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Alanthus Grove (or Alanthus)
It is a post-office eighteen miles northwest of Albany, and contained four stores, one flouring-mill and one hotel (1874.) (--Campbell, p. 211.)
West of the West Fork of Grand River...twelve miles from Albany, is located the little town of Alanthus. It has been a business point for more than twenty-five years (from 1882) and was called Alanthus Post Office. (--History of Gentry County, p. 218.)
It was on R. F. D. From Stanberry. (--The State of Missouri, in 1904, Walter Williams, p. 391.)
It is situated in the northwestern section of the county at Section 31, Township 64 N, Range 32 W on Highway B, south of D. (--General Highway Map of Gentry County, 6-1-64, issued by the Missouri State Highway Department. Unless otherwise noted, all map locations are from this map.)
Mail via Stanberry. (--Standard Reference Guide of Missouri, 1974, Rand, McNally & Co.)
Albany (or Athens)
The town of Athens, now known as Albany, the county seat of Gentry County, was laid out in May, 1845, by Elisha Cameron, the commissioner of the county seat...
The original proprietor of the quarter section of land, upon which Athens was located, was John Roberts...Roberts sold his interest in the land to William Dailey, from Ohio, in 1842...The first house erected in the town after the location of the county seat, was that of Elijah P. Howell. It was a log house with a shed attached...Howell built this for a business house, and sold goods and general merchandise, being the first merchant who sold goods in Athens...
The first blacksmith was John W. Shockley. The first shoemaker was James Shelby.
There was a post-office in Clark County, MO, called Athens, and this being also the county seat of Gentry County, the mail intended for Athens, Gentry County was occasionally sent to Athens Post Office, Clark County. In order to obviate the difficulties, which grew out of a similarity of names in these post-offices, the name of Athens, Gentry County, was changed in 1857, by special act of the legislature, to Albany, which name the county seat has borne ever since.
The town of Athens was incorporated on the 25th day of February, 1857, by the legislature. (--History of Gentry County, pp. 124, 125, 126, 128. Also Conard, Vol. 1, p. 16.)
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It is situated about one mile east of Grand River, and about eighteen miles northwest of Pattonsburgh, Daviess County. It had 1 bank, 17 stores, 2 hotels, 1 fine graded school, 1 wagon shop, 2 steam flouring-mills, a foundry, several churches and a number of shops of various kinds... (--Campbell, p. 212; Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 1, p. 16.)
It is situated at Section 19 & 13, Range 30 W, and Section 24 & 25, Range 31 W, in Township 63 N, at the junction of C, 85 & 136.
See, Albany, in Ray County, mail via Orrick. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Areola Springs
The town of Areola Springs was located in Howard Township, about ten miles northeast of Albany. There were formerly two different towns, the town near Chittim Well being called Siloam and that near the Springs, Free Water. In February, 1882, these two towns were consolidated and called Areola Springs.
That which gave Areola Springs its chief prominence are the mineral springs and Chittim well. The well was dug in 1860, but its medical properties were not discovered until early in the spring of 1880, by James M. Chittim, upon whose land it was situated. The springs were discovered in March, 1881, and are about one eighth of a mile southwest of the well...
The first house built in Areola was erected by W. B. Elliott in the spring of 1881...The Mineral Avalanche, a weekly newspaper, was established August 25th, 1881, by Theodore W. Gullick...
The first mayor was William Harris; treasurer W. B. Elliott; clerk, Theo. W. Gullick...The town was incorporated in September, 1881...
The people of Howard Township met at Siloam and celebrated Independence Day, as will be seen from the following taken from the Mineral Avalanche, published at Siloam, Gentry County, Missouri: (Here follows a lengthy account, consisting of several paragraphs, of the celebration above mentioned. It may be found on pages 186, 187, of History of Gentry County, 1882.) History of Gentry County, pp. 183, 184, 185.
Areola Springs is no longer listed.
Athens
See Albany.
Berlin (Miller Township)
On the 1st day of May, 1874, Samuel Robertson filed the plat of Berlin, locating the town on the southeast quarter of Section 26, Township 61, Range 31. Peter Cline, who had been in business (general merchandise) at Buhlville, as soon as the new town of Berlin was founded, moved his goods and house to that place and opened the first business house in Berlin...
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Boner's Store
Boner's Store was a post-office ten miles southwest of Albany. (--Campbell, p. 212.) (It is no longer listed.)
Bower's Store
Bower's Store was situated at Section 9, Township 62 N, Range 32 W. (--New Atlas of Missouri, Campbell, 1874, Map # 15.) Possibly the same as Boner's Store, in the same location.
Buhlsville
Buhlsville was a post-office fourteen miles south of Albany and contained four stores. (--Campbell, p. 212.)
Buhlsville was a post-office located on the southwest quarter of Section 26, Township 61 N, Range 31 W, the plat of the town being filed May 30, 1871, by Matthew Buhl, a native of France, but from Illinois to Missouri. Samuel Levy the present (1882) postmaster of Berlin, erected the first business house in the place and he and Peter Kleine and others continued their business in Buhlsville until the of town Berlin was laid out, when they left the former for the latter place.
There is now (1882) no business done at Berlin. (--History of Gentry County, p. 216.) (Buhlsville is no longer listed.)
Carmack
Carmack is situated at Section 19, 20, 29 & 30, at the junction of 136 &169, west from Albany.
Mail via Albany--rural; no population shown. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Darlington (elevation 845 feet, Cooper Township)
Charles G. Comstock, Esq., filed the plat of Darlington, March 31, 1879 locating the townsite on Section 4, Township 62 N, Range 31 W on the north side of the St. Joseph & Des Moines R. R. A. H. Bennett laid the foundation for the first residence in the town. This was in April, 1879.
Horace J. Bennett was the first blacksmith. John Livingston was the first shoemaker. T. J. Welfort was the first physician and was the first adult who died in the town... (--History of Gentry County, pp. 160, 161.)
It is about the center of the county. (--Williams, p. 391.)
It is situated at Section 4 & 9, Township 62 N, Range 31 W on Highway H southwest from Albany.
It is five miles southwest of Albany, the county seat. It had a flouring mill, a handle factory, a bank, two hotels, a newspaper, the <i>Record</i> and about twenty miscellaneous stores and shops. (--Conard, Vol. 2, p. 225.)
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Douglas Post Office (Jackson Township)
Douglas Post Office was located at the residence of A. A. Kemp. No business done there. (--History of Gentry County, p. 190.)
A. A. Kemp had 160 acres of land, on Section 14, Township 61, Range 33 W. (--History of Gentry County, p. 468.)
It was a post-office eighteen miles southwest of Albany. (--Campbell, p. 213.)
It was in the southwest corner of the county near Andrew County line. (--Williams, p. 391.)
This area is near Andrew County line south of BB Highway.
It is no longer listed.
Ellenorah
Ellenorah was first called Guy's Mill. Jesse Guy built a steam saw and grist mill in _______ . The town was laid out in ____ . William McElvans sold the first goods. The mill was not operated during the Civil War; it was running in 1882 and was owned by Gillespie & Mahoney...In 1882 there was a post-office, drug store and dry goods establishment controlled and operated by Gillespie, who also owned a wagon shop. (--History of Gentry County, p. 183; Campbell, p. 213.)
It was situated at Section 24, Township 64 N, Range 31 W on an unmarked county road north from C. (It is no longer listed.)
Ellington Post Office
See Mount Pleasant.
There is an Ellington in Reynolds County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Enyart Post Office (Wilson Township)
William Stevenson opened a store, general merchandise, at Enyart, at an early day. James Heath erected a saw and grist mill prior to 1875.
James B. Berry was postmaster in 1882. The post-office was named for Abaham Enyart, who was one of the pioneers of the township. Mr. Enyart was also instrumental in securing the first post-office in the township and named it Alanthus... (--History of Gentry County, pp. 217, 219.)
It was located in the northwest corner of the county near Nodaway County line. (--Williams, p. 391.)
It was situated at Section 9, Township 64 N, Range 32 W on an unmarked county road between B & Worth County line.
The post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--Gen. Scheme, pp. 39 & 40.)
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Ettieville
Ettieville was a post-office seven miles southwest of Albany. (--Campbell, p. 213.) (It is no longer listed.)
There is an Etterville in Miller County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Evona (Athens Township)
The little town of Evona was laid out in 1879 by the Western Improvement Company, the plat being filed on the 26th day of November. The town site occupies Section 7, Township 62 N, Range 30 W... and is about three and a half miles southeast of Albany...
The first houses in the place were built by Richard L. Smith, hotel; Baker & Hatfield, store-house; Barton & Hamlin, store house; and William Davidson, store house... (--History of Gentry County, p. 123.)
It is located in the east central part of the county, east of Darlington. Mail via Albany. Population 40. (--Williams, p. 391; Rand, McNally, 1974.)
It is situated at Section 7, Township 62 N, Range 30 W on 85.
Ford Post Office (now Ford City, Jackson Township)
Ford Post Office was formerly called Yolo, and then Millen. It was situated on the farm of John G. Millen, five miles northeast of King City. Mr. Millen was probably the first postmaster. The post-office was discontinued many years ago (from 1882.) (--History of Gentry County, p. 190.)
John G. Millen had 649 acres of land...in Section 11, Township 61 N, Range 32 W. (--History of Gentry County, p. 471.)
It is located in the southwest corner of the county between Darlington and King City. (--Williams, p. 391.)
It is situated at the junction of V & AA.
Mail via King City. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Free Water
See Areola Springs.
Gara
Gara was located in the northeast corner of the county near Worth County line. (--"Evening in Wisconsin" Edition Atlas, 1896, Rand, McNally p. 48.) (It is no longer listed.)
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Gentry (elevation 900 feet)
Gentry is located at Secs. 19 & 20, Township 64 N, Range 31 W at the junction of C, YY & 169, south from Worth County line.
Gentryville (Millen Township)
Gentryville, on Grand River eight miles north of Albany...contained eight stores, one woolen factory and mill, and the usual number of shops for a population of about 300 (1874.) (--Campbell, p. 212.)
It was laid out August 2, 1848, on the southwest quarter of Section 36, Township 62 N, Range 31 W, by Charles Gay...William Weese, from Tennessee, built the first house, a log cabin, about the year 1838, on the original town site...The new towns of Darlington and McFall took away much of the business and retarded its growth...John Hunt, from Kentucky, was the early "village blacksmith." The pioneer physician of the town was Dr. Uncle, from Jackson County, MO, who located there in 1842. (--History of Gentry County, pp. 208, 209, 210.)
It is southeast of Darlington, on Grand River. (--Williams, p. 391.)
It is situated at Section 36, Township 62 N, Range 31 W, on T west of A.
Mail via Albany; Gentryville in Douglas County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Greenwell Ford
Where Greenwell Ford is now (1882) located, Isasc Miller and his companions built a cabin, the first raised in the county, about 1834...A few years afterwards, Robert Greenwell erected a cabin near the end of the bridge...Charles Coverloe, a Frenchman, built the first business house in the place. This was destroyed by a tornado in 1844, which blew his house down and scattered his goods. During many years, thereafter, there was no business done at the ford. About 1874 Alphonso Brown built a store and mill. (--History of Gentry County, pp. 215, 216.)
It was near Gentryville. (--History of Gentry County, p. 202.) (It is no longer listed.)
Havana
Havana, a post-office eleven miles southwest of Albany, contained two stores and one wagon shop. (--Campbell, p. 212.) (It is no longer listed.)
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Howard Township Towns
Philander
Philander was laid out about the year 1835 by Allen Carter, on Panther Creek. A man named Garrison put up a saw and grist mill there. Crockett Gillespie opened a drug store and operated a blacksmith shop and wagon shop. The business of Philander was taken to
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, two miles north of Philander, which was laid out in November, 1857. The place is now (1882) called
Lone Star Post Office
The plat of McGinley's Addition to Mount Vernon was filed in December, 1871. John Fletcher was the pioneer merchant of the town. Alexander Townsend was also a merchant and was one of the first postmasters. The first blacksmith was George Munger. In 1882 Kent & Mansell sold dry goods, etc... (--History of Gentry County, pp. 181, 182.)
Lone Star was situated at Sections 24 & 25, 22 and 23, Township 64 N, Range 30 W on Highway DD east of C. (It is no longer listed.)
Hugginsville
Hugginsville was a post-office 7 miles northwest of Albany. (--Campbell, p. 212.)
John Huggins...came from Ohio about the year 1845 and settled west of the Middle Fork of Grand River, at Hugginsville, where was afterwards established a post-office. (--History of Gentry County, p. 199.)
Hugginsville is no longer listed in Gentry County. Huggins is listed in Texas County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Island City (Jackson Township)
Island City, formerly Salem, was laid out prior to 1857, by M. S. Couch, who opened a small store, general merchandise. Among the early postmasters were Julius Thompson and Reuben Dayton. Lewis Black and Z. B. Richards were the 1882 merchants. Lewis Black was postmaster in 1882. J. C. Crouch built a saw and grist mill about 1858... (--History of Gentry County, p. 189.)
It was in the southwest corner of the county, on R. F. D., from Stanberry. (--Williams, p. 391.)
Post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme, pp. 39, 40.)
It was situated at Section 25, Township 62 N, Range 33 W on UU south from M. (It is no longer listed.)
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Jacksonville (Bogle Township)
This was a small business point, established about 1876, by William Jackson and brother, who built the first house, a frame dwelling house. The first store, general merchandise, was opened by William Waddle, from Ohio...A man by the name of Walker was the first blacksmith. (--History of Gentry County, p. 184.)
Jacksonville no longer listed Gentry County; is Jacksonville listed in Randolph County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Jamesville (Cooper Township)
Soon after 1857, F. B. Roubidoux opened a business house in this town, and after him L. P. Cameron, who continued business but a short time. The town long has ceased to exist. (--History of Gentry County, p. 158.)
There is a Jamesville in Stone County; mail via Clever. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
King City (Jackson Township, elevation 1095 feet)
It was laid out in July, 1869, and plat filed November 1, 1869, by John Pittsenbarger, on Section 32, Township 61 N, Range 32 W...Mr. Pittsenbarger pitched his tent upon the original town site in the spring of 1856...He purchased the quarter section upon which the town was located...In 1858 a post-office was applied for and the name "Petersburg" was chosen, but Postmaster General King replied that there was another name similar to that in the State, and the matter of selecting a name being left to him, he called it King City, after himself. Mr. Pittsenbarger was the first postmaster.
Pittsenbarger was the first blacksmith. A. G. Barton, first saddler, J. N. Taylor, first livery stable keeper and Bela M. Hughes kept the first drug store and was the first physician...
The first school was destroyed by the tornado of June 12, 1881. (--History of Gentry County, pp. 190, 191, 192; Conard, Vol. 5, 535.)
It is a post-office 18 miles southwest of Albany, and contained 2 stores and a wagon shop. (--Campbell, p. 212.)
It is near DeKalb County line, in the southwestern section of the county. (--Williams, p. 391.)
It is situated at Sections 28, 29, 32 & 33, Township 61 N, Range 32 W at the junction of 169 & 48.
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McCurry (Cooper Township)
The little town of McCurry was located on the south side of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R. R., about seven miles from Albany, the county seat...
The plat of the town was filed in November, 1879, by the Western Improvement Company, and named for William McCurry, who had resided in the township for many years. John H. Whidbee built the first house for a residence in May, 1880. The first building, however, was the depot, which was erected as early as November, 1879. The first business house was opened in the fall of 1881, by D. H. McCully, who moved his store from Ettieville...E. Metcalf put up a blacksmith shop. In December, 1880, B. Steves erected a two-story building for a hotel. (--History of Gentry County, p. 160.)
It was two miles west of Darlington. (--Williams, p. 391.)
It was situated at Sections 5 & 6, Township 62 N, Range 31 W on H south from 136. (It is no longer listed.)
McFall (Miller Township, elevation 955 feet)
McFall was laid out by the Western Improvement Company, in the fall of 1879, the plat of the town being filed on the 8th day of October. It was located on the southeast quarter of Section 1, Township 61 N, Range 30 W, on the Wabash & St. Louis & Pacific R. R. Hamilton & Phelps, of Bethany, Harrison County, Missouri, built the first house in the town.
Businesses in 1882 consisted of grain dealers, butcher, groceries & furniture, shoemaker, groceries & drugs, lumber yard, hotels and physicians. (--History of Gentry County, p. 215. Also, Conard, Vol. 3, p. 260.)
It is situated on the Harrison County line at the junction of T & J.
Millen
See Ford Post Office.
Mount Pleasant (Cooper Township)
The village of Mount Pleasant (now Ellington Post Office) was located about three miles northeast of Stanberry, in Cooper Township. The town was laid out in 1856, by Dr. W. H. Houston, who sold the first goods...S. R. Stockton was one of the first postmasters...R. H. Martin ran a blacksmith shop at a very early day. (--History of Gentry County, p. 158.)
It was a post-office nine miles northwest of Albany and contained six stores and a number of shops. (--Campbell, p. 212.)
It was situated at Section 28, Township 62 N, Range 32 W on an unmarked county road northeast from Stanberry. (It is no longer listed.)
Mount Pleasant in Miller County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
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Newcastle Post Office
Newcastle Post Office was located in the southeast part of Athens Township. It was settled by John Givalden. William Waters...opened the first store, general merchandise about 1857...Jacob Treasure was the first blacksmith in the place. I. N. Carson was the first postmaster...No plat of Newcastle had ever been filed. (--History of Gentry County, pp. 122, 123.)
It was situated near the Harrison County line at Section 13, Township 62 N, Range 30 W on an unmarked county road north from McFall. (It is no longer listed.)
Petersburg
See King City.
Petersburg (Howard's Chapel) is located in Howard County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Philander
Philander was situated at Section 27, Township 64 N, Range 30 W. (--New Atlas of Missouri, Campbell, 1874, Map # 15.)
It was a post-office seven miles northeast of Albany and contained two stores. (--Campbell, p. 213.) (See entry under Howard Township)
Pin Hook
Pin Hook was situated at Section 36, Township 64 N, Range 31 W on Highway C north from Albany. (It is no longer listed.)
"Poverty Point" (not a town)
It was three quarters of a mile east of Greenwell Ford, and was so named from the fact that the location was poor, sandy and barren... (--History of Gentry County, p. 202.)
Regency (Miller Township)
This town was laid out many years ago (from 1882) but there is no business done there now--1882. William H. Moore and J. A. Gribble, a minister of the M. E. Church--South, were among the pioneer merchants of the town... (--History of Gentry County, p. 213.) (It is no longer listed.)
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Salem
See Island City.
Salem was laid out in September, 1857. It was one of the oldest towns of the county. (--History of Gentry County, p. 196.)
Salem not listed in Gentry County; is listed in Daviess and Dent Counties. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Sandsville (Athens Township)
Sandsville was named after Daniel Saunders, who came from North Carolina, and located two miles south of Athens, at a very early day. It was the oldest business point in the county, excepting one, and had the first post-office, Saunders being the first postmaster. He sold goods at Sandsville as early as 1838-39...The horse-mill built by Taylor McCully, east of Gentryville, the first mill erected in the county, was afterward taken to Sandsville and put up by Saunders and Leftwich, about 1842.
Sandsville survived until the laying out of the county seat. It is now (1882) however, numbered with the things of the past. (--History of Gentry County, p. 122.)
Sheridan
Sheridan was on the western edge of the county, on Chicago, Great Western Railroad, southwest from Athelstan. (--Williams, p. 541.)
Siloam
See Areola Springs.
There is a Siloam Springs in Howell County. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Siloam City
Siloam City is in the northeast corner of the county at Section 3, Township 64 N, Range 30 W on DD Highway east from C.
Mail via Albany; no population shown. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Stanberry (Cooper Township, elevation 800 feet)
The plat of the town was filed September 26, 1879, on the southeast quarter of Section 31, Township 63 N, Range 32 W, by the Western Improvement Company...
The land on which the original town was located was owned by R. E. Merand and William Harkrider, each of whom was living on the land when the town was laid out...The pioneer merchants of the town were Messmer, Gavin & Co., who built a small box house on the south side of the railroad, where they kept a general store...Smith, Brown and Harris, and D. T. Miller's were the first exclusive dry goods stores in the town...Fred Mauer was the first blacksmith. (--History of Gentry County, p. 162.)
[12]
It is situated at Sections 31 & 32, Township 63 N, and Section 5 & 6, Township 62 N, Range 32 W at the junction of 169 and 136.
It is an important division point of the Omaha & St. Louis Branch of the Wabash Railroad and repair shops and offices are located there...It had five churches, and a private normal school...a flouring mill and a brick factory...1901. (--Conard, Vol. 6, p. 54.)
Ulam
Ulam was in the northest section of the county, east of Gentry. (--Maps of Missouri, 1911, 1917.) (It is no longer listed.)
Union Grove (Bogle Township)
The plat of Union Grove was filed May 22, 1871, by Dr. Jabez Hunt. The first merchant was Hiram Witten...John B. Powers was postmaster and blacksmith in 1882. Edward Shinn was the shoemaker. (--History of Gentry County, p. 154.) (It is no longer listed.)
Voyage
Voyage was located in the north central part of the county, on R. F. D from Stanberry. Williams, p. 391. (It is no longer listed.)
Whitten
Whitten is situated at Section 16, Township 62 N, Range 30 W on an unmarked county road east from A, southeast from Albany.
No population is shown. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Effingham
Post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme, pp. 39 & 40.) (Location is unknown.)
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