Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCompiled by Arthur Paul Moser
Randolph County
[1]
Allen
See Moberly.
Bournesville
See Higbee.
Breckenridge
Breckenridge, nine miles northwest of Huntsville, and one store ... (Campbell's Gazetteer of Mo., 1874, 469.)
There is a Breckenridge in Caldwell Co.; a Breckenridge Hills in St. Louis Co. (--Standard Ref. Guide of Mo., 1974, Rand McNally.)
Cairo
This town ... was located in 1860, on the North division of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway, eight miles from Huntsville, and seven miles north of Moberly and 152 miles northwest of St. Louis. The town site originally comprised 40 acres, owned by W. S. Dameron, who donated five acres for depot purposes. The remaining 35 acres were laid out in town lots. The new town was at first called Fairview, but there being another town of that name in the State, it was changed to Cairo, at the suggestion of Thomas Dameron. The latter name was not liked by some of the citizens, from the fact that goods purchased by Cairo merchant was occasionally shipped to Cairo, Illinois. The town, however, has retained the name of Cairo. P. G. McDaniel, from Kentucky, erected the first first store building in the town. Thomas Dameron, the first dwelling house, located east of the railroad. J. C. Tedford was the pioneer physician. Abner Landrum was the first blacksmith and Thomas Carter was the first shoemaker. B. R. Boucher taught the first school ... Thomas Dameron was the first postmaster and wrote the first mail matter that was sent from the town. (--Randolph Co., 137.; See, also, Campbell, 469.)
It is situated on Sec. 35, 36, Twp. 55 N, and Sec. 1,2, Twp. 54 N, R. 14 W, at the junction of 63 & Z. (--General Highway Map of Randolph Co., issued by the Missouri State Highway Department, 10-1-64. Unless otherwise noted all map locations are from this map.)
The town had a good public school, one Union Church, two saw-mills, one flour mill, hardware, grocery drug and three general stores, besides shops, etc. Population, 1899 (estimated) 200. (--Ency. of the Hist. of Mo., 1901, Conard, Vol. 1, 466.)
Camp
Camp was northwest of Clark. (--Evening in Wisconsin Edition Atlas, 1896, Rand McNally, 47.)
[2]
Clark (Clark's Switch) Prairie Township
Clark's Switch, about six miles east of Renick, at the crossing of the St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago & Northern Railroad, and the Chicago & Alton Railroad, had a post-office, blacksmith shop, store, etc. (--Randolph Co., 162.)
Clark, an incorporated town in Randolph County, eleven miles southeast of Moberly, is located at the junction of the Wabash and Chicago & Alton Railroads. It had a bank, a saw-mill, grist-mill, hotel, churches, an excellent public school, a commodious opera house, and about fifteen stores and shops ... Population, 1900, (estimated) 150. (--Conard, Vol. 2, p. 2.)
It is situated in the southeast corner of the county on Sec. 23, Twp. 52 N, R. 13 W at the junction of B, 63 & P.
Clifton Hill Clifton Township elevation 730 feet
It was the only town in the township, and was laid out in 1866, on the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Sec. 35, Twp. 54 N, R. 16 W, and was named for David Clifton, who came from Owen County, Kentucky, about the year 1850, and was the owner of the town site.
William Holman erected the first house that was built in the town. The first hotel was opened by Julius Rogers ... The first school was taught by Ancel Richardson, from Virginia ...
In 1884 P. S. Baker, had the drug store and was postmaster. J. B. Lambeth and J. B. Grove, had general merchandise. J. M. Fidler was the shoemaker ... (--Randolph Co.,, 141, 142; see, also, Campbell, 469, Conard, Vol. 2, 27.)
It is situated on Sec. 35, Twp. 54 N, R. 16 W at the junction of 3 & 24.
Elliott Prairie Township
It was about two miles west of Rennick, and was a mining town containing about 200 inhabitants. It had a store, post-office, etc. (--Randolph Co., 162.)
There is an Elliott in Lawrence Co. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Evansville
Evansville was situated on Sec. 24, Twp. 54 N, R. 13 W in Union Township (--New Atlas of Mo., 1874, Campbell, Map 19.)
Firth
Firth was near the Monroe County line. (--Evening in Wisconsin Edition Atlas, Rand McNally, map 47.)
[3]
Darksville Chariton Township
At Darksville were a grocery store and dry goods store, a blacksmith shop, a saw and corn mill, a wagon shop, a shoe shop and tobacco factory. W. S. Campbell was postmaster in 1884 ... Darksville was settled in 1856.
Darksville takes its name from a creek called Dark Creek. William Elliott was hunting in the township in 1821, and night overtaking him on the banks of a creek, he camped all night, and said it was the darkest night he ever saw; hence the name Dark Creek. (--Randolph Co., p. 144.)
Darksville, nine miles north of Huntsville, had a Baptist Church and a dry goods store. (--Campbell, 469.)
It contained a drug store, two general stores and several other business places. It is not on a railroad, and its shipping point is Huntsville. Population, 1899 (estimated) 200. (--Conard, Vol. 2, p. 225.)
It is situated on Sec. 22, Twp. 55 N, R. 15 W at the junction of F & C.
Mail via Huntsville; population 35. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Fort Henry
Fort Henry was four miles northwest of Huntsville and had a Methodist Church, neat and commodious. (--Campbell, 469.)
It was situated on Sec. 20, Twp. 54 N, R. 15 W in Salt Twp. (--New Atlas of Mo., Map 19.)
Grand Center
It was located in the northwest corner of the county near Macon County and Chariton County line. (--Williams, 491.)
It was situated on Sec. 1,2, Twp. 55 N, R. 16 W, on 3, south of Macon County line.
Head's Store
See Roanoke.
[4]
Higbee elevation 880 feet
The name of James Higbee ... gave the title to the station which has grown into a lively, progressive and thriving village. It is situated about three miles north of the Howard County line ... It stands on an open ridge two miles wide between the Moniteau and Bonne Femme Creeks ... (--Randolph Co., 158.)
(See remarks under Moniteau Township.)
Two drug stores, three physicians, two shoe makers, one lawyer, one barber, three restaurants etc. composed the business of the town. (--Campbell, 469.)
It is situated on Sec. 8 & 17, Twp. 52 N, R. 14 W at the junction of A & B.
Higbee, a city of the fourth class in Randolph County, located nine miles southwest of Moberly, at the junction of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and the Chicago & Alton Railroads. It is the third city in population and importance in the county, being exceeded only by Moberly and Huntsville. The town was originally known as Bournesville, having been thus originally named for an early settler, but upon the building of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, the name was changed to Higbee. It was incorporated as a city of the fourth class, July 14, 1891. It had two good banks, three very large coal mines ... two hotels, about thirty-five stores and shops in different trades ... (--Conard, Vol. 3, p. 240.)
Hubbard
Hubbard was located in the northwest corner of the county near Chariton County line. (--Williams, 491.)
It was situated on Sec. 10, Twp. 55, N, R. 16 W, west of 3.
Huntsville elevation 805 feet
Huntsville, the county seat of Randolph County, is near the center of the county. The town is flourishing, and contains a good brick court-house, seven stores, etc. There is no church in the place; but public worship of all denominations is held in the court-house, and in the school-houses of the county ... The territory north of Randolph County is at present (1837) attached to the county; but out of this, and the district annexed to Chariton, there will be at the next session of the General Assembly a new county erected and organized ... (--Wetmore's Gazetteer of Mo., 1837, p. 156.)
It is situated on Sec. 31, R. 14 W and Sec. 25, 26, 35 & 36, R. 15 W in Twp. 44 N, at the junction of 24, C & D.
[5]
Huntsville (cont)
On the 5th day of January, 1831, the first steps were taken on locating the county seat at Huntsville, by the appointment of Robert Wilson, as commissioner. The tract or tracts which comprised the original town were donated to the county by William Goggin, Gideon Wright, Daniel Hunt, and Henry Winburn, and the county surveyor was immediately ordered to lay off the land and make a plat thereof ...
Daniel Hunt, one of the donors above mentioned, was the first settler, locating, however, but a little while in advance of the other three. These men were from Kentucky. The town was called Huntsville in honor of Daniel Hunt, the first settler ...
The original town site of Huntsville was doubtless covered by timber judging from the following order which was made by the county court when the town was located: Ordered: That all persons cutting timber in the streets of Huntsville are required to leave the stumps not more than one foot in height, and to clear all timber so cut, together with the brush.
The pioneer businessmen of the town were Davis and Currin, to whom were granted or issued the first tavern license, granted by the county court ... The next merchants were Garth and Giddings (Dabney C. Garth and Brock Giddings). These men were from Virginia. Garth represented the county in the Legislature ... Ned Goggin (colored) opened the first bakery, and after accumulating quite a fortune he moved to Putnam County ...
John F. Riley was the first gunsmith; O. D. Carlisle was the first saddler; James C. Ferguson was the first shoemaker; Dr. Waller Head was the first physician to locate in the town. He was a native of Orange County, Virginia ... (--Randolph Co., pp. 214, 215. See also, Campbell, 469. Conard, Vol. 3, 334; Vol. 4, 290.)
Jacksonville elevation 850 feet
Jacksonville is located on the northern division of the St. Louis, Wabash, & Pacific Railway, 19 miles northwest of Huntsville and 12 miles northwest of Moberly.
The town site was owned by William McCanne, Jr., John W. McCanne, Sr., and Henry Owen, who donated 50 acres to the railroad company, provided they would locate a depot upon it. This was about the year 1858. The town was named for Hancock Jackson, who was an early settler in the county, and who filled several county offices; later the position of Lieut. Governor of Missouri. The first business house was erected by J. J. Humphrey.
Samuel Ridgeway opened the first hotel ... Dr. Burchartt was the first physician. Thomas Demster was the pioneer shoemaker. The first church was erected in 1867 by the Christians. Thomas Griffey and Robert Stinson were the first blacksmiths. (--Randolph Co., 154, see, also, Campbell, 469; Conard, Vol. 3, 429.)
It is situated on Sec. 3,4, Twp. 55 N, R. 14 W at the junction of 63 & J.
[6]
Kimberly
Kimberly was located 3 1/2 miles west of Moberly on the Wabash Railroad. (--Williams, 491.)
It was situated on Sec. 33, Twp. 54 N, R. 14 W on 24 west of DD.
Levick's Mill Salt River Township
This was located in the geographical center of the township ... This was a small village, having a general store, a grist-mill, and a tin shop. There were no manufactories of any kind in the vicinity, except mills, of which there were several on or near the stream. (--Randolph Co., p. 166.)
It was a post-office 12 miles north northeast of Moberly. (--Campbell, 469.)
The post-office was discontinued pre 1905. (--General Scheme of Mo., 1905, Taft, p. 81.)
It was situated on Sec. 10, Twp. 55 N, R. 13 W on J.
Milton Union Township
It had a grist and saw-mill, and wagon and carriage factory and repair shop, one blacksmith shop ... Until about 1878 four ministers made their home in Milton, to wit: Eld. J. A. Holloway, of the Christian Church, Rev. Peter Parker and Rev. W. D. Hutton, of the M. E. Church South, and Rev. W. L. T. Evans of the Missionary Baptist Church ... Dr. R. P. Hall, the only physician, had resided in Milton for about 40 years. (--Randolph Co., p. 168; See, also Campbell, 469.)
It is situated on Sec. 14, Twp. 54 N, R. 13 W on 24 near Monroe County line.
Mail is via Moberly -- rural; no population. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
There also was a Milton in Atchison County. (--Conard, Vol. 4, p. 381.)
Moberly elevation 870
In 1858, a charter was granted to the Chariton and Randolph Railroad Company with authority to construct a road from a point in Randolph County to Brunswick, in Chariton County ... It was desirable that this road should tap the north Missouri road at the most convenient point for the construction, and what is now Moberly was fixed upon as the point of departure. The company laid off a town and drove up stakes marking the lots. The village of Allen, one mile north of where Moberly now stands, contained several houses and was the shipping point for Huntsville and other points west. To induce the abandonment of this village, the Chariton and
[7]
Moberly (Cont)
and Randolph Company offered to all who would move their house to the new site the same amount of ground they owned in Allen. This was in the summer of 1861. But the inhabitants of Allen either had no confidence in the company's ability to build the road, or thought their own town better located ... From whatever cause, the proposition was rejected by the majority, and was accepted by only one person, Patrick Lynch, an Irishman who had a small one-story house in Allen ... He placed rollers under his house and took a yoke of oxen and drew it down to what then were Lots 11 and 12 in Block 12 ... This was the beginning of Moberly.
The Allenites laughed at him, but he stuck to his contract and stayed on. The Civil War put a temporary embargo on town building, and Patrick concluded to profit by his lonely position. He plowed up the stakes set to mark the lots, and cultivated the land on the west side of the railroad.
When business began to revive after the war ceased the franchise and property of the Chariton and Randolph passed into the hands of the North Missouri Railroad Company ... Moberly was therefore, resurveyed, and a sale of lots was advertised to take place on the grounds September 27, 1866 ... (--Randolph Co., pp. 180, 181.)
For a fuller discussion of Moberly the reader is invited to read Conard, Vol. 4, pp. 441 ff.
It covers several sections in Twps. 53 & 54, R. 14 W at the junction of 24, 63, & DD.
Soon after the railroad was built to Moberly, an effort was made to have the county seat removed there, and it was voted upon at the general election, but the proposition was defeated. Later, a State law was enacted by the Legislature dividing all the courts of the county equally between Moberly and Huntsville, and for many years alternate sessions of the probate, circuit and county courts have been held at the two places ... (--Conard, Vol. 4, pp. 298, 299.)
Mount Airy Silver Creek Township
About the year 1837, Capt. William Upton, another old settler, opened a store at his place in connection with D. C. Garth, who lived at Huntsville, and had another store. A blacksmith shop and a tobacco factory were soon after erected, and the place was first called Uptonville. The people of the vicinity, however, were not long in obtaining a post-office, which was christened Mt. Airy, a name which it has ever since borne ...
The business at Mt. Airy has several times since changed hands, and for the most part during the Civil War was entirely suspended. It was afterwards revived and increased ... The mercantile establishment there, for several years immediately after the war was owned and operated by James B. Thompson, Esq. (--Randolph Co., pp. 172, 173.)
[8]
Mt. Airy (Cont)
It is seven miles southwest of Huntsville, and had one store and two tobacco factories, also a Union Church. (--Campbell, 470.)
It is situated on Sec. 19, Twp. 53 N, R. 15 W at the junction of BB & 3.
Mail is via Huntsville; population 20. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Randolph
See Renick.
Renick Prairie Township
Renick was located in 1856, after the North Missouri Railroad had became an established institution ... It lies six miles south by east of Moberly and contains a population of about 700 ... There was located in the town a large custom and merchant mill; one or two coal mines were in operation near the place.
Nine general stores, one wagon shop, two blacksmith shops, one paint shop, one lumberyard, one harness shop, one hotel, one livery stable, two saloons and two butcher shops were in Renick.
Clay Thompson, who came from Kentucky about the year 1856, erected the first house in the town; he also opened the first business house and hotel. William H. Marshall was the first blacksmith, Peter Harmon, the first shoemaker; William B. McLean was the first physician in that region of the county. (--Randolph Co., pp. 163, 164.; see, also, Campbell, 470.)
Renick was first settled in 1856, and for some time was called Randolph, which is still the post-office name, though now (1901) very rarely used even in the mail service, having been superseded by the present name, Renick. (--Conard, Vol. 4, p. 330.)
It is situated on Sec. 31, Twp. 53 N, R. 13 W on 73 north of Moberly.
Roanoke Silver Creek Township
Judge James Head, a resident when the county was organized, and one of the judges of the first county court, founded Roanoke on the Howard County line in 1836. The place at first went by several names, as suited the fancy of the settler's, such as Head's Store, and Van Buren, the favorite and successful Democratic candidate for the Presidency for that year. But when the post-office was established, at the suggestion of Judge Head, it was named for the residence of a favorite statesman of his native State -- the celebrated John Randolph, of Roanoke. Judge Head emigrated to Randolph County, from Orange County, Virginia, several years before the county was organized ... (--Randolph Co., p. 173.)
[9]
Roanoke (Cont)
It is situated in the southwest corner of the county on the Howard County Line, on Sec. 10, Twp. 52 N, R. 16 W at the junction of 3 & 129.
Mail is via Armstrong -- Howard County. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
See under Roanoke, in a Directory of Howard County -- Moser.
Rolling Home Chariton Township
At Rolling Home were a dry goods and grocery store, and a blacksmith shop. J. B. Carney was the postmaster, and Joseph H. Frazier, physician. (--Randolph Co., pp. 144, 145.)
Rolling Home was a post-office 15 miles northwest of Huntsville. (--Campbell, 470.)
It was near Chariton County line. (--Williams, p. 491.)
Ryder
Ryder was situated on Sec. 13, Twp. 52, N, R. 14 W on AA north of B.
Shafton Prairie Township
It was about two miles south of Renick, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad. It was a mining town, and had a population of about 200. (--Randolph Co., p. 162.)
Thomas Hill Chariton Township
At Thomas Hill were an extensive dry-goods and grocery store, a drug store, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, and a saw and grist-mill. Dr. W. W. Vasse was the sole physician. J. R. Wren was postmaster, and W. A. Hunnes, was Justice of the Peace. (--Randolph Co., p. 144.)
Thomas Hill is on R. F. D. from Clifton Hill. (--Williams, 491; Rand McNally, 1974.)
It is situated on Sec. 36, Twp. 55 N, R. 16 W on F east of 3.
Thomasville
Thomasville was nine miles northwest of Huntsville, and had one store and a Baptist Church. (--Campbell, 470; (There is a Thomasville in Oregon Co.) Rand, 1974.)
Uptonville
See Mt. Airy.
[10]
Van Buren
See Roanoke.
Van Buren is the county seat of Carter Co. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Yates
Yates is located in the southwest corner of the county five miles west of Higbee. (--Williams, 491.)
It is situated on Sec. 9, Twp. 52 N, R. 15 on B west of Higbee.
Mail is via Higbee; population 50. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)