Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCompiled by Arthur Paul Moser
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Amity
Amity, a small village about six miles from Maysville on the C. R. I. & P. R. R., of which it is an outgrowth, is situated in a part of the southwest quarter of Sec. 1, Twp. 58 N, R. 32 W, and was laid out by G. Y. Crenshaw...It was called Amity from a church of the same name in the immediate neighborhood which has since been moved to the village...There are at this time--188-dry goods stores, one hotel, a blacksmith shop and a Congregational Church. The population in 1888 was about 200. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 482.)
It is situated at Sec. 6, Twp. 58 N, R. 31 W and Sec. 1, Twp. 58 N, R. 32 W, on Highway J south of 6. (--Gen. Highway Map of DeKalb Co., issued by The Missouri State Highway Dept. 12, 1, 62. Unless otherwise noted all map locations are from this map.)
See, also, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 1, p. 39.
Arica
Arica was eight miles southeast of Maysville, and had one steam grist and saw mill. (--Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, p. 192.)
It is no longer listed.
Boxford
Boxford was fifteen miles southwest of Maysville and had one store. (--Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, p. 192.)
It is no longer listed.
Bayfield
Bayfield was a post-office in 1905. (--General Scheme of Missouri, 1905, Taft, for the use of Railway Mail Clerks, p. 33.)
It was in the southwest corner of the county, near the C. R. I. & P. R. R. (--Evening in Wisconsin Edition Atlas, 1896, Rand, McNally, p. 48.)
It was situated at Sec. 3, Twp. 57 N, R. 33 W on an unmarked county road near Buchanan County line.
It is no longer listed.
Bucklin
Bucklin, another town existing upon a paper record only, was laid out, August, 1855, by Louis Morris and Blair H. Matthews. The site occupies the south half of the southeast quarter of Sec. 13, Twp. 57 N, R. 32 W, and contains 226 lots. No attempts were ever made toward improving the place, the plat having been vacated some years ago (from 1888.)
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Information taken from History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 482, 483.
Cameron (elevation 1025 feet)
Cameron, a city...in the northeastern part of Clinton County and extending into DeKalb County. (--Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 1, p. 476.)
It is situated on the Clinton County line, at Sec. 14 & 15, Twp. 57 N, R. 30 W, at the junction of 69 & 36.
See Clinton County for further details. This directory to be issued after December 1.
Clarksdale
The town of Clarksdale, consisting of sixteen blocks--eighty-nine lots--in Sec. 25, Twp. 58 N, R. 33 W, was laid out by John F. Clark, in December, 1885. It was situated near the southern boundary of the county, in Washington Township.
A. J. Culbertson built the first business houses, about the time of the survey, and opened out in the mercantile trade...
In July, 1887, Clarksdale was incorporated, with a board of trustees as the governing body...Population of the town was about 250--1886. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 481. Also, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 2, p. 17.)
It was situated at Sec. 25, Twp. 58 N, R. 33 W, at the junction of 31 & P. (It is no longer listed.)
Doodlesville
See Stewartsville.
Fairport
Fairport, about nine miles northwest of Maysville, in Grant Township...was never regularly platted, but grew up spontaneously...In the year 1869 John G. Barton...erected a building and stocked it with general merchandise...
A hardware store was started in 1882 by M. Barnaby...Oliver & Co., in 1878, opened a drug store...The first mechanic in the village was M. Barnaby...The population probably did not exceed 200, in 1888. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 477, 478.)
It had one store. (--Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, p. 192. See, also, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 2, p. 411.)
It is situated at Sec. 26, Twp. 69 N, R. 31 W, at the junction of E & A.
It is a rural branch of Maysville Post Office. (--Rand, McNally 1974.)
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Fordham
Fordham was in the southeast section of the county, on the C. R. I. & P. R. R. (--Map of Missouri, 1925, Rand, McNally.)
It was situated at Sec. 21, Twp. 58 N, R. 30 W on an unmarked county road between C & EE north of Cameron.
It is no longer listed.
Greenleaf
Greenleaf was a post-office eight miles northwest of Maysville. (--Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, p. 192.) It is no longer listed.
Gridley
Gridley was situated at Sec. 28 & 33, Twp. 58 N, R. 30 W on an unmarked county road between O & EE, north of Cameron.
The post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme, 1905, Still P. Taft, for the use of Railway Mail Clerks, p. 33.)
Johnsonville
Johnsonville was located in the northeast corner of the county in Dallas Township. (--Map of Missouri, 1925, Rand, McNally.) It is no longer listed.
Locust (Grant Township)
Locust was north of Fairport, at Sec. 14, Twp. 60 N, R. 31 W. (--New Atlas of Missouri, 1874, Campbell, Map 15.)
Locust no longer is listed in DeKalb County; is listed in Ozark County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
McCartney's Cross Roads
McCartney's Cross Roads was eight miles southwest of Maysville and had one store. (--Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, 1874, p. 192.) It is no longer listed.
Maysville
Maysville was originally selected as a town site in 1845 by the commissioners appointed by law to select and locate the permanent seat of justice for DeKalb County...
It appears that one George Leaman was the first person to open a stock of merchandise in Maysville. He came as early as 1846, and erected a small building on Lots 6 and 7, Block 17...in which were stored a general stock of groceries and a generous supply of "corn juice"...without which no mercantile establishment was then considered complete...
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April 2, 1885, the town was granted a charter as a city of the fourth class. L.H. Weatherby was the first mayor. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 428, 429, 437.)
Goods were usually hauled from Liberty, Plattaburg and St. Joseph, and freighting was an important business...In 1852 a saw mill was put up by George Wilson. In 1886 the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad was put through the place and imparted new life and enterprise...(--Conard, Vol. 4, p. 239.)
It is situated at Secs. 35 & 36, Twp. 59 N, R. 31 at the junction of 6, 39 & A.
Oak
Oak is situated at Sec. 29, Twp.59 N, R. 32 W at the junction of 6 & 31.
It is in Sherman Township. (--Map of Missouri, 1925, Rand, McNally.)
The post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme of Missouri, 1905, Taft, p. 33.)
Mail via Amity. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Orchid
Orchid was southeast of Fairport. (--Rand, McNally Atlas, 1896, p. 48.)
It was situated at Sec. 5, Twp. 59 N, R. 32 on 31 south of 169.
Post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme of Missouri, 1905, Taft, p. 33.)
It is no longer listed.
Osborne (elevation 1035 feet)
Osborne, fifty-five miles northeast of Kansas City and nine miles south of Maysville, is an outgrowth of the Hannibal & St. Joseph R. R. and dates its history from the year 1858. Henry Baker, a railroad official, William Osborne...and others laid out the town on the southwest quarter of Sec. 14, the southeast quarter of Sec. 15, the northeast quarter of Sec. 22 and the northwest quarter of Sec. 23, Twp. 57 N, R. 31 W, and named it Osborne, in compliment to one of the contractors...The original plat was surveyed in June, 1858...
About the time of the town, Col. Henry Baker...moved his office to the place and soon afterward started a lumber yard, his office having been the first building on the town site...
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The first store was opened by Messrs. Ferguson & Harber...shortly after the town was founded.
The first practicing physician in Osborne was Dr. I. B. Harrison, who located in the town about the year 1859...The first railroad agent was W. L. Ferguson...The first mechanic was Ed DeKalb, and the first person born in the town was Miss Nannie Harber...March 12, 1859.
Osborne was incorporated by the county court on the 7th day of August, 1887...James F. Montgomery was the first mayor...(--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 464, 465, 466; Conard, Vol. 5, p. 32.)
About one-fourth of the town is in Clinton County. The business portion, however, is in DeKalb. It had five stores and a lumberyard. (--Campbell, p. 192.)
It is situated at Sec. 14 & 15, Twp. 57 N, R. 31 W on M south of 36.
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, a small country village in Dallas Township, has been for years a good local trading point (as of 1888.) The first store was started by a Wm. Peram, who carried on business for a few years. There was one general store in 1888, kept by Price & Son, and a blacksmith shop, operated by Braxton Browning. The town was never laid out. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 483.)
It is situated in the northeast corner of the county on Daviess County line, at Sec. 25, Twp. 60 N, R. 30 W on Highway E.
Mail via Pattonsburg, Daviess Co. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Somerville
Somerville, a paper town, was surveyed by Joseph Venalle in 1854, for Samuel McCorkle, proprietor. The record shows a plat of five blocks and thirty-two lots on the Hannibal & St. Joseph R. R., in the southern part of the county. The town was never improved and the only evidence of its ever having been laid out is the plat in the clerk's office. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 482.)
Standard (also spelled Stanard)
Standard, ten miles southwest of Maysville, had one store. It was a station on the C. R. I. & P. R. R., but was not a place of any commercial importance. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 483; Campbell, p. 192.)
It is no longer listed.
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Stewartsville (elevation 960 feet)
Stewartsville is a child of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. It dates its history from the summer of 1854. The proprietor, one George Tetherow, had previously attempted to found a village on Third Fork, which was early named Doodleville, in compliment to Evan Doodle, a prominent business man, and one of the chief actors in the movement. Doodleville soon became noted as a local trading point, and until the coming of the railroad...gave promise of becoming an important commercial mark...
The site, however, being some distance from the road, it was thought best to change the location; accordingly, on the 16th day of June, of the above year, Mr. Tetherow had the county surveyor to lay out on part of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Sec. 16, Twp. 57 N, R. 32 W, a town plat, consisting of twenty-one blocks, and 109 lots, which was named after himself, Tethertown. This name was subsequently changed to Stewartsville, in compliment to Hon. Robert M. Stewart, late governor of Missouri...
The first building on the town site was a story-and-a half structure, erected by Mr. Tetherow some time before the survey and used by him as a residence and hotel...
The first person to open a store in the town was Mr. Tetherow, who, in 1854, opened a family grocery, which he carried on for some time in connection with the hotel business.
Stewartsville was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in the year 1860, but the first officers refusing to serve, the town was practically without corporate authority during the Civil War and until 1869.
The Stewartsville post-office was established in 1853, with O. H. P. Gibson as postmaster. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 449, 450, 451, 457.)
It is situated in the southwest section of the county on the Clinton County line, at Sec. 16, Twp. 57 N, R. 32 W, at the junction of 36 & K. See, also, Conard, Vol. 6, pp. 79 and 80.
Tethertown<
See Stewartsville.
Third Fork (Polk Township)
Third Fork was adjacent to Union Star. (--New Atlas of Missouri, 1874, Campbell, Map 15.)
It is no longer listed.
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Union Star (elevation 945 feet)
Union Star owes its growth to the C. B. & Q. R. R. Sometime in the 1850's James Powell opened a general store on land out side the present town limits...Later a Mr. Weaver owned the store. A man by the name of Ross started the first blacksmith shop...
The projection of what is now the C. B. & Q. R. R. through the county, led to the laying out of a town a short distance east of the village, the survey of which was made in May, 1879. The plat as recorded shows eleven blocks--143 lots--situated on the northwest quarter of Sec. 34, Twp. 60 N, R. 33 W...
The building in which Mr. Weaver sold goods was moved to the new town, and a short time after the survey a store building was erected by James Van Gilder... (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, pp. 472, 473.)
Union Star, fifteen miles west of Maysville, had two stores. (--Campbell, p. 192.)
It is situated in the northwest corner of the county on the Andrew County line, at the junction of 169 & Z.
See, also, Conard, Vol. 6, p. 248.
Weatherby
Weatherby was laid out in November, 1885. It is situated in the northern part of the county, and as originally laid out, embraced five blocks--sixty-two lots--on the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Sec. 23, Twp. 59 N, R. 30 W...In 1886 an addition of forty-seven lots was surveyed and recorded...
The first business house on the town site was erected in November, 1885, by J. Swikes & Co., who also started the first mercantile establishment...Among the first to erect residences were S. H. Johnson, James Hudson and others... (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 481.)
It is situated in the northeastern part of the county at Sec. 22 & 23, Twp. 59 N, R. 30 W, at the junction of D & 6.
It was named for Dr. L. H. Weatherby, a prominent physician of Maysville. (--Conard, Vol. 6, p. 413.)
Winslow
Winslow was about ten miles northwest of Maysville in Sherman Township, and was at one time a flourishing country village, and for several years a good trading place. There was no business done there in 1886. (--History of DeKalb County, 1888, Goodspeed, p. 483.)
It had one store. (--Campbell, p. 192.)
The post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme of Missouri, 1905, Taft, p. 33.)
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It was situated at Sec. 23, Twp. 60 N, R. 33 W on an unmarked county road north of E and east of 31.
It is no longer listed.
Winslow is an early name for Purdy, Barry County. (--Conard, Vol. 6, p. 492.)
Woods
Woods was located in the northwest section of the county. (--Map of Missouri, 1925, Rand, McNally.)
It was situated at Sec. 2, Twp. 59 N, R. 32 W on Highway H south of E.