Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCompiled by Arthur Paul Moser
Putnam County
[1]
Anderson
Anderson was located on the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 5, Township 65, Range 21. The proprietors of the town site were the Milwaukee Land Company and Joun W. Cary, president, and the survey was made March 14, 1887 ...
The town of Anderson made rapid progress since its establishment and in 1887 had a population of about forty people. (--Hist. of Putnam Co., 1888, Goodspeed, p. 586.)
The area is near Lucerne. (--Gen. Highway Map of Putnam Co., issued by The Missouri State Highway Dept., 10-1-64. Unless otherwise noted all map locations are from this map.
Anderson is no longer listed in Putnam Co.; Anderson is listed in McDonald Co. (--Standard Reference Guide of Mo., 1974, Rand McNally.)
Ayersville
Ayersville was located on the north half of the southwest quarter of Section 16, Township 66, Range 21. The survey was made August 5, 1858, for the proprietors Brice Miller and Martha Miller. The town plat consists of four blocks containing eight lots ... The village had made considerable progress and contained a population of about one hundred. (--Goodspeed, pp. 581, 582.)
Highway 139 runs on the east side of this section which is south of Powersville.
It is no longer listed.
Blackbird
Blackbird was northeast of Unionville. (--The State of Missouri, in 1904, Walter Williams, p. 487.)
Bryant Station
See Unionville.
Central City
Central City was located partly in Sec. 31, Twp. 66, R. 20, partly in Sec. 36, Twp. 66, R. 21 in Sec. 1, Twp. 65, R. 21 ... The town was laid out by Orrin Hevlen and Granville Gohlson, November 1, 1856. The plat was filed for record November 3, 1857. The town was named Central City because it was so near the center of what was Dodge County, that point being just one mile north ... In 1888 the post-office was kept by Dr. Samuel Bunker or rather his daughter Miss Annie Bunker as deputy. (--Goodspeed, pp. 588, 579.)
Highway 136 runs east and west through this area, east of 139. Central City no longer is listed in Putnam Co.; Central City is listed in Rand McNally, 1974.
[2]
Chapel
Chapel is northeast of Omaha and southeast of Chariton. (--Map of Mo., 1910, The Kenyon Co., Des Moines.)
It is situated at Sec. 7, Twp. 66, N, R. 16 W on N north of Z.
The post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme of Mo., 1905, Still P. Taft, for the use of Railway Mail Clerks, p. 88.)
Mail now via Lucerne -- rural; no population is shown. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Chariton
Chariton was merely a post-office located near the Chariton River, in Grant Township. It was so named by J. W. Dean and Judge B. F. Hart because of its proximity to the Chariton River. The first settler in the vicinity was Judge Thomas Hargraves, one of the members of the county court. The first frame house erected here was by John B. Earhart about 1869, who was the postmaster of the place which consisted of only one house. (--Goodspeed, p. 584.)
It is shown on the map as Chariton Mills, (--New Atlas of Mo., 1874, Campbell, Map 14.)
It is situated at Sec. 26 & 35, Twp. 67 N, R. 17 W on DD east of 149.
Mail via Unionville -- rural; no population is shown. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Clarksburg
The town was laid out August 23, 1858, Jacob L. Clark, William Vaughn and Hugh Hiney being the proprietors. The plat was filed for record August 23, 1858. This town never made much progress but in 1888 it contained a population of about fifteen or twenty people. (--Goodspeed, p. 581.)
This area is east of Lemons.
There is a Clarksburg in Moniteau Co. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Delpha
Delpha was in the northern part of the county on R. F. D. from Unionville. (--Williams, P. 487.)
The post-office was discontinued pre-1905. (--Taft, p. 87.)
[3]
Elko or Garfield Springs
Elko or Garfield Springs, as the village was called, was located on John Cason's land when the post-office was established in 1886. There was some difficulty about securing a name satisfactory to all interested. Hence the name "Elko" was supplied from Washington. Mr. Cason and Blake Pearcy were the first to settle in the vicinity of this place, both of whom built log houses ... The first store was started by John Ledford and Thomas Guffy ... John Say started a blacksmith shop in 1884. The first postmaster was John Davis appointed in 1886. The town was laid off in 1883 by the Pennsylvania, Iowa and Missouri Mining Company; the agent of this company, John Carter, being a strong Republican, gave the name of Garfield Springs, having discovered that the waters of the springs, of which there were two about 150 yards apart, contained valuable medical properties, (--Goodspeed, pp. 584, 585.) (Exact location is unknown.)
Esper
Esper was located in then northeast section of the county west of Omaha. (--Williams, p. 487.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--Taft, p. 87.)
It was situated at Sec. 7 ? 18, Twp. 66 N, R. 17 W at the junction of Y & YY.
Galesburg
Galesburg was located on the east half of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Sec. 18, Twp. 66, R. 21. The survey was made March 10, 1858, for the proprietor, Ephraim Whitacre. It was composed of six blocks, each block being divided into eight lots, 62 by 31 feet in size. Galesburg contained a population of twelve or fifteen people. (--Goodspeed, p. 582.)
Galesburg is no longer listed in Putnam Co.; Galesburg is listed in Jasper Co. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Garfield Springs
See Elko.
Garfield is no longer listed in Putnam Co.; Garfield is listed in Oregon Co. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
[4]
Glendale
Glendale is located in the eastern part of the county, west of Livonia. (--Williams, p. 487.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--Taft, p. 88.)
Mail via Livonia -- rural; no population is shown. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Graysville see Millersburg
Graysville is situated at Sec. 10, 1, 14 & 15, Twp. 66 N, R. 17 W on 149 south of 136.
Mail via Livonia; population 100. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Hartford
Hartford is located on the west half of Lot 1, of the northwest quarter of Sec. 5, Twp. 65, R. 17 ... The town was laid out June 25, 1866, the proprietors being James M. Brasfield and Matthew Crooks. At the time this town was made the county seat, in 1851, there was a kind of pasteboard plat, from which lots were sold, but the first plat was never placed upon record. James M. Brasfield signed the plat as proprietor, as also did John J. Brasfield. The first settler in the vicinity of this place was William Levell, in 1839. Mr. Levell erected a log house 12 by 16 feet in size. The first frame house was built in 1852, by David N. Thatcher. The first merchant in the town was John J. Brasfield, who established himself here in business in 1849. The first drug store was started in 1861 by Dr. James Mitchell; George Crooks was the first blacksmith in 1854. Charles Harkins was the first shoemaker, and Moses Summers the first grocery keeper, both in 1854. The post-office was established in 1861, John J. Brasfield postmaster ... (--Goodspeed, p. 577.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--Taft, p. 87.)
It is situated at the junction of YY & 139.
Mail via Unionville; population 20. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Holbrook
Holbrook was a post-office on the B. & S. W. R. R., ten miles north of Unionville. (--Campbell's Gazetteer of Mo., 1874, p. 461.)
[5]
Howland
Howland comprised the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Sec. 8, Twp. 66, R. 18, on the Burlington & Southwestern Railroad. Amxi Doolittle and Sarah M. Doolittle were the proprietors of the place for whom it was surveyed July 9, 1873, and the plat was filed for record July 16. In 1887, there was nothing in Howland but the railroad platform, the post-office and store, and one or two residences. (--Goodspeed, p. 584.)
Howland (Mendota)
So listed in Campbell, p. 461.
It was located on CC north of 129.
Keble
Keble was located on the Burlington & Southwestern Railroad south of Quinn. (--Map of Mo., 1917, Rand McNally.)
Lemen
Lemen is located on part of the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Sec. 29, Twp. 65, R. 19 ... The survey was made for the proprietor, Abraham Lemen, January 27, 1877. Lemen is on the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City Railway, five miles south of Unionville. The town was so named by Abraham Lemen to perpetuate his name. The first residence was built by him in 1874, a frame building, 16 by 20 feet, one and a half stories high with a lean-to. H. W. Barry & Bro. commenced business here in the fall of 1874; John M. Mattox was the first blacksmith and John Fortume the first shoemaker. J. W. Burns opened a grocery in the spring of 1878 ...
The post-office was opened in the fall of 1874, as Menen, H. W. Barry postmaster. Two weeks afterward the name was changed by order of the Postmaster General to Lemen Station. In December, 1876, H. W. Barry resigned and L. Ketchum was appointed. Three months afterward the name of the post-office was again changed, this time to Whiting, with J. W. Patterson, postmaster. Mr. Patterson resigned in November, 1877, and the office was closed until the spring of 1878, when it was re-opened under the name of Xenia, with F. A. Burns, postmaster. In the fall of 1878, F. A. Burns resigned, and Ira Noggle was appointed. Mr. Noggle resigned in the spring of 1880, and James W. Patterson was appointed ... In 1887, the post-office was named "Xenia," the railroad station was named "Lemon Station," and the town itself "Lemen." ... The population in September, 1887, was thirty-three. (--Goodspeed, pp. 582, 583.)
[6]
In 1893-94, it was listed as Xenia. (--Mo. Manual, 1893-94, p. 298.)
Also, in 1897-98, it was named Xenia. (--Mo. Manual, 1897-98, p. 432.)
From 1900 - 1906 it was named Lemonville. (--Mo. Manuals, 1900-1901, p. 525.)
[7]
Lemen (Cont)
In 1893-94 as well as in 1897-98 it was listed as Xenia. (--Mo. Manuals, p. 298.)
From 1900-01, 1901-02, 1903-04, 1905-06 it was listed as Lemonville. (--Ibid. pp. 425; 357; 472; 357.)
In 1917, 18 it was listed as Lemon. (--Ibid. p. 639.)
In 1907-08; 1909-10; 1911-12; 1913-14; 1915-16 it was listed as Lemonville. (--Ibid. pp. 479; 579; 575; 599; 605.)
It is now known as Lemon. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
It is situated at Sec. 28, Twp. 65 N, R. 19 W on Highway 5, near Sullivan County line.
Livonia elevation 830 feet
Livonia lies on the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Sec. 28, Twp. 66, R. 16. Absolum Grogan was the proprietor of the original town plat which was surveyed May 5, 1859. It consisted of four blocks of eight lots each. One street ran through the center of the town from north to south and likewise through the center from east to west. This is where the town was first layed off. There were a few families on the town site; but when Grogan died the post-office was moved to a farm of Martin's about three miles north of its original location. It is now located on Sec. 10, Twp. 66, R. 16. Joseph Martin was the postmaster and merchant. Dan Kelley was the blacksmith and the population was two or three families or about fifteen persons. (--Goodspeed, p. 582.)
It is a post-office 18 miles east of Unionville. (--Campbell, p. 461.)
It is located on N north of 136 near Schuyler Co. line. Population 1974 was 119. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Locustville
Locustville was situated in Sec. 28, Twp. 65 N, R. 20 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., 1874, Map 14.)
This area is east of Quinn.
Low Ground
Low Ground is located in the southeast corner of the county, six miles north of Shibley's Point. (--Williams, pp. 317, 487.)
It is situated at Sec. 6, Twp. 64 N, R. 16 W on O north of Adair County line.
Mail via Novinger, Adair Co; rural; no population is shown. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
[8]
Lucerne elevation 905 feet
Lucerne is built upon Sec. 5, Twp. 65, R. 21. The ground was owned by Maj. Johnson. H. C. Ballow built the first dwelling house, and the first drug store was built by Baskett Bros. E. B. Vandervoort built the first restaurant. Hawk Bros. and Rogers & Chase established hardware stores ...
The town is located on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, and its growth has been very rapid. It was started in the spring of 1887 ... J. D. Baskett was postmaster at Lucerne in 1888. (--Goodspeed, pp. 586, 587.)
It is situated on Highways 136 and 139 in the western section of the county. (--Map of Mo., 1974, Rand McNally.)
Millersburg
Millersburg was started about 1867, in which year James T. Miller established a store on land donated by A. T. Lowe. About two years afterward a blacksmith shop was established in an old log house. E. Gray succeeded Miller Bros. in 1874 ...
The post-office which was named Graysville, was established in 1875, on the petition of E. Gray, Dr. Dukes and others, and Dr. Harry E. Dukes was commissioned first postmaster ... The post-office was named Graysville because there was then a post-office named Millersburg in the State. The town was located fourteen miles west of Unionville, and contained a population of about fifteen persons. (--Goodspeed, pp. 585, 586.)
Millersburg is no longer listed in Putnam County; Millersburg is listed in Callaway Co., (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
The Mullenix Settlement
What was known in early days as the Mullenix Settlement was in the southeast part of the county on Chariton River ... Jesse Mullenix settled there in 1838, having come from Howard County ... (--Goodspeed, p. 426.)
New Town
Newtown, 25 miles southwest of Unionville, had one store. (--Campbell, p. 461.)
It was situated at Sec. 32, 33, Twp. 65 N, R. 21 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., Map 14.)
Newtown is no longer listed in Putnam Co.; Newtown is in Sullivan Co. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
[9]
Omaha
Omaha is located on the southwest corner of Sec. 10, Twp. 66, R. 17. It was laid out in an (sic) early days, but never made much progress as a town. John Slagel built a house there in 1845, a little log cabin, and George W. Houston established a grocery in 1850. In 1857 William Morrow and Henry Bishop sold dry goods in Omaha. The first postmaster was George W. Houston. In 1857 or 1858 Thomas Clough started a blacksmith shop ... (--Goodspeed, p. 578.)
Omaha is located on Highway 136 west of Livonia. (--Map of Mo., 1973, Thos, D. Murphy, Red Oak, Iowa.)
Mail via Unionville; no population is shown. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Pleasant Home
Pleasant Home was a post-office 20 miles east, southeast of Unionville. (--Campbell, p. 461.)
It was situated at Sec. 21, Twp. 65 N, R. 17 W. (--New Atlas of Mo. Map 14.)
Powersville elevation 940 feet
Powersville is located on the west three-fourths of the north half of the southeast quarter of Sec. 6, Twp. 66, R. 21. The Milwaukee Land Company were the original proprietors. The original town was divided into ten blocks and subdivided into 127 lots ... The plat was made April 22, 1887, and filed for record April 26.
Powersville, like Anderson, has grown quite rapidly since the construction of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, upon which it is situated. In 1888, it had a population of about forty inhabitants. (--Goodspeed, p. 586.)
It is situated in the northwest corner of the county, in Sec. 5 & 6, Twp. 66 N, R. 21 W at the junction of 139 and M.
Prairie
Prairie was located on the Burlington & Southwest Railway, four miles south of Unionville. (--Campbell, p. 461.)
It was situated at Sec. 21, Twp. 65 N, R 19 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., Map 14.)
[10]
Putnamville
Among the old settlers living near Putnamville were Daniel Myers, who had a grist and saw mill which he built in 1841; Ross Abdill a blacksmith, the first at Putnamville and the first in the county; John McMillan the first county and circuit court clerk. The court house, which was built at Putnamville when that town was the county seat, was a two-story hewn log house, 18 by 24 feet in size, the lower story being used for a court room and the upper story for a jail. The offices were kept at the private residence of the county clerk, Mr. McMillan ... There is nothing now where Putnamville stood in all its pride, except a farm. (--Goodspeed, p. 426; Conard, Vol. 5 p. 268.)
Quinn
Quinn is four and one-half miles southwest of Yuma. (--Williams, p. 487.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--Taft, p. 87.)
Mail now via Pollock, Sullivan Co. -- rural, no population. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Rosewood
Rosewood was west of Graysville. (--Map of Mo., 1910, Kenyon Co.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--Taft, p. 87.)
St. John
St. John is located on Sec. 7 & 8, Twp. 66, R. 20 ... The proprietors of the town plat were Thomas Caul, Giles Hodges and Daniel Terry. The original survey was made on June 6, 1837, and the plat was filed for record that day and recorded August 3, 1833.
The first settler on what is now the town plat of St. John, was Jesse Fowler, who came there in 1844, and built a one-story house of hewed logs, 16 by 18 feet in size ... The first entirely frame building erected in St. John was by Thomas Caul for a store. This was in 1854 and was the first store building in the place. The first blacksmith in the town was John H. Morgan, who established himself there in 1854.
St. John obtained its name in the following manner: The commissioners selected to locate the county seat of Dodge County located the town on St. John's Day, and the chairman of the commissioners being a Morgan Mason, suggested that the town site and county seat be named St. John, and the suggestion was adopted. (--Goodspeed, pp. 572, 574, 576, 577.)
It is situated at Sec. 7, Twp. 66 N, R. 20 W on Highway E west of T.
Mail via Powersville -- rural; no population. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
[11]
Scotland Ridge
Scotland Ridge was located in Sec. 7, Twp. 64 N, R. 17 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., Map 14.)
Highway AA runs through this section which is north of Sidney.
Shawneetown (Shoneytown Post Office)
It was situated at Sec. 20, Twp. 67 N, R. 18 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., Map 14.)
It was situated at the end of an unmarked county road east from CC.
There is a Shawneetown in Cape Girardeau County. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Shoneytown
Shoneytown was a post-office 14 miles northeast of Unionville. (--Campbell, p. 461.)
See Shawneetown.
Sidney
Sidney is located in the southeast corner of the county, near Adair County line. (--Williams, p. 487.)
It is situated in Sec. 16, Twp. 54 N, R. 17 W on AA north of Adair County line.
Mail via Greencastle -- rural; no population. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Terre Haute
Terre Haute was located on the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Sec. 15, Twp. 65 N, R. 21 W. It was laid out for the proprietors Daniel Ellidge and Hardin Kidwell, April 3, 1858. Robert J. Smith built the first store room and conducted the first store ... The post-office was established in 1862. The first postmaster was Robert J. Smith. (--Goodspeed, pp. 580, 581.)
Highway KK runs through this section which is southeast of Lucerne.
[12]
Uniontown elevation 1070 feet
During the separate existence of Dodge and Putnam Counties, each county, of course, had a county seat. The three commissioners, Bronaugh, Munday and Rumjie, considered Putnamville, on Shoal Creek, about twelve miles east of the present Unionville, the most eligible location, and therefore selected that as the county seat. Putnamville remained the county seat from 1845 to 1849, when Bryant Station, otherwise called Winchester, was chosen. Bryant Station was about fifteen miles east of Unionville, and was selected on the assurance by Archibald Bryant, an old settler, after whom the place was named, that there would be no trouble about Iowa gaining the strip of land then in dispute between Iowa and Missouri, and that therefore the "Station" would always be sufficiently central for all purposes as a county seat. When the strip was lost to Missouri the county seat was again changed, this time to Hartford, about ten miles east of Unionville in 1851, which remained the county seat until in 1853, when the consolidation of Dodge and Putnam Counties took place, and then a more central location than Hartford was necessary. There was considerable difficulty then in coming to an agreement as to the place, but at length the present site of Unionville was agreed upon and named "Harmony," to indicate that all differences of opinion respecting the location of the county seat had been harmonized. At the time there was no one living on the spot selected ...
The town plat was surveyed ... and it included all of what is now known as the original town of Unionville. The first building on the place was moved over from Hartford by D. N. Thatcher, in which he had kept store in Hartford and in which he kept on keeping store in Harmony. The first building erected in Harmony was one by David Phipps, a log structure ... The name was changed by an act of the Legislature, approved February 5, 1855. (--Goodspeed, pp. 556, 557.)
See, also, Conard, Vol. 6, p. 248.
It is situated at Secs. 34 & 35, Twp. 66 N, and Secs. 2 & 3, Twp. 65 N. R. 19 W at the junction of 5, 126 and C.
West Liberty
West Liberty was located on Secs. 27 & 34, Twp. 66, R. 20. Josiah Harbert was the proprietor of the town, and it was laid out for him in 1855 ... The original plat was not recorded, and the town was replatted December 8, 1870, by the same man. The first store was started by Thomas Harbert, but a mill had been built there before the town was laid off by Josiah Harbert, in 1854. A tanyard was established by Henry Smith in 1856, and a post-office was established about 1855. J. W. Trader was the first physician in the place. (--Goodspeed, p. 578.)
An unmarked county road runs through this area which is between E & U.
[13]
Williamsburg
Williamsburg was located on the south half of the northwest quarter of Sec. 5, Twp. 66, R. 19. It was laid out for the proprietor, Luther Washburn, June 20, 1857. It consisted of six blocks, each block containing eight blocks ... The town gradually increased in size for a year or so and then gradually diminished. (--Goodspeed, p. 579.)
Winchester
See Unionville.
Worthington
Worthington is located in the southeast corner of the county north of Adair County line. (--Williams, p. 487.)
It is situated at Sec. 27, Twp. 65 N, R. 16 W on Highway W on Schuyler County line.
It was disincorporated in 1950. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Wyrecka
Wyrecka was located on Secs. 8 & 17, Twp. 66, R. 21. It was laid out for the proprietors David and Elizabeth Howry, September 14, 1858, and the plat was filed for record the next day. The town plat contained nineteen blocks. It was a very pleasant and flourishing little village, containing a population of about fifty inhabitants. (--Goodspeed, p. 581.)
This area is south of Powersville and is on the second unmarked county road west of 139.
Yuma
Yuma was four and one-half miles northwest of Lenonville. (--Williams, p. 487.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--Taft, p. 87.)