the case, it’s a charming place, as Julie Rodgers and Ron Sconce recently told us. Rodgers is Lincoln County’s economic development director, and Sconce is the mayor of Troy. What makes Troy so special? Well, let them show you. “We are an exploding small town,” says Sconce, “on the verge of being a not-so-small town. We’re the biggest town in Lincoln County by far, and per capita, we’re the fastest-growing community anywhere in the state, I believe.” He cites statistics from the United States Census Bureau, which show that Troy has grown by some 3,500 people within the last 10 years. The mayor further calls his city a great place to live that is still intimately connected with agricultural endeavors and remains very rural. Yet it nevertheless attracts many amenities, such as would be seen in more urban areas. Sconce says Troy offers a quick commute to countless jobs and major attractions, but it retains all the advantages of country living as well. “People are starting to look at this area,” he says, citing economic development and commercial and retail growth. A prime spot With its location on US-61, Troy enjoys an inestimable logistical advantage, as Sconce points out. This, he says, is the major north- south road for Missouri. A significant American highway, it stretches some 1,400 miles between New Orléans and the city of Wyoming, Minn. “The traffic flow on that highway has grown tremendously over the last 10 to 15 years,” Sconce observes. Then there’s Hwy 47, for which Troy is a