Springfield-Greene
County LibraryCompiled by Arthur Paul Moser
Worth County
[1]
Allenville
See Allendale.
There is an Allenville in Cape Girardeau County. (--Standard Reference Guide of Mo., 1974, Rand, McNally.)
Allendale
The town of Allendale was laid out September 5, 1868 by two brothers -- Joel and William C. Allen -- who christened the town Allenville, but there being another town, or post-office in the State called Allenville, the name was changed to Allendale ... The original town site occupied the southeast quarter of Section 28 and the northeast quarter of Section 33, Twp. 66 N, R. 30 W ...
The first business in the town was that of James Conrad, who was the saloon keeper. The first store of general merchandise was opened by Joel & W. C. Allen ... I. B. Crecilius was postmaster. (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 574, 715.)
It is situated at Sec. 27, 28, 33 & 34, Twp. 66 N, R. 30 W, at the junction of 46, C & T. (--Gen. Highway Map of Worth Co., issued by the Missouri State Highway Department, 10-1-65. Unless otherwise noted all map locations are from this map.)
Athelstan elevation 1093 feet
It is in the northwest corner of the county on the Iowa State Line. (--The State of Mo., in 1904, Walter Williams, p. 541.)
It is a station on the C.& N. W. Railroad; no population shown. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
It is situated at Sec. 32, Twp. 67 N, R. 32 W. The greater portion of Athelstan is in Taylor County, Iowa. Mail via Blockton, IA. (--Rand, McNally Commercial Atlas & Marketing Guide, 1978, p. 222.)
Defiance
About four miles a little south of west of Isadora was the town of Defiance. The founders of the town were Isaac Davis and Jacob Winemiller, who laid it out in 1872.
Jacob Winemiller was the first postmaster. Dr. C. O. Skinner was the first physician. Jacob Winemiller erected a grist mill (run by water) about the year 1869 ... (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 589.)
Defiance is not listed in Worth Co.; is listed in St. Charles Co. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
[2]
Denver
Denver is located on the East Fork of Grand River, ten miles southeast of Grant City, and is the second town in size in the county ...
The original town of Denver was laid out about the year 1849, its business houses being built across a small square or park. Its founder was one William McNight, who purchased the town site from William Swaim, who, although he had built a small cabin, had made no claim. The land is the northwest quarter of Sec. 31, Twp. 65 N, R. 30 W and was entered by McKnight in 1849.
The first business house -- general merchandise -- was erected and operated by Charles W. Mattox, who was not only the first merchant in the town but was the first physician and first postmaster.
John Newbro opened the first blacksmith shop in the town ... Denver was called Fairview until 1871. The post-office was called Grant's Hill, but during that year the name of the post-office and town were changed to Denver, at the suggestion of W. H. Campbell, who was circuit clerk in 1882 ... I. B. Garrison was postmaster ... (--Hist. of Worth Co., pp. 527, 531, 715.)
It is situated at Secs. 30, 31, R. 30 W and Sec. 36, R. 31 W, Twp. 65 N, near Gentry County line on Highway M, west of C.
Denver had a flouring mill, woolen factory, brick factory, a weekly paper "The Tribune" and about eighteen miscellaneous stores and shops. (--Conard, Vol. 2, p. 267.)
Ellenorah
Ellenorah was located in Section 24, Range 31 West, Township 64 N, Union Grove Township. (--New Atlas of Mo., 1874, Campbell, Map ?.)
Fairview
See Denver.
Fletcher's Grove Not a Town
This grove was situated about five miles northeast of Grant City, and was two miles in width and three in length, and afforded the advantages of both timber and water which were necessary to the settlers in building a home ...
Joseph Campbell was from Posey County, Ind. He continued to reside in Fletchall's Grove until the commencement of the Civil War ... Nathan Fletcher was the blacksmith for the grove ... John Fletchall erected a horse-mill in 1848 in the grove, and some years afterwards William Fletchall and Alexander Grindstaff located a steam grist-mill on the Middle Fork of Grand River, and on the road leading from Fletchall's Grove to Lot's Grove ... Jacob Fletchall erected a steam mill ... in the grove. (--Hist. of Worth Co. pp. 535, 536, 537, 538.)
[3]
Friend
Friend was located in the southeast corner of the county near Harrison County line, on R. F. D. from Denver. (--The State of Mo., in 1904, Williams, p. 541.)
The post-office was discontinued in 1905. (--General Scheme of Mo. 1905, Taft; for the use of railway mail clerks.)
It is no longer listed.
Grant's Hill
See Denver.
Grant City
Grant City was located in February, 1863, on the south half of the southwest quarter of Sec. 28, and also twenty-four acres off of the east end of the north half of the northwest quarter of Sec. 33, all in Twp. 66 N, Range 31 W ...
At the suggestion of Daniel Null, a member of the county board, the new town was named in honor of General U. S. Grant ...
The first house in Grant City was put up by John H. Pierce, Esq ... The first merchant in the town was Amos Frakers ... The first postmaster was Charles Swarthout ... S. M. Zeluff was postmaster in 1882. (--Hist. of Worth Co., pp. 539, 540, 715.)
It is situated at Secs. 28, 29, 32 & 33 in Twp. 66 N, R. 31 W at the junction of 48 & 169.
Grant's Hill Post Office
See Denver.
Honey Grove
Honey Grove was a post-office five miles north of Grant City. (Campbell's Gazetteer of Mo., 1874, p. 647.)
It was in Fletchall Township. (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 537.) It is no longer listed.
Hudson City
Hudson City was a post-office twelve miles northeast of Grant City. (--Campbell, p. 647.)
The post-office was discontinued about 1882. (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 715.)
[4]
Iona
Iona was on the Iowa State line, east of Athelstan. (--Map of Mo., 1884.) It is no longer listed.
Irena
Irena is northeast of Isadora near the Iowa border. (--Rand, McNally Evening in Wisconsin Edition Atlas, 1846, p. 48.)
It is four and one-half miles north of Grant City. (--Williams, p. 541.)
It is located at Sec. 3, Twp. 66 N, R. 31 W on 169 south of PP.
Mail via Grant City; no population shown. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Isadora
The town is one of the oldest in the county, the date of its earliest existence reaching back to 1864. The original proprietor of the soil upon which the town was platted, was one Elijah Vaden, who came about the year 1834 and proceeded at once to erect a log cabin ...
In August, 1862 he disposed of his claim to Rinaldo Brown ... who was a native of Troy, N. Y. where he was born in 1819. He had owned a mill in Taylor County, Iowa. In August, 1863 he moved his mill (saw and grist) from Iowa to Isadora, and rebuilt it on a much more enlarged plan, on the bank of the West Fork of Grand River, where he continued to operate until the spring of 1882 ... Brown ... just after the completion of his mill, laid out the town of Isadora.
The pioneer merchants were Brown & Mason, who opened a store of general merchandise in 1864 or 1865 ... Dr. Latham was the first physician. Rinaldo Brown was the first postmaster. (--Hist. of Worth Co., pp. 587, 588.)
It is situated at Sec. 16, Twp. 66 N, R. 32 W at the north end of Highway A.
Mail via Grant City -- rural. No population shown. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Lot's Grove Smith Township Not a Town
It was in the northeast part of the township and was from one to three miles in width and about twelve miles in length ... The name of the first settler ... was Henry Lot, who, from the most reliable sources ... came to the county in 1840, and built a small cabin in the northeast part of the grove. Later he sold his claim to a man named Wolfe. The grove was then called Wolfe's Grove by the old settlers, but now (1882) often called Lot's Grove ... (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 570.)
[5]
Lot's Grove (Cont)
It was located at Sec. 14, Twp. 66 N, R. 30 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., 1874, Campbell, Map 15.)
Marietta Post Office Union Township
Marietta Post Office was a small business point located on the ridge, on the east side of West Fork. It had a post-office which was established in ?. Caleb Canaday was the first postmaster, and the last, as he held the position until the Civil War, when the office was discontinued. Canaday owned and operated the first store; Robert Dryden was the blacksmith ... Dr. Froman ... was the physician ... He came in 1857 ... Marietta lives only in the memory of the old settlers. (--Hist. of Worth Co., pp. 585, 586.)
Mt. Waller
Mt. Waller was southeast of Grant City, at Sec. 3, Twp. 65 N, R. 31 W. It is no longer listed.
Mineral Spring Smith Township
See Douglass Mill.
Oxford
The town of Oxford, when laid out, was called West Point, after Carter West, who was its founder and pioneer business man. Carter West did business there before the town was laid out. The plat was filed June 27, 1856 ...
Among the earliest settlers in the town and township -- Greene -- was Samuel Harris, who had general merchandise. Thomas Powell was one of the first postmasters. Jackson Sharp was postmaster in 1882.
Oxford is ten miles from Grant City, the county seat and in a southwesterly direction. (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 562.)
It is situated at Sec. 19, Twp. 65 N, R. 32 W on Highway W in the southwest corner of the county.
Mail via Parnell; population 45. (--Rand, McNally, 1974.)
Prohibition City
After the county seat was located at Grant City, many of the buildings at Smithton were taken down and re-built at Grant City. The inhabitants continued to desert the old town, until in 1875, there was scarcely a vestige of it remaining. The post-office
[6]
Prohibition City (Cont)
which had for several years been discontinued, was re-established about the year 1875, as Prohibition City, so called because of the fact that the original owner of the town was a strong, uncompromising temperance man. There is, however, no post-office or any kind of business done now (1882) at Prohibition ... William Davidson was postmaster. The post-office was discontinued about 1882. (--Hist. of Worth Co., pp. 568, 715.)
See Smithton.
Rose Hill Post Office
Rose Hill Post Office was near West Point in Greene Township. It was situated at Sec. 19, Twp. 65 N, R. 32 W. (--New Atlas of Mo., Map 15.)
Sheridan elevation 1045 feet
Sheridan, twelve and a half miles west of Grant City near Nodaway County line is on the Platte River and the Chicago, Great Western R. R. (--Williams, p. 541.)
It is an incorporated village, on the Platte River and on the Chicago, Great Western R. R., fourteen miles west of Grant City. It had two churches, a public school, roller flouring-mill, a creamery, bank, a newspaper, the "Advance," and about twenty-five miscellaneous business places, including stores, shops etc. Population (estimated 1899) 500. (--Conard, Vol. 5, p. 586.)
It is situated at Sec. 14, 15, 22 & 23, Twp. 66 N, R. 33 W at the junction of H & 246.
Smithton Middle Fork Township
The town of Smithton exists only in name. It was once an aspiring, pretentious, village, reposing in the consciousness of being the county seat of Worth County. Its founder was Eli Smith, from Perry County, Ohio ... He came to Worth County in 1857 ... After coming to Worth County, he settled in Middle Fork Township, on the town site of what was afterwards called Smithton. The original owner of the quarter section upon which the town was located was Christopher Shinkle ... The land was purchased by Mr. Smith, who soon afterward laid out the foundation of the future town. He built the first business house, a frame building, which was twenty-four feet by forty. This building contained a second story which was called the hall. Here the first county and circuit courts were held, and here the first county officials had their offices
[7]
Smithton (Cont)
from 1861 to 1863 ...
The first blacksmith in the town was Eli Shamer. P. R. Cadle, at one time county-clerk, made the first wagon. Eli Smith was the first postmaster. William Davidson was the last. (--Hist. of Worth Co., pp. 565, 566, 715.)
See Prohibition City.
There was a Smithton in Boone County. (--Conard, Vol. 6, p. 10.)
There is a Smithton in Pettis County. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
Tarleton City See Smithton
Cornelius Brown built the second house in Smithton, or rather in what was called Tarleton City, which was an embryo town on the west side of Smithton and a rival of the latter. The rivalry, however, was of a transitory nature, as the house of Cornelius Brown remained the first and last monument that marked the cite of Tarleton City ... (--Hist. of Worth Co., po. 566.)
West Point
West Point was named after Carter West, who was its founder and pioneer business man. Carter West did business there before the town was laid out. The plat was filed June 27, 1856 ... (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 562.) (Location unknown.)
It is no longer listed.
Winemiller's Mills
It was a place of considerable importance ... It was located on Platte River, about eleven miles north of Grant City, and had a fine water power capable of running any machinery that might be required for manufacturing purposes. There was, also, a general store and a post-office at this point. (--Campbell, p. 648.) It is no longer listed.
Worth elevation 930 feet
Worth is a post-office twelve miles west of Grant City. (--Campbell, p. 648.)
The post-office was discontinued about 1882. (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 715.)
The post-office has been re-established; Zip 64499. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)
It is situated at Sec. 25, Twp. 65 N, R. 31 W on YY south of W near Gentry Co. line.
[8]
Worthville
See Smithton. (--Hist. of Worth Co., p. 599.)