Springfield-Greene
County Library
See Mill Creek. (--Place Names.)
Barrent (Carter and Ripley)
A post-office, established during the 1880's, in the home of Louis Hedrick in Kelly Township, in Carter Co. After the death of Mr. Hedrick in 1908, it was moved into various homes near Big Barren Creek, when came its name, until Mr. Lewis (cf. Lewis Cave) took it into his home, where it remained until the rural route was established in 1933. (--Place Names).Big Spring
It is about 5 miles south of Van Buren, the gem of nature in Big Spring State Park. It is one of the largest springs in the world, estimated by the U. S. Government as having a daily flow of 350,000,000 gallons...BrameThe park, containing about 5,000 acres, has been considerably improved (much of the work was done by the C. C. C.), but by adding roads and some buildings, this work of man has destroyed much of nature's beauty. (--Place Names).
A post-office in the Brame Settlement, (q.v.). (--Place Names).Brame Settlement
In the northeast part of Carter Township, Peter Brame, the informant's grandfather, who came from North Carolina, was the first pioneer to settle near the head-waters of Carter Creek. The cemetery, four and one-half miles northeast of Van Buren, is one of the oldest in the county. Brame Post-Office, which continued only a few years was established at Team Camp, (q.v.) in this settlement in 1906. It was kept by Allen Sawazea in his store. (--Place Names).Busick Spring
See Dresser Spring. (--Place Names).
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Busick SpurOn the Frisco R. R., a switch where the government railroad from Midco connected with the main line. (See Midco). Named for the attorney E. H. Busick, now of Kansas City, who was the attorney and manager of the plant at Midco. (--Place Names).Camp Four
In Kelly Hollow, (q.v.). Cf. Camp Five in Oregon County. (--Place Names).Camp Three
See Manilla Camp. (--Place Names).Carter
See Carter Station. (--Place Names).Carter County
It was formed from parts of Ripley, Shannon, and Wayne Counties on March 10, 1859. Named for the first settler, Zimri Carter. (See Carter Creek.) (--Place Names).Carter Creek
Heads in northeast Carter Township. Flows into Current River south of Van Buren. Zimri A. Carter came from South Carolina in 1812 and settled in the lower part of the valley. He was a model farmer and the wealthiest man in the county in 1859. He had brought a family of Negroes. The old homestead was at the foot of Carter Mountain, east of Van Buren. Both stream and mountain took his name. Houck gives the date as 1820. Douglas gives the date as 1812. (--Place Names).Carter's Creek
(Later shortened to Carter Creek, q.v.) (--Place Names).Carter's Creek Camp
In the Brame Settlement, (q.v.). See Team Camp in Carter Township. (--Place Names).
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Carter StationIn northeast Jackson Township. The terminus of a narrow gauge road, built by the Missouri Southern R. R. Company, from Leeper in Wayne County, about 1890. Often known as Carter or Carterville. There was quite a settlement of the Carter family in the vicinity. William and John Carter, grandsons of Benjamin Carter who had come from South Carolina in 1820, owned land here and was prominent in the timber business. (--Place Names).Carter Township
One of the three divisions in 1873. It included all of the west half of the county. Pike Township (q.v.) was cut off from it about 1892. Now the north central part of the county. Doubtless named for the creek. (--Place Names).Carterville
See Carter Station. (--Place Names).Cates(Not to be confused with Carterville of Jasper County.)
Jesse Cates, a Civil War veteran, justice of the peace, and president of the school board, who died about 1908, had a small country store, in the northeast part of Jackson Township. He got a post-office established and brought the mail from Mill Creek in Wayne County. "I do not find the office listed in the guides, but the informants say it was kept only two or three years." --Cora Pottenger.Cave Spring(--Place Names).
A small cave from which a good spring flows about 4 miles west of Hunter. A small camp is arranged with cabins. Since it is easily accessible from Highway 60, numbers of toursists attracted by the sign on the highway stop over for a short rest. The tourist camp is known as Cave Camp. (--Place Names).Cave Camp
See Cave Spring. (--Place Names).Cave Creek
A small picturesque stream leading from Cave Spring (q.v.) into Current River at Van Buren. (--Place Names).
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Cave SpringAnother Cave Spring on Highway 60, about 2 miles west of Van Buren. It is a small cave from which comes very fine, cold spring water. It has been a favorite picknicking place for years. (--Place Names).Chicopee
At the southeast edge of Van Buren, on Highway 103. It was named in 1888 for the town in Massachusetts. (--General Highway Map of Carter County; Our Storehouse of Missouri Place Names, Ramsay, p. 26.)ChiltonIt is located at Section 25, Township 27 N, Range 1 E. (--General Highway Map of Carter County, issued by The Missouri State Highway Department, 4-1-69. Unless otherwise noted, all map descriptions are from this map.)
Chicopee is the railroad station on the Current River Branch of the Frisco R. R. Because of the exorbitant price asked for the right-of-way through Van Buren, the road was built around the town, and the station was established 1 mile south. The post-office was there for a time. Now by growth the two are as one. On June 14, 1888, the town was laid out by the president of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis R. R. Company, George H. Nettleton and his wife Julia A. Nettleton of Kansas City. It was named for Mr. Nettleton's birth place, Chicopee, Mass. Chicopee is the name of a river, falls, and city in Hampden County, Mass. According to Gannett, it is an Indian word meaning "Cedar Tree", or "birch-bark place". (--Place Names).
A small village and post-office in Kelly Township, on the Current River R. R., on the east side of Current River. Laid out Dec. 31, 1887, by George H. Nettleton and his wife, Julia, (See Chicopee) on land purchased from James Brown. Named for the Chiltons across the river, and for James Chilton, an early settler near Chilton. During the timber days of 1890, the village had as many as 500 persons; now only a store, post-office, and a few homes. (--Place Names).It was located at Section 2, Township 26 N, Range 1 E, at the southern end of an unmarked road leading south from Highway T, which in turn connects with Highway 21.
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Chilton's MillJohn and Mark Chilton, from Ray County, Tennessee, entered 160 acres of land on the west side of Current River, about 1 mile northwest of Chilton, (q.v.). In 1828 or 1829 they set up a grist and saw mill near the mouth of the creek that bears their name. The mill, now in ruins, has not been used for thirty years or more. (--Place Names).Chilton's Mill
Another mill of this name, owned by Thomas Chilton for a number of years. See Mill Creek. Cf. with Chilton's Mill near Chilton, (q.v.). (--Place Names).Chinese Mountain
A hill, probably 200 feet high, west of Van Buren, which got its name when the survey was being made for the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Memphis R. R. Contention grew up between Mr. Alec Carter and Mr. Horton, the chief engineer; Carter, believing the hill to be impassable and doubtless having in mind the Great Wall of China, exclaimed, "That's a Chinese Mountain." The engineer, with an oath answered that he would blow the top off of it. The blasting was begun on the top of the hill in 1887, and the road bed was made more economically than if the Carter land had been bought at the exorbitant price asked and the road built around the hill. The steep bluff thus made beside the railroad is now called the Chinese Wall. (--Place Names).Chinese Wall
See Chinese Mountain. (--Place Names).Clark's Mill
Noah Clark and his son, John W. Clark, owned and operated the old mill on Mill Creek, (q.v.), for a good many years, getting possession of it several years after the close of the Civil War. (--Place Names).Clear Springs School
Formerly Henpeck School, (q.v.). John L. Smith, a teacher who did not like the old name, was influential in getting the name changed in 1893 for the clear, sparkling springs near by. (--Place Names).
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Club HouseA "flag" * railroad station, 1 miles south of Chilton, on the Current River R. R. About 1890, a group of Kansas City business men, chiefly railroad officials, erected a club house near by on a high bluff. It is an unusually good, well improved building where twenty persons can be accommodated. Earlier known as Kansas Club House, the building now owned mainly by St. Louis people is just a club house. (--Place Names).Coleman's Failure*Stops on signal.
A mocking name given to Coleman's Ferry, (q.v.). (--Place Names).Coleman's Ferry
In 1915 Robert L. Coleman put in a ferry at Joan, (q.v.). After operation for about three years, rafting logs down Current River, the barge was wrecked in a log jam. Good natured joking called the place Coleman's Failure, which name has remained. (--Place Names).Colemansville
A mill village in North Jackson Township. William Coleman had a grist and small saw mill here before the Civil War. Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, (1874) names it a post-office 13 miles northeast of Van Buren. Crane's Map, (1879) and Rand, McNally's Map (1884) spell it Colemanville. (--Place Names).ColemanvilleApparently it was in Section 3, Township 27 N, Range 2 E. (--General Highway Map of Carter Co., with the aid of Map No. 31, of New Atlas of Missouri, Campbell, 1874.)
See Colemansville. (--Place Names).Copper Mine Creek
A small stream in Johnson Township, heading in a good living spring, Copper Mine Spring, north of Hunter, (q.v.), and leading into Current River southeast of Chilton. A few early settlers attempted to open up a copper mine here but the ore was not sufficiently good to be profitable. Mrs. Wallace says that in 1873 there was a small smelter there, apparently quite old and out of use at that time. (--Place Names).
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Copper MinesA railroad station on the Current River R. R., north of Chilton.Copper Mine SpringSee Copper Mine Creek. (--Place Names).
See Copper Mine Creek. (--Place Names).Crites
A post-office, established before 1889, in the home of Mrs. Matilda Crites, widow of Solomon Crites (see Crites Creek), 3 miles west of the site of Elsinore. The mail was brought by horse from Mill Spring in Wayne Co., and from Grandin (q.v.). Discontinued when Elsinore (q.v.) was established. (--Place Names).Crites CornerApparently it was in Section 2, Township 26 N, Range 2 E, at the junction of Highways 21 & O.
On Highway 60, 5 miles west of Elsinore (q.v.). In 1927 Donald Crites put up a store here on his farm. He has a large building for the general store, and serves meals to tourists. The road to Elsinore meets Highway 60 here, thus making a corner on which the store is built. There are two filling stations and four homes. (--Place Names).Crites Creek
A small branch of Little Brushy Creek in Jackson Township. Solomon Crites, a farmer from Bollinger County, Missouri, entered land here before the Civil War. He was killed by a band of bushwhackers during the Civil War. It is also known as Boyer Creek, for Thomas Boyer who is a farmer there now. (--Place Names).Crommer Town
During the early 1870's, William Crommer operated a large saw mill in the vicinity of Union Hill Church, (q.v.). (--Place Names).
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CummingsA switch for loading timber, on the Frisco R. R., 6 miles west of Van Buren. During the timber days, it was a little saw mill village with some other business houses. Nothing now left. Named for John S. Cummings, of Pennsylvania, a member and one of the directors of the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co., of Grandin. (--Place Names).Apparently Cummings was located at Section 25, Township 27 N, Range 2 W, on the Current River Branch of the Frisco R. R., east of Fremont. (--Map of Western States, 1911, Rand, McNally & Co., with the aid of the General Highway Map of Carter County.)
Current River (Carter and Ripley Counties)
This stream, considered by many persons the most beautiful one of the Ozarks, has its headwaters in two branches, one of which is Jacks Fork, rising in Texas County, the other and main stream heads in Dent County. These two unite in Shannon County, and the stream flows through Carter and Ripley Counties, and into Arkansas, where it unites with Big Black River at Pocahontas, Arkansas. Schoolcraft remarks of it in his Tour into Missouri, p. 85..."A noble stream 1000 feet wide at the Ferry Hicks or Hix's...originated in springs in the Missouri barrens 250 miles west."McCanse explains that the stream flows from huge springs in Montauk State Park. Various spellings have been found for the name. Schoolcraft on p. 59 of the above mentioned book, spells it Current's, but in later pages the apostrophe is dropped. On maps of 1822, 1922 (sic), 1842 the spelling is "Current." Beck spells it "Currents."
Various persons have been given as the donor of the name. Goodspeed says that John Shaw, who came to this stream in 1808, called it "Current" for the swiftness. Mr. Hinchey mentions this statement, but he says the first name, Swift Water, was given by the Indians; but I (Miss Pottneger) have found no definite proof of this, nor a trace of the Indian name. Mr. Dorrnace explains that after the Red Men, the French name of the stream was La Riviere Courante; after them, the Spanish, Rio Corrente; then the English Current River. Evidently the original Indian name, which is apparently lost, signified "Swift Water"; the French translated this adequately as La Riviere Courante, since the French adjective "Courante" means "running or rapid". The present name Current River is rather an anglicization of the French than a translation. (--Place Names).
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Current River LodgeSee Mount Jefferson. (--Place Names).Dildine Gin
As early as 1865, a Mr. Dildine operated a small cotton gin and grist mill near the headwaters of Beaver Dam Creek on the old Doniphan and Greenville Road. The mill was run by horse tread. (--Place Names).Dresser Spring
A large spring at the Midco (q.v.) ruins. Long before the Civil War, a Mr. Dresser had a water grist mill here. Later known as Peck Spring for the brothers: George, Seth, Frank, and Albert Peck, of Geneva, Illinois, who early in 1900 bought from the Missouri Land and Lumber Co., 23,000 acres of land (now a part of the Fristoe unit) for a ranch which was never developed to any extent. Later known as Busick Spring for E. H. Busick, attorney of Kansas City, who was the manager of the Midco Plant. Now known as Midco Spring for the Midco plant and village. (--Place Names).Eastwood
A discontinued post-office and village in northeast Kelly Township. About 1905, William W. G. Helm bought 150,000 acres of cut-over timberland in the county. He and H. H. Eastwood formed a company for the purpose of "colonizing the section." The town was laid off August 23, 1910, by Edna T. Helm and William W. G. Helm, and named for H. H. Eastwood. The village grew to a population of about 300, but now there is only a store and filling station with a few small homes. After some speculation they sold to the Munger Land Co., of Kansas City in 1913. See Oak Lodge. (--Place Names).Eastwood was located at Section 26, Township 26 N, Range 1 W, on Highways C & F.
Ellsinore (also spelled Elsinore)
A small town in northeast Johnson Township, on the Frisco R. R., laid out by Charles Herrin and Millie Herrin, his wife, on their farm, February 21, 1899. It has had a post-office since 1890.Informants differ as to the origin of the name. One (Mr. Hinchey) believes it was named by the civil engineer of the railroads, Major Brooks, for the town of Elsinore in Denmark, the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet. This is a plausible explanation for there are several American Elsinores, evidently named by Shakespeare lovers. Another (Rev. W. H. Stratton) maintains that it was named for Elsie and Nora Pace, daughters of Joseph Pace, who lived nearby, and, according to Judge Deem, taught school there. This method of coining a name by compounding two or more is also very common in Missouri. It is possible that both explanations are correct; some one like the village school teacher might well have noticed that when the girl's names were put together they happened to form the place-name made famous by Shakespeare. A double origin of this sort would be an example of the process known as "contamination". Still a third view, held by Mr. Smith and Mr. Chilton, is that the place took its name from the daughter of Louis Houck, who presumably bore the name of Elsinore; but confirmatory details are lacking. None of these explanations account for the original spelling of the name with a double "L" -- an orthography preserved by the railroad station, although the postal authorities have corrected it to Elsinore. The precise source must remain uncertain until more facts can be obtained. (--Place Names).
It is located at Sections 4 & 5, Township 26 N, Range 3 E, on Highways A, V, N, DD, & 60.
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ElsinoreSee Ellsinore. (--Place Names). Elm BranchFlowing SpringsA south tributary of Big Brush Creek in Jackson Township named for the timber growing abundantly there. In the valley was located Elm Branch Camp, one of the team camps of the Grandin Mills, and Elm Branch School, both adopting the name of the spring. (--Place Names).Elm Branch CampSee Elm Branch. (--Place Names).EvansSee Owl Roost Mill. (--Place Names).[11]
See Twin Springs on Galbraith Farm. (--Place Names).Fool Catch Camp
One of the logging camps in Fool Catch Hollow. (--Place Names).Fool Catch Hollow
A long, very crooked valley, southeast of Fremont leading into Big Barren Creek. There are two prongs that converge in such manner that a person, in going down the one prong, is unaware that he follows the second, and instead of arriving at Big Barren as he intended, he comes to the head of the second prong. Sometimes called Devil's Horn Hollow, with the same implication. (--Place Names).Forrest City
A town on paper only, for Section 19, in Jackson Township. On June 30, 1887, E. F. Willis of Zanesville, Muskingum Co., Ohio, appeared before the notary Norris C. Harlow of the above named place and laid out the town of 2800 lots, and filed it with Carter Co., July 5, 1887. It was one of the many wild-cat schemes; some lots were sold but never even a cabin was erected. The source of the name is unrecorded. (--Place Names).Freeland
A discontinued post-office, one of the first established in the county, was kept in farm homes in the northeast part of Johnson Township. One postmaster, if not the first, was Andrew Patterson, settler on Cane Creek. The fact that the homestead act had recently been passed and there was here so much free land probably suggested the name. (--Place Names).Fremont
A town on Highway 60 and the Frisco R. R., in Pike Township. Formerly the place was known simultaneously by two names: Peggy (q.v.), the post-office and McDonald, (q.v.) the railroad station. In order to prevent confusion, soon after the Frisco acquired possession of the railroad, this name suggested by the local Frisco agent, E. E. Dinger, was accepted by both the U. S. Postal Department and the railroad officials. David Eaton explains in the Missouri Historical Review, that the name was given for the "Pathfinder", John C. Fremont (1813-1890), a son-in-law of Thomas H. Benton.
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"I, (Miss Pottenger) believe the following explanation gives the true origin, because my informant, Mr. Mills, is the son-in-law of the man concerned. Mr. Mills says that his father-in-law, a Jackie Freeman, who had come to this community from North Carolina in 1870, put in a saw mill here soon after the railroad was built to this place in 1887 and operated it for several years. There is a small mountain north of the town. The name, declares Mr. Mills, was formed by compounding the first syllable of Freeman's name with -mont for the topography. (--Mo. Hist. Rev., July 1916, 272, among other references.") (--Place Names).GalbraithFremont is located at Sections 3 & 4, Township 26 N, Range 2 W, on Highways 60, Y, & J.
See, A Directory of Towns, etc. of Polk County, where Fremont was responsible for the naming of Karlin, Mo.
See Mill Creek. (--Place Names).George's Mill
See Mill Creek. (--Place Names).Grandin
A small town in Johnson Township, on the Frisco R. R., and north prong of Little Black River. About 1885, the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co., established here one of the largest lumber mills in the state. The president, John B. White, was influential in getting the Kansas City Co. to extend the railroad to this place. The mill town grew until there was a population of over 2000 in the timber days. The fine timber lands were bought in many cases at $1.00 per acre. The town was laid out by the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co., on September 20, 1910, and named for the two main stock holders, E. B. Grandin and George Grandin, of Pennsylvania. (--Place Names).Grandin MillsGrandin is located at Sections 10 & 11, Twonship 25 N, Range 2 E, on Highways B, O, & 21.
In addition to their large mill at Grandin, the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co., had portable mills and camps in various places in the section. All of the mills were generally known as the Grandin Mills. See Grandin. (--Place Names).
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Grandin SwitchAlso known as Junction Switch. The crossing of the Grandin Lumber Co. logging road and the Houck R. R., 4 miles west of Ellsinore. Formerly there was a store there; now there is nothing but a timber and tie loading switch. (--Place Names).Ham Store
A small rural store and filling station on Highway 60, 3 miles northeast of Van Buren, established in April, 1935. (--Place Names).Hanna
A post-office near Elm Branch (q.v.), kept in the home of Joseph Hanna, about 1892 to 1896.Hen Peck
It was located at Section 25, Township 28 N, Range 2 W. (--General Highway Map of Carter County, with the aid of New Atlas of Missouri, 1874, Campbell, Map # 31.)Hen Peck Creek
It heads in Reynolds County, and flows into Current River, in the north part of Carter Township. Mr. Hinchey explains that there is a tradition that the stream acquired its name because in that community one of the wives was "boss". Mr. Chilton, whose ancestors lived in that part of the county, told the following story: "At Wood's Mill lived two families whose daughters were courted by the mill hands and by young men from the Sugar Creek neighborhood. The two young men from Sugar Creek, eventually successful in inducing the young ladies to marry them, were teased by their former rivals, who called them 'henpecked'. Thus Sugar Creek became 'Hen Peck Creek'". (--Place Names).Hill Top
The highest elevation along the Frisco R. R. between Ellsinore and Williamsville, about 1 1/2 miles east of Ellsinore. Also known as Hill Top Switch. When trains were heavily loaded during the timber days, it was necessary to divided the train at this place, take over one-half of the load and return for the remainder. (--Place Names).
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HollandThe first name for Fremont (q.v.). While the railroad was being built, reaching this place in 1887, James Holland operated a store and kept the post-office officially known as Peggy. (q.v.) Because there was already a Holland, Missouri, in Pemiscott Co., the name could not be given officially when the town was laid out, and the name McDonald (q.v.) was gien for the railroad station. (--Place Names).Homestead
A post-office and large farm in the southeast part of Johnson Township. In the late 1890's, W.S. Windsor from St. Louis, a building contractor, made a "homestead" for himself here: He bought 400 acres of land, built a good house, started a large orchard, and kept a small farm supply store at his home. A post-office was kept in the store for a short time. The farm now belongs to W. R. Brown. (--Place Names).Hoskins Store
Soon after the Civil War, Washington Hoskins established a general store near Carter Creek School and operated it for several years. See Hoskins Valley. (--Place Names).Hoskins Valley
Long before the Civil War, Washington Hoskins owned much land along the upper part of Carter Creek, which was known by this name. (--Place Names).Hunter
A small town on the Frisco R. R., in West Jackson Township. Established by George Nettleton, October 27, 1888. The town was laid out by the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co., May 8, 1891. The name was given for L. L. Hunter, the secretary of the corporation. (--Place Names).Hunter is located at Sections 20, 21, 28 & 29, Township 26 N, Range 2 E, on Highways 21 & E.
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JeromeA post-office named for Jerome F. Kintz, a lawyer and at one time prosecuting attorney of the county, who, while a teacher at Cross Roads School, had the post-office in his home southwest of Van Buren about 5 miles. (P.G., 1886-1888). (--Place Names).Joan SpurNote: This Jerome is not to be confused with the Phelps County town of the same name.
A timber center on the Frisco R. R., 1 mile north of Chilton, established and named by the railroad officials about 1915. The Dunn brothers operated a saw mill and Joe Graham bought ties. R. L. Coleman operated a ferry on Current River near for a time. The source of the name has not been ascertained. It looks like a girl's name. (--Place Names).Joplin Church
A defunct General Baptist Church, the site of which is known by the Joplin Graveyard, about 4 miles southwest of Ellsinore. It was organized as early as 1867, and took the name of a prominent member and landowner, A. G. Joplin, who had lived there for years, having settled there before the Civil War. (--Place Names).Joplin Store
Before the Civil War, A. G. Joplin kept a store in his farm home. They hauled the goods from Cape Girardeau. See Joplin Church. (--Place Names).The Junction
See Keeney Corner. (--Place Names).Junction Switch
See Grandin Switch. (--Place Names).June Switch
In Jackson Township, on the Frisco R. R. It looks like a girl's name; cf. Joan Spur. (--Place Names).
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Keeney CornerA grocery store, lunch room, and Conoco filling station in Jackson Township at the junction of Highways 21 & 34. It was established by Samuel Keeney about 1925. Now owned by Fred Darnell and James Howard of Ellsinore, but the name has not been changed except as it is occasionally known locally as The Junction. Operated by Ray Miller. (--Place Names).Kegville
On Highway 60 about halfway between Van Buren and Fremont. Named Midway, but generally known by its acquired name. About 1929 Mr. James Hedgepeth put in a small store here, and bought ties; so a sort of tie camp grew up. Whiskey was smuggled in and accordingly the owner was known as "Keg". Mr. and Mrs. J. Holland explain that all they had in the store for chairs were nail kegs. (--Place Names).Kelley Mill
A grist mill about 8 miles south of Chilton on Current River, operated by Charley Kelley before the Civil War. Soon after the Civil War Harry Johnson bought it and put in a saw mill also. (--Place Names).Leach
A post-office established by Henry Hardin, 4 miles south of Ellsinore and named for his neighbor, James Leach, a farmer and landowner. The mail was carried by horse from Mill Springs in Wayne County. Discontinued when Ellsinore was established.Lee
Andrew Patterson kept the post-office in his home 1 mile northeast of the site of Grandin. He named it for Daniel Lee, a merchant of Doniphan. The mail was carried from Doniphan by this post-office to Van Buren. Discontinued when Grandin, (q.v.) was established. (--Place Names).Lost Cave
See Titanic Cave. (--Place Names).Lost Man's Cave
See Titanic Cave. (--Place Names).
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McDonaldThe earlier R. R. Station name for Fremont (q.v.) The east part was laid out by James and Peggy Snider, April 25, 1888; the remainder by George and Julia Nettleton (see Chicopee) July 10, 1888. Named for Dr. John McDonald who owned a farm and lived there. The name was given by officials of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis R. R., which was built to this place in 1887. (--Place Names).Manilla Camp
One of the camps, also known as Camp Three, of the Grandin timber industry, situated south of Grandin. Since it was established in the late 1890's, doubtless it was named for Manilla, * capital of the Phillipine Islands, and scene of military action during the Spanish-American War. (--Place Names). * (The correct spelling is Manila.)Midco
A village and post-office, of short, but vivid life that grew up about 2 miles north of Fremont near Peck Spring (q.v.) during the first World War. Shortly preceding the entrance of the United States into the war, a Kansas City company, known as the Mid Continent Iron Company was formed for the purpose of producing war supplies. In 1914, Midco Plant, abbreviated form of the company name, was erected and E. H. Busick was made manager. Charcoal, wood alcohol, and pig iron were produced. When if full blast, the plant used as much as 240 cords of four foot oak wood a day. Some local iron ore was used, but trainloads of Michigan ore were shipped in. A R. R. track was extended out to the plant and camps from Fremont, a large hotel was erected, and the population was thought to have reached nearly 3,000. The school soon grew to be a two-year high school, and ninety were enrolled in the first grade. Many investors became bankrupt. The government took control and invested large sums during the war. Little now remains but the old ruins and the tall chimney of the old smelter. The post-office, Midco, named for the plant, was established prior to 1918.MidwayMidco was located in Sections 22 & 27, Township 27 N, Range 2 W, at the end of Highway Y. A cemetery is shown at Section 26, while a building is shown in Section 22, which adjoins 26 on the north.
Additional help, Mrs. Eunice Pennington.
See Kegville. (--Place Names).
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Mill BranchMill Branc runs into north prong of Little Black River near Grandin. Before the Civil War John Nixon operated a grist mill here. (--Place Names).Marsh Mill
See Mill Creek. (--Place Names).Mill Creek
Mill Creek heads in Shannon County, and empties into Current River in Carter Township. Named for the water power grist and saw mill set up near its mouth about 1830 by John George. He sold to John Woods who operated it for many years. Thomas A. Galbraith bought it soon after the Civil War and made considerable improvements. After a number of years, Alvin Marsh of New York bought it. He discontinued the saw mill but improved the grist mill by putting in a turbine wheel. He sold to Daniel Frazier of Tennessee, who in turn sold it to James H. Russell from whom Noah Clark bought it. Later Thomas Chilton, and then James F. Baker owned it. Later Henry Gassaway operated it for a few years, when it was abandoned in the early 1890's, but it seems not to have taken his name. (--Place Names).Mill Creek
An old post-office at Wood's Mill, which see. Also see Mill Creek the stream from which it was doubtless named.Mill Creek Camp
This camp and store No. 5, of the Grandin Mills were located in the upper part of Mill Creek Valley in Pike Township, about 1901. (--Place Names).Mill Spring Hollow
Mill Spring Hollow in Kelly Township leads into Big Barren Creek from the north. Soon after the Civil War, Walker Neal operated a grist mill at this spring. (--Place Names).Montag
A post-office 1911-1913 in the vicinity of Eastwood. Nothing could be ascertained about the source of the name. (--Place Names).
[19]
Norwood CityAnother paper town only; it was platted for a town about 8 miles southeast of Hunter by E. F. Willis, June 30, 1887. (Cf. Forrest City). Reasons for the proposed name have not been learned. Possibly, it was taken from the old Norwood Mill (q.v.) in the north part of the county, but no connection between the two has come to light. (--Place Names).Norwood Mill
A grist and lumber mill, set up about 1865, near Hen Peck Creek, (q.v.) The mill company was composed of Capt. A. D. Rose who had come from Fairview, Illinois, and a Mr. Thompson and a Mr. Hewlett. The source of the name has not been ascertained. (--Place Names).Oak City
A town only on paper. July 1, 1887, J. M. Bain and S. B. Bain and his wife of Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio, laid out 40 acres in Jackson Township near Crites Creek, and filed with Carter Co., July 12, 1888 when additions were made. Much oak timber grows there. (--Place Names).Oak Lodge
A lodge built about 1905 1 1/2 miles northeast of Eastwood (q.v.), by the Helm Eastwood Company. A sort of hotel with a capacity of twenty-five persons, and a large barn were built for the purpose of accommodating persons who came to look for lands and home sites, advertised by the company. It was situated in a large grove of oak trees northeast of Eastwood in Kelly Township. The building burned in 1930.Old Van Buren
See Van Buren. (--Place Names).Orchard
See Orchard Switch. (--Place Names).Oxstock Hollow
Oxstock Hollow leads into Hen Peck Creek, near Norwood Hollow Camp (q.v.) Jacob Angle, living here, set up a blacksmith shop for the purpose chiefly of shoeing the oxen that were used in the logging business here. Stocks were built for fastening the oxen while they were being shod. (--Place Names).
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Orchard SwitchA switch near Hill Top, established on the Houck R. R. (now Frisco R. R.) for loading timber. Named for the fine orchard near, started by L. Benton Henson. Later Jack Mauck owned the farm and increased the apple orchard to 100 acres in the later 1880's. The post-office here, named Orchard, from the switch, existed only a short time. (--Place Names).Owl Roost Mill
A humorous descriptive name for the saw mill operated by a Mr. Evans and a Mr. Russell of Mill Spring, Wayne County. It was set up 4 miles north of Ellsinore about 1895. The post-office established here was named Evans for Mr. Evans. (--Place Names).Phillips Mill
See Phillips Springs. (--Place Names).Phillips Springs
Phillips Springs in Kelly Township, near the Ripley Co. line, 1/2 mile from Current River, in Hall Hollow. Henry Phillips, a farmer and landowner, lived here and operated a grist mill soon after the Civil War. He was captain of the Ku Klux Klan. Now owned by Henry Grubb, and sometimes called by his name. (--Place Names).Pike
A post-office kept in various homes along Pike Creek. An 1860 map shows it near a region where lead was found; an 1865 map gives the name. It was kept for a time by Mrs. Abigail Barnes in her home two miles north of Fremont, and was moved to Fremont about 1890. No doubt it was named for the stream. (--Place Names).Pike Creek
Pike Creek heads in Shannon County. Flows east into Current River near Van Buren. Earlier known as Davis Creek. It is shown as Davis Fork on an 1850 map, Davis Creek on 1855, and Pike Creek in 1865 and later. One story is told that long before the Civil War some people who were traveling through caught some Pike fish in the stream and this name struck the settlers. Mr. Kelly suggests the following fact as a possible reason: In the May of 1859 or 1860, Rance and William Kelly went to Pike's Peak in an ox-wagon, but came back in the fall nearly starved; thus called pikers for two reasons. Another explains that some of the indolent settlers spent most of their time shooting the pike fish, and were called pikers from which the stream gradually took its name. These conjectures are obviously mere guesses...It seems quite clear that there were Pike fish in the stream, which is most likely the reason for the change of name. (--Place Names).
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Poca Hollow (also Poka Hollow)
Immediately after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, a lone explorer who was a relative of Thomas Jefferson, came into the Ozark region on a mission to mingle with the Indians. This man was Pocahontas Randolph, named after the Indian princess to whom he was related. He did not settle in Carter County but he was here and recorded that he found "an underground river" near the south bank of Current River, that was flowing from beneath a huge mountain. This was, of course, Big Spring.Russell MillFor three years he sojourned in these hills living among the Indians. During his exploring he became fascinated with the area that is now the present site of Pocahontas, Arkansas.
He returned to Kentucky to find that his good wife had died during his long absence. His older sons were married. He brought these sons, their wives and his younger children back to the Ozarks.
They settled at Pocahontas, Arkansas and in a few years more of his relatives and many of his old neighbors came there. The town and county were both named after "Poka", as his friends called him. One of his sons, Bert, came back to Missouri and settled in Reynolds County. Other Randolph relatives joined Bert. They were all bear hunters. They made many trips across Carter County to hunt and visit in the Randolph settlements. Sometimes they went down river by boat, but returned overland to bear-hunt. Some of their old camps were on the banks of Current River. One of the old trails that they and many other frontiersmen followed was about the same as the one later to become known as the Bellview and Pocahontas road. It left Pike Creek in a southern direction at Poca Hollow. Randolph served as a guide and broke off the east-west route to go south. That hollow was called "Poka's Hollow". (--History of Carter County, Pennington. Used by courtesy of Mrs. Eunice Pennington.)
See Mill Creek. (--Place Names).Seed Tick Camp
A camp for the Grandin Mills, south of Fremont. A humorous epithet. (--Place Names).
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ShortA "flag" station * on the Frisco R. R. The road workers' camp was there in 1887. Named for William Short, a farmer who owned the place. (--Place Names).Sisco
A settlement in northeast Jackson Township. One of the family was a justice of the peace and had the post-office for a short time. It is shown on the map of 1907. (--Place Names).South Van Buren
It is located at Sections 25, 26, Township 27 N, Range 1 E.Sugar Creek
See Hen Peck Creek. (--Place Names).Sunnyside
The north addition to Van Buren. Platted by Thomas C. Brown, October 10, 1887. This residential section is on a slope of the hill getting the full benefit of the sun. (--Place Names).Taber Mill
A Mr. Taber set up and operated a timber mill on Big Barren Creek about 1889. The school near by took the name of the mill. (--Place Names).Team Camp
Another name by which Carter's Creek Camp (q.v.) in the Brame Settlement was often known. (--Place Names).Team Camp
One of the logging camps for the Missouri Land and Lumber Co. in Pike Township on Rogers Creek. Mules were kept here for the work. Another such camp was in the Brame Settlement, (q.v.) known also as Carter's Creek Camp, for the streams near by. (--Place Names).
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Titanic CaveA large cave, named for its size, near Cave Camp (q.v.), the entrance of which is upon a hill, not easily found by one unacquainted with the vicinity. One enters the cave by a ladder. Hence it is also known as Lost Cave and Lost Man's Cave. (--Place Names).Van Buren
Van Buren is situated on Highway 60, the Frisco R. R., and Current River. Formerly it was one mile from the river. It is in the north central part of Carter Township. It was established in 1830 and had been the county seat of Ripley County until Carter County was established in 1859, when Doniphan (q.v.)* took its place in Ripley County. It was named for Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) who was at that time Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson, but was already a recognized leader of the Democratic Party and became President (1837-1841). The first settlement apparently on Current River on the west side was later known as Old Van Buren. When the county was formed, Zimri Carter sold 59 acres for a town site. In 1867, the courthouse, only recently replaced by a new building was erected; and the old log court house built in 1833, was abandoned. (--Place Names).Watermelon FordVan Buren is located at Sections 24, 25, & 26, Township 27 N, Range 1 W, on Highways 60, 103, M & D.
Doniphan will be described in the Directory of Ripley County to be issued later.
In pioneer days this was a good ford about 7 miles north of Van Buren. In the spring of 1819 Isaac Kelly's brother who had settled near the present site of Current View went to visit the Kelley and Chilton settlers in Carter Co. At this sandy ford he scattered some water melon seeds. When he returned in the late summer excellent melons were growing there. Apparently this ford is House's Ford--but the name has stuck through all these years, for it is mentioned in Missouri, A Guide to the "Show Me" State. (--Missouri, A Guide). (--Place Names).White's Mill
A portable sawmill set up on Big Brushy Creek, 4 miles north of Ellsinore about 1878. It was the first mill established in the county for the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co. Named for their president, J. B. White. (--Place Names).Wood's Mill
See Mill Creek. (--Place Names).
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WoodvilleSee Kelley Fork. (--Place Names).Norwood Hollow
It is north of Van Buren. It leads into Hen Peck Creek. Named for the mill. Also called Possum Hollow, for the great number of opossums found there. (--Place Names).Possum Hollow
See Norwood Hollow. (--Place Names).
Poca Hollow (Additional)
The old Bellview road, the early pioneer thorougfare from Ironton, Mo., the nearest R. R. station, to Pocahontas, Ark., the head of navigation at that time on Black River, follows this valley. Hence the abbreviated form of Pocahontas. Poca Hollow Camp, one of the Grandin Mill camps was here for a time. (--Place Names).