Butler County Mo Biographies Towns and Villages of Butler County By David B. Deem Submitted by: Sherry Link 2003 ************************************************************************ ‘History of Butler County Missouri’ by David Bruce Deem, Probate Judge, Butler County, MO Towns and Villages of Butler County Before 1849, when Poplar Bluff was selected as the county seat, there were no towns in Butler county. The community centers were at the church houses or dwellings of the settlers. Tradition has it that about 1825 a man by the name of Gillis came up Black river and established a trading post for the trappers and Indians on the high land in what is now known as Gillis Bluff, or Carola, but no real town was formed. A store and postoffice was established by Judge Kelly near the present town of Qulin. Another post was established on Cane Creek on what is now known as the Sparkman farm. HENDRICKSON Hendrickson is located about 14 miles north of Poplar Bluff on the main line of the Missouri Pacific railroad. The land was owned by Nathan W. Hendrickson (father of Ward and James Hendrickson) and the town took his name. It was the center of the Black river community. For a long time Hendrickson was a timber and iron ore town and still is the community center. HILLIARD Hilliard is a small town 7 miles north of Poplar Bluff, on the main line of the Missouri Pacific. It was founded in 1872 and was a timber center where ties, cord wood, and other timber products were loaded. It was first called Hill’s Yard but later shortened to the name Hilliard after George Hill who lived at that point and operated a wood yard. Since that time stores have operated there. HARVIELL This town is located seven miles south of Poplar Bluff on the Missouri Pacific and was founded about 1872. It has always been a busy little town, surrounded by a rich farming country, and the center of a large trade in hewed staves, piling, and stave bolts. It has had several factories and is still a lively community center. John Mangold, Captain Garrison, Jordan Pennington were pioneers in the mercantile and timber business here. The town was named Harviell after Simeon Harviell, a wealthy pioneer who owned the land when the town was laid out. NEELYVILLE Fourteen miles south of Poplar Bluff, on the main line of Missouri Pacific, is the town of Neelyville, first called Neely’s after the owner of the land where the town was located, but later called Neelyville. Situated in the center of the vast timber region of the south part of Butler county, and afterward the center of the large cotton country it has ever been a live town. Very large lumber mills have been located there and tram roads ran out to bring in the timber. In 1886 a branch railroad was built connecting Neelyville with Doniphan. The Boyden-Wyman Lumber Company, owning immense tracts of land in the vicinity, in the early 80’s erected an immense mill and for many years gave employment to hundreds of men, and as the timber was cut out farms were opened. At the present time there are several nice stores, cotton gins and other activities. Neelyville has a fine consolidated school, an active Chamber of Commerce and in every way maintains one of the finest small towns in the county. It has several times virtually been destroyed by fire, but in every instance it s citizens bravely rebuild. The Abingtons, the Reynolds, the Barnhills, the Owens, the Reises and others were the pioneer builders of this community. MOARK Moark is a little town just across the county line in Arkansas and was named after the States of Missouri and Arkansas and, while never large, is quite a timber center, and located in a fine cotton country. ASH HILL From the time of the building of the Cairo branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad in 1872, Ash Hill was the leading town outside of Poplar Bluff up until the late 90’s. It is located at the head of the high sandy lands known as Ash Hill country. In the early days it was situated in a fine timber country and having large saw mills, it flourished for years. It early had cotton gins and grist mills, but in the late 90’s, Fisk, located two miles east on the St. Francis river, absorbed a large part of the activities of the town. It still has stores and is quite a community center. Dr. B. C. Jones, Col. Hortsman, the Allisons, the Bates, the Hays, the Catos, and others were among the early pioneers of the Ash Hill country. FISK Situated on the west bank of the St. Francis river, on the Cairo branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and on highway 60 eleven miles east of Poplar Bluff is the live, progressive town of Fisk, with its splendid consolidated school, its fine churches and stores, bank and other institutions. This town was named after a timberman and river man, who conducted a business before the town was organized. Later the Garetson Lumber company located a large mill and factory, and after drainage made it habitable, Fisk became a leading center for a large farming and timber district. ROMBAUER Situated about seven miles northeast of Poplar Bluff on the Frisco railroad is the thriving little town of Rombauer, the community center for northeast Butler county. In 1901 and 1902 the St. L. M. & A. Railroad constructed a railway which entered Butler county near the northeast corner crossing the county diagonally and leaving Butler county in the southwest corner. At this time the town of Rombauer came into existence. VINEGAR HILL, KELLYTOWN In the south section of Poplar Bluff, are the thriving neighborhoods of Vinegar Hill and Kellytown, with splendid streets, fine residences and stores and churches. Vinegar Hill, is the oldest of the two neighborhoods, taking its name in 1881 when a farmer, Horace F. Horton, who lived four miles south of the city took a load of molasses and home made vinegar to the citizens of Poplar Bluff. Coming up the hill the end-gate of his wagon fell out, followed by the jugs of molasses and vinegar which broke and plastered the road into tow. The hill was named “Vinegar Hill” and “Molasses run” as it was known for many years. Kellytown was named after the founder, who platted it and exploited it. They are both now merged into the city and are known as South Poplar Bluff. LOST TOWNS OF BUTLER COUNTY PURDYVILLE In 1880 about four miles south of Poplar Bluff, on the main line of the railroad, the little village of “Purdyville” was located. It boasted over a hundred inhabitants and its principal business was timber, saw mills and tie yards. The village was named after a man named Purdy, who owned the timber and was the moving spirit, but as the timber was cut out, the town dwindled until it was entirely gone by 1900. POPLIN Just across St. Francis river about two miles east of Ash Hill in the 80’s was a little sawmill town, called Poplin, but in the 90’s a man by the name of Fisk, a steamboat and a timber man, started a town on the Butler county side of the river, which very soon absorbed the town of Poplin, now one of the lost towns. BATESVILLE When the Butler County Railroad was built south through Ash Hill, a thriving little town grew up on the Horace Bates farm. When the railroad was moved west a few miles and the line discontinued Batesville died a natural death. SPREAD About midway between Poplar Bluff and Broseley, on the line of the Butler county (now Frisco railroad) the town of Spread flourished for a few years, being supported by the timber business, but like Batesville, the town died a natural death when the timber was cut out. TAFT Some five miles below Harviell, and on the line of the S. L. M. & A. railroad, (now Frisco) the town of Taft was located. It never attracted much business but was a timber center for some few years. SAWYER About four or five miles northeast of Poplar Bluff, on the Frisco railroad about 1902 the town of Sawyer was located and for 10 or 15 years flourished, principally because of the timber traffic, but as time passed, the timber was removed and the town died. ************************************************************************ PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non- commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. Unauthorized use for commercial ventures expressly prohibited. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. 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