Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCompiled by Arthur Paul Moser
[I]
Between the admission of Missouri into the Union, and the creation of Stone County, this Stone County area had been included in the Counties of Wayne, Crawford, (created in 1829), Greene (created in 1833) and Taney, (created in 1837).
Taney County then included most of its present limits, parts of the present County of Christian and all of the present limits of Stone County. Forsyth was its County Seat.
Due to its size, a portion of its area was severed in 1851 to become Stone County.
The 16th General Assembly of Missouri, convened on December 30, 1850. By its Act of February 10, 1851, Stone County was created and was named "in honor of William Stone, late of Taney County, Missouri." (--The White River Valley Historical Society Quarterly, Fall, 1964, pp. 6 & 7. Charles Henson wrote this article, and cited the laws of Mo. 1851, 186-8, to support his statement.
Stone County is said to have received its first pioneer as early as 1790. He located among the Delawares, who were the original inhabitants. In 1833 Tennessee and Kentucky sent their sons into the wilderness to open up the country near the confluence of the James and White Rivers. (--A Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region, 1894, p. 31.)
The first white man in Stone County was Joseph Philabert*, a fur trapper. There is a cemetery named for him, near the Shepherd of the Hills Estate. (--Mrs. Porter Lucas, Crane, Mo.)
*Other spellings of this name: Philibert; Filabert. (--Miss Roblee, Springfield & Greene County Public Libraries.)
[II]
The old Ozark to Galena horse-back mail route went past these places:
Dutch Store, in Christian County not far from the present site of Highlandville; Gilmore Mill, Robertson's Mill, Sinclair Post-Office, Wheeler Branch, later Oto, then Galena.
The Sinclair post-office was located across James River from the arch on the John Inmon farm. Present day Hootentown is not far away from the site. (--Stone County Newspapers Centennial Edition, May 1951.)
Note:
Gilmore Mill and Sinclair Post-Office could not be located in the earliest lists of post-offices available in the Reference Department of the Public Library.
The earliest list available is in Missouri Manuals. Also, Gazetteer of Missouri, of 1874 does not list these post-offices.
[III]
The following post-offices are listed, but could not be located on existing maps:
Goff's Creek
This post-office was nine miles northeast of Galena.
High Camp
This post-office was seven miles southeast of Galena. (--Gazetteer of Missouri, Campbell, 1874, p. 611.)
The following post-offices are listed on various maps. No other information could be found:
Dorcas
This post-office was in the southeast corner of the county, northeast of Blue Eye.
Earl
This post-office was in the southwest corner of the county, northeast of Carr.
Roark
This small town was southeast of Reed's Spring, on the Missouri-Pacific Railroad. (--Rand, McNally Commercial Map of Missouri, 1924.)
Divide
This post-office was southwest of Jamesville. (--Rand, McNally Commercial Map of Missouri, 1894.)
Redington
View
The above listed post-offices are listed on page 60 of Missouri Manual, 1913-1914. (--"Samanthy said so." Regarding all of the above.)
Marvel Cave (Once known as Marble Cave)
This spot is now known as Silver Dollar City. (--Rand, McNally Commercial Map of Missouri, 1924.)
[IV]
The White River Railway Company
The White River Railway was incorporated under the general railroad laws of Arkansas, February 8, 1901. The company was organized and its capital stock owned by the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway, which company purchased the property franchises by deed dated Jan. 31, 1903. The money involved in the purchase of this line and its construction was provided for by the sale of bonds.
The Springfield subdivision from Springfield to Crane was originally constructed as the Springfield Southwestern Railway Company. This company was organized in 1903 by George J. Gould and associates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway. The line was completed from Crane, Missouri to Gulf Street in Springfield on April 20, 1907, and was extended 1.5 miles to its present end of track in Springfield in July 1909. The Springfield Southwestern was later acquired by the Iron Mountain and with the Iron Mountain merged in 1917 into the present Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. (--The above information was furnished by the Public Relations Department, Missouri Pacific Railroad, 210 N. 13th St., St. Louis, Mo., 63103.