A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets
Past and Present
of Gasconade County, Missouri

Compiled by Arthur Paul Moser


[6]

Morrison (elevation 525 feet)

Morrison is situated on the Mo. Pac. R. R., in the northwest corner of the county. The first settlers in the vicinity of whom anything can be learned were Fischer, Shope, Nundle and Morrison, the later of whom bought out the other three in 1857 or 1858. A Mr. Messenbach built the first house in Morrison. He was a wagon maker. Mr. Morrison put up a small store in 1858, and moved the railroad station up from Dresden a short distance below. . .The first blacksmith was Charles Roos...who commenced here in 1868, in which year Rautzahn & Morrison built a brewery. . .The first school building erected in Morrison was built in 1876, a one-story frame building costing about $800. (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., p. 682.)

Morrison, eleven miles west of Hermann had 1 saw mill, 1 brewery, 2 stores and 1 church (1874). (--Gazetteer Of Mo., p. 210.)

It is situated at Sec. 7, Twp. 45 N, R. 6 W on Highway 100 in the extreme northwest corner of the county.

Mount Sterling

Mount Sterling is a later name for Shockley's Bluff. In 1828 it was voted upon and made the permanent county seat. In1832 a small log courthouse, one story in height, was built on
a fifty acre and was donated to the county by Shockley and Isaac Perkins. This tract was laid out in town lots and became known as Mount Sterling. . .Mount Sterling remained the county seat until 1842, when by vote, it was changed to the town of Hermann...When the county seat was changed the county paid the residents of Mount Sterling, by way of damages on account of the removal of the county seat, $2,724, and they relinquished their rights to the fifty acre tract. (--Encyclopedia of the Hist. Of Mo., 1901, Conard, Vol.3, pp. 5, 6.)

Mount Sterling is situated at the western edge of the county at Sec. 19, Twp. 43 N, R. 6 W, at the junction of A & 50.

It is a rural branch of Bland Post Office. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

New Woolam

New Woolam is situated at Sec. 14, 15, 23, Tvp. 42 N, R. 6 W on Highway Y northwest of Owenville.

Oak Hill

Oak Hill was a post-office 33 miles east, southeast of Hermann. (--Gazetteer Of Mo., p. 210.)

There is an Oak Hill in Crawford County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

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Old Woolam

Old Voolam is situated at Sec. 12, Twp. 42 N, R. 6 W on Highway P north of Owenville.

Oldenburg

Oldenburg was situated on the Gasconade River just below the mouth of Sugar Camp Creek. It was laid out September 22, 1857, by David B. Schiefer. . .The town lay around the bend of the river in the form of a crescent and the streets conformed in a general way to the crescent form. The town was originally divided into four blocks: Block 1, having 32 lots; Block 2, 46 lots; Block 3, 46 lots, and Block 4, 47 lots. (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., 1888, p.688.)

Oldenburg is no longer listed.

Owensville (elevation 930 feet)

Owensville was laid out in the spring of 1886 by the Owensville Improvement Company. . .The company bought 280 acres of land, and the town plat comprises the northeast 1/4 of Sec. 32 and the southeast 1/4 of Sec. 29, Twp. 42 N, R. 5 W, and lies south of the survey of the St. Louis, Kansas City & Colorado Railway (now Mo. Pac.). . .the place was named after a Mr. Owens, the first settler here, who in partnership with E. Luster started the first store. A. W. Moore was the first druggist; Louis Kuhne, the first blacksmith, and E. Luster, the first grocery keeper; B. Leach warn the first postmaster. (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., p.687.)

It is situated at the Junction of 28, 19, Y & P.

There is an Owensville in Wright County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

Pace

Pace was between Hermann and Gasconade, on the Gasconade River. (--Map Of Mo., l925, Rand, McNally.)

[8]

Palestine

Palestine, an ancient town, by most forgotten and by many never known was located on part of the west half of the south-west quarter of Sec. 10, Twp. 42 N, R. 5 West. It was surveyed for Thomas Hibler, and contained forty lots each containing one-fourth of an acre...The town was laid out October 31, 1840, by Gideon P. Wyatt. The plat was filed November 2, l840, and received December 16, 1840 by Eli McJilton, Clerk (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., 1888, Goodspeed, pp.688, 689.)

Pershing

Pershing is situated at Sec. 8, Twp. 44 N, R. 6 W on Highway O, at the west edge of the county.

Mail via Morrison. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

Prior to World War I Pershing was known by the name of Potsdam. Following World War I the name was changed to Pershing, in 1921, in honor of Gen. John Joseph Pershing who commanded American. Troops in World War I. (--Our Storehouse Of Mo. Place Names, Ramsay, p.61.)

Potsdam

Potsdam was south of Fredericksburg. (--Map Of Mo., 1911, Rand, McNally.)

Potadam is an earlier name for Pershing (q. v.). The name was changed to Pershing following World War I in 1921. (--Our Storehouse Of Mo. Place Names, Ramsay, pp.61, 121.)

Red Bird

Red Bird is a small village in the southwest part of the county, twelve miles northwest of Cuba (Crawford Co.). The first settler in this vicinity was Isaiah Bowen, who came here and built a small log cabin, with a stick chimney in March, 1829. The first merchant was L. D. Viemann, who also kept the first grocery, and the first blacksmith was Charles Fort. The first postmaster was F.        H. Buschmann. The first school in the vicinity was kept by J.Smith, about 1852. J. E. Brown was the first to preach in this place, in the school house and in private houses. Rev. Mr. Brown was a Presbyterian. (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., pp.687, 688,)

The present location of Red Bird was first settled in about 1840, by James Miller, who opened up a small farm and started a tannery. . .In about 1874 Wellington Henderson bought the farm, and started a saw-mill, intending to add other improvements, but himself died in a short time, and the property fell into the hands of N. G. Clark, of Cuba, Mo., who erected a first-class grist-mill and added other improvements.

[9]

Red Bird

In 1883 Red Bird Post-Office was established, the name "Red Bird" being selected by E. R. Brown, because he thought it would be easy to spell and remember. (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., pp. 621, 622.)

It is situated at Sec. 22, 23, 26 & 27, Twp. 40 N, R. 6 W on Highway B north of Phelps Co. line.

Rosebud (elev. 880 feet)

Rosebud is situated at Sees. 17 & 18, Twp. 42 N, R. 4 W at the Junction of 28, 50 & T.

Shockley's Bluff

It is an earlier name for Mount Sterling. (--Encyclopedia of the Hist. of Mo., 1901, Conard, Vol. 3, p. 5.)

Stolpe

Stolpe was northeast of Fredericksburg. (--Map Of Mo., 1911.)

Stony Hill

Stony Hill is a small village situated about 5 miles southeast of Swiss. It was so named from the fact that the hill where the post-office was first established was covered over with many stones. The first settler in the vicinity was Hart McWilliams, about 1852, who built a small log cabin, 16x24 feet in size. The first frame house was built in 1858 by R. W. Miller. The first merchants were Koenneker & Karstedt, who started their store in November, 1865. The first blacksmith was G. Gumper, in 1874; and the first shoemaker was J. Woelfel in September, 1883. (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., p.685.)

It is situated on the eastern edge of the county at Sec. 21, Twp. 44 N, R. 4 W at the junction of E & H.

Mail via New Haven (Franklin County.). (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

Swiss

Swiss is a small village about ten miles south of Hermann. It is so named because the inhabitants are mostly from Switzerland. The first residence was built by H. F. Brinkman; it was a two-story frame 18x30 feet, and built in 1881. Mr. Brinkman was the first merchant; the first blacksmith was S. A. Schmidt and the first shoemaker Fred Schoeing, Sr. (--Hist Of Gasconade Co., p.684.)

It is situated at Sec. 15, Twp. 44 N, R. 5 W at the junction of 19, F & NN.

Mail via Hermann. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

[10]

Tea

Tea, the town with a very unusual name, is situated at Secs. 8 & 17, Twp. 41 N, R. 4 W on Highway I south of the Junction with N.

Mail via Rosebud. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

Woolam

Woolam was a post-office about six miles southwest of Drake (--Hist. Of Gasconade Co., p.685.)

It is 20 miles southwest of Hermann. (--Gazetteer Of Mo., p.210.)

Mail via Bland. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)

Also see New Woolam and New Woolam.


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