Bates County, Missouri American History and Genealogy Project





BATES COUNTY MISSOURI HISTORY
The Towns of Bates County
"The Old Settlers' History of Bates County, Missouri"
Tathwell and Maxey, Amsterdam, Missouri, 1900


BUTLER. From the somewhat checkered career of the county seat from its foundation, through its early and prosperous career, through its reconstruction and rebuilding, and in the beginning of the present period find it once again a busy, prosperous little town, "The Queen of the Prairies" of Bates County. She was beginning to consider herself a city, having secured a large two-story brick school building, thoroughly equipped with modern appliances, and a commodious and substantial brick court house, which compared favorably with the public buildings of older and more populous counties. She had many good business houses, and some creditable residences. She had banks, stores, shops, mills. newspapers, and all the various industries, but no railroad. Such parts of the material for her buildings as could not be supplied from her surroundings had to be hauled long distances from some more favored town. The merchandise for her stores and goods for her shops had to be freighted from points on the railway. She was compelled to depend on the slow "star routes" for her mails, and on the cumbersome stage coach for transportation facilities. She could not put on cosmopolitan airs and be a really big town until she could boast of railway connections with the outside world. Her goods were freighted from Appleton City, in St. Clair county, twenty miles to the south-east. Harrisonville, the county seat of Cass county, thirty miles north, and La Cygne, Kansas, the same distance to the northwest; the greater part, however, from the first named place.

This freighting grew to be an important industry in which a large number of men and teams were employed. In the ten years from 1870 to 1880, thousands of loads of goods, representing a monetary value of millions of dollars, were freighted over the long and hilly roads between Appleton City and Butler.

Yet, in the face of all disadvantages, Butler continued'to prosper and grow. The surrounding country was rapidly filled up with industrious farmers and her trade increased correspondingly. Her most direct mail route was from Harrisonville, but she also received mails from Appleton City, and from La Cygne, Kansas. Substantial church buildings were erected by the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian denominations, the two former brick and the latter frame. A row of business houses surrounded the public square, and the town made good and substantial progress during the seventies.

In 1880 came the railway, and then in '81 electric lights, which at that time were considered strictly cosmopolitan. But the railway which they had striven for so long a time, also brought competitors for Butler. Towns sprang up which encroached on her territory. There is always the thorn as well as the rose to be dealt with. But her enterprise was not the sort to be satisfied with a few good things. A few years later she obtained a complete system of waterworks, a plentiful and pure supply being obtained from the Miami River, four miles west of town. She built a second school building and a large academy, and later on, the first large school house was torn down and replaced by one of the finest and most completely equipped school buildings in the West. She also has a building for her colored pupils, and is building a fourth large building in order to supply the ever increasing demand for school room. She has, since 1880, erected five fine churches, having eight such buildings at present. Nearly all her business houses have been replaced by modern brick and stone buildings. She has three banks, five weekly and one daily newspapers. several of the largest and most substantial business firms in the Southwest, and many handsome and costly residences, and an estimated population of 5000 people.



RICH HILL. The original town now known as Old Rich Hill was founded in 1867, and had grown into it place of considerable importance by 1880, when the building of the Lexington branch of the Missouri Pacific through the county caused the removal of the greater part of the town to the present site of Rich Hill, which has since grown to be the largest city in the county�originally deriving its prosperity from the enormous coal deposits, it has widened its resources and branched out into numerous other enterprises and is still growing with every prospect of no immediate cessation. It has a population of about 6,000, fine public schools, one college, numerous churches and excellent railroad facilities.

Its smelters are also a source of great revenue to the city and from its coal supply, we predict that at no far distant day it will rank high as a manufacturing city.



ADRIAN. Adrian is situated on the L. & S. railway, in Deer Creek township, the corporation extending to the north line of Mound township. It was founded in 1880, the year the railroad commenced operations, by a company composed principally of Butler men. Situated in a fine agricultural section it has enjoyed a steady and substantial growth. The census of 1890 showed a population of 613; it now has upward of 1000 inhabitants. It has a splendid new school building, employs six teachers and has school nine months in the year. Its post-office was advanced to the Presidential class in 1896. It has substantial business houses, a bank, a mill, a weekly newspaper, several church buildings, and many handsome residences. In size and business done, it ranks third in the county.



HUME. The town of Hume was started in 1880, and is situated in the west part of Howard township, in the southwest corner of the county, on the Memphis branch railway. It is surrounded by a rolling prairie country, which is all under cultivation and very productive. It also has quite an extensive coal interest. It now has two railroads, the K. C. P. & G. having been built through the town ten years after its founding. It has as good shipping facilities as any town in the county. It had in 1890 a population of 486, which has been very considerably increased since that time. It has numerous stores, a bank, a creamery, an excellent weekly newspaper, a good two-story brick school building, good schools, churches, etc.



ROCKVILLE. Rockville is a thriving little village of some 600 souls, situate in the south-east part of the county on the M. K. & T. R. R., in Rockville township. It was founded in 1868, and now has an elegant new and commodious brick school building, and a fine school, employing four teachers, several churches, many fine business houses well stocked with merchandise, and situated as it is in a fine agricultural and stock raising part of the county has a bright future before it.



FOSTER. Foster was born on a boom. First called Walnut, it was re-christened in honor of Gov. Foster, of Ohio, who was at the head of the company which laid out the town in 1884. Lots were sold rapidly and at a high price. Many buildings were erected, and Foster was to rival, if not surpass, the mining town of Rich Hill. But the company failed to carry through its original plans, and her coal fields have not been extensively developed. After the collapse of the boom Foster did not make much progress for some years, but she is now enjoying a healthy growth, and awaits the development of her coal fields which will place her again to the front. She has a dozen stores, a bank, four churches and a large school building and excellent schools. Foster had a population of 513 in 1890, and has probably a little more than hold her own in that respect.



AMORET. Amoret was located in the western part of Homer township in 1889, by the company which obtained control of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf railway project, and was extensively advertised and pushed to the front by the same agency. The company made it division headquarters for a time, until the road was pushed further south. It has a fine location, enjoys a good local trade and is making a substantial growth. The rail way company owns a large tract of land adjacent to the town, which they have set to fruit trees. The town has several mercantile firms, a mill, a creamery and a number of other industries. It also has a weekly newspaper, a two-roomed frame school building and one church building.



AMSTERDAM. This town was laid out by the Amsterdam Town Co., C. A. Emerson manager, in the west part of West Point township, on the K. C. P. & G. R. R. in 1891. The post-office was at first called Burrows, after the first postmaster, and the station sported another cognomen. The railroad company had no interest in the land, and it was not started with a boom. Its growth has been slow, but steady. It is one of the best shipping points on the road. It is surrounded by a fine farm and stock raising country, and coal is mined on three sides of the town. It has over a dozen business firms, a bank, a weekly newspaper, a substantial two story brick school building and two churches.



MERWIN. Also on the K. C. P. & G. railway, in West Boone township, near the Kansas line, was located at the time of the building of the road on the land owned by L. S. Richardson. The town has enjoyed a substantial growth and lively trade. It has a number of good brick business houses and good stores, a two-story frame school building, two church buildings, a bank, a creamery and a weekly newspaper. It also has a fine college building, the school being under the successful management of Professors Bunyard, Smith and Reynolds.



JOHNSTOWN. Johnstown, the metropolis of Spruce township, is one of the oldest towns in the county, and has been treated as such heretofore. Once the metropolis of the county, it has long since fallen from that high position, and is now only a little inland village, with only the memories of its former greatness, but yet controls a large amount of local trade, notwithstanding its many misfortunes. Surrounded as it is by a noble, generous and enterprising people, it will ever live, at least in the memory of the writer as that spot around which cluster the remembrance of the hopes, aspirations and disappointments of his youth and early manhood.



OTHER TOWNS AND POST OFFICES. Spruce is an inland village of Deepwater township; was founded in 1885. It now has three general stores, drugstore, blacksmith shop. school house and two churches. Pleasantgap, in Pleasant Gap township, now transacts considerable local business. Papinsville has survived many hardships and is now a lively village. Aaron, founded four of five years since near the west line of Mingo township, has a post-office and general store. Maysburg, also in Mingo township, started in 1878, now has several business firms. Prairie City, in Prairie township, in early days an aspirant for railway advantages, is now composed of post-office and several stores. Virginia, located in Charlotte township, has a post office, two churches and several stores. Lone Oak is a post-office and trading point in Pleasant Gap township. Ballard, a small village, with post office, in north-western part of Spruce township. Altona, in Grand River township, established just before the war. Sprague, in the east part of Howard township, has two hundred citizens and several business firms. Burdett, in East Boone township, is an old town of considerable local importance. Dana occupies the site of old West Point. Vinton, also in West Point township. Elkhart is the local trading point of Elkhart township. Mulberry, in Homer, still transacts considerable business. Worland is a village in Walnut township, New Home, Cornland and Nyhart are in New Home township; Peru, in Lone Oak; Reynard, in Hudson, and Shobe, in New Home township. Passaic, railway station in Mound, and Culver, on line between Shawnee, and Spruce. The above named places all have post-offices.










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