History of Callaway County Communities

AUXVASSE 

The town of Auxvasse in northern Callaway County was laid out in 1871, but not recorded until October 23, 1873. It was officially incorporated in November 6, 1885. Originally named Clinton City, it was changed to Auxvasse by the post office in 1872.  According to legend, the name evolves from the French “ Riviere aux Vases” or “River with miry places.” Auxvasse is home of the Callaway Youth Expo, Auxvasse Rodeo, Loafers Week and other events throughout the year. Read the full history here.

BACHELOR

Bachelor got its named after the creek of the same name, located near the town.  Unsubstantiated folklore says the creek got its name because two single men (bachelors) moved to the area and established residence on the banks of the creek.  Bachelor was once made up of two post offices; a store; and four one-room school houses, which are all gone now. Two churches, Friendship Christian Church (now called Christian and Community Church) and Harmony Baptist Church still conduct worship services on Sundays. Read the full history report here.

BOYDSVILLE

This village, assumed to be named for Thomas Boyd of Pennsylvania, who settled in Callaway County in 1827, or one of his descendants.  As Boydsville grew – through the 1940s, there three general stores, a post office, switchboard operators, doctors, two schools, and a mill.  The Depression hit the area very heavily in 1929, many farms foreclosed in the 1930s, and by the late 1940s the US government had bought most of the farms. Read the full history report here.

CALWOOD

The heart of Calwood has always been its general store.  The current store is a general store and feed store; operated by Terry and Dudley Wright, the third generation of Wrights to operate the store.  In the past, other businesses included: a service station that had gas, a garage, and a lunch counter; blacksmith shops; automobile garages; a school; and a post office.  Twenty-four farmers were in the area during the first quarter of the century…currently, there are twelve. Read the full history report here.

CARRINGTON

Laid out by William Carrington on June 5, 1872, Carrington was quite prosperous.  For many years, it thrived with a railroad, grocery stores, dry goods stores, blacksmith shop, etc.  The tornado of May 8, 1927, the Stock Market Crash in 1929, and the ceasing of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, caused the destruction of Carrington.  There is now green grass, a few homes, and a church. Interestingly, there is a continuous line of descent from the founder William Carrington…presently, Roy Carrington lives on the ancestral home place. Read the full history report here.

CEDAR CITY

Cedar City, in southern Callaway County was laid out in 1866. The owner of the Cedar City Land Company petitioned for articles of incorporation in 1870. The name represented the numerous cedar trees along the Missouri River bluffs that overlooked the town. While Cedar City has been incorporated by Jefferson City, the area is home to the Jefferson City airport, a golf center with a 9-hole par-3 course, driving range and mini golf. Read the full history here.

CONCORD

History report coming soon. Read the full history here.

FULTON 

The county seat of Fulton was founded in 1825 and incorporated March 14, 1859. It was first named after the French author Count Constantine de Volney. Two months later, it was renamed in honor of steamboat inventor, Robert Fulton. Fulton gained international attention in 1946 when Winston Churchill visited as a guest of President Harry S Truman. Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech was a harbinger of the the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. The National Churchill Museum, which is housed in a 17th-century church relocated from London, commemorates the event. Nearby stands the largest section of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany. Fulton’s downtown “Brick District” received special recognition by Smithsonian Magazine and Budget Travel in 2019. Read the full history here.

HAMS PRAIRIE 

Hams Prairie was named for Rev. John Ham, a Methodist minister who came to Callaway County in 1815.  Callaway County’s first court house was located in the tavern home of Henry Brite from 1821-1824, located about one half mile northwest of the current town of Hams Prairie.  A church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and a general store, built in 1908 by W. Scott Payne, are still in operation today. In the past, there was also a physician, Dr. W. O. Payne; the home of the County Infirmary for the Aged; and a post office. Read the full history report here.

HATTON

Hatton, in northwestern Callaway County was established in February, 1881. It was originally known as Brighton after the local Bright family. However, there was already a post office named Brighton in Polk County, so the name was changed in 1882 to Hatton in honor of the Postmaster General. The community is known today for the popular Hatton Craft Day, held the first Saturday of October. Read the full history here.

HOLTS SUMMIT

The early pioneer settlement of Holts Summit finds that folks were from the state of Virginia. Abner Holt and his family arrived in the unnamed community we know as “Holts Summit,” in 1821. While working in his father’s mill, third son, John, acquired a pioneer education which rendered him an expert in business affairs. The foundation for this community began in cultural growth. John Holt, “Uncle Jimmy,” as he was fondly called, became the founder of Holts Summit and one of the most highly respected citizens of Callaway County. Today, Holts Summit is the fastest growing city in Callaway County. The annual July 3 festival offers music, family fun and high quality fireworks display. Read the full history here.

MCCREDIE AND KINGDOM CITY

McCredie, located eight miles north of Fulton, was founded on September 20, 1871, by George P. McCredie. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, McCredie was a flourishing little town, due to the prosperous farms surrounding it. In 1872, the Chicago and Alton Branch Railroad was laid between Mexico and Cedar City. McCredie became the largest mule shipping point in Missouri. Old timers can remember when all the pens, stockyards, the road leading to town were filled with stock, all awaiting shipment. The Depression hit McCredie hard. The bank closed in 1929, followed by other businesses. Attempts were made to make the town “alive” again with street fairs, horse and mule shows, but these did not work. In 1970, McCredie became incorporated with Kingdom City in 1970. Today, Kingdom City is a bustling hub for travel services at the intersection of Interstate I-70 and U.S. Hwy 54. Read the full history here.

MILLERSBURG

Millersburg was laid out by Thomas Miller in October, 1829.  The first official name was spelled “Millersburgh.” The “h” was removed in 1862. Located on the Boone’s Lick Trail, Millersburg was a flourishing community served by stagecoach and freight line. These two businesses helped the town to flourish. You could have possibly gotten a job: with 2 physicians; 3 general stores; 2 saw mills; 2 coal mines, or with the shoemaker, blacksmith, Justice of the Peace, County Court, cooper’s shop, saloon, harness shop, grist mill, small factory, dress maker, mortuary. Today, the community serves as the halfway point between Columbia and Fulton, offering a variety of services including a winery, a fishing lake managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, as well as National Forest lands. Read the full history here.

MOKANE

The town of Mokane (St. Auber) was established between 1873 – 1890. A small group of houses and a store were created on the banks of the Missouri River, about a mile from Mokane’s present location. All of these buildings (except one house) were washed away by the River. Prior to the Civil War, the first house built in Mokane was a two-story brick home, with a basement. It was a farmhouse for most of the land on which Mokane was built. In 1907; The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad (MKT or KATY Railroad) was brought into Mokane and the population grew. Read the full history here.

PORTLAND

Nestled between bluffs along the wide Missouri River, this area was populated by Indians and maybe a few fur trappers until the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Archaeologists from the University of Missouri have excavated in a large cave near Portland and found many Indian artifacts, including the skeleton of an Indian child. The first plat of Portland was recorded in 1883 and became a booming town with the emergence of riverboats and railway. Read the full history report here.

READSVILLE

John A. Read began the town of Readsville in 1856. As Readsville began to grow, John became the first postmaster. Monroe “Bud” McCall was the owner of a woodworking and blacksmith shop (1879), later opening a general store, which was open until 1928. Dr. A.D. Offut practiced medicine and owned the drug store until his death 1903. Dr. L.W. Oberkrom served the communities needs until about 1960. In 1917, another general store was opened by Riley A. and Clyde N. Davis. They sold the store to Carl and Edith Dixon of St. Charles in 1978. This traditional country store was named “Readsville Trading Post” and housed the Post Office until 1958. The one room rural school at Readsville closed in 1959 as it became part of South Callaway R-II District in Mokane. Currently, the Bethel United Methodist Church is still in operation. Read the full history here.

STEEDMAN

Dr. I.G.W. Steedman of St. Louis owned several thousand acres, centrally located in the Big Survey No. 1712.  The town was named after Dr. Steedman. Steedman was a depot station for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad in 1893.  In those early years, the passenger trains made regular stops. A one-room school house was built north of the store, with one teacher teaching all eight grades until it merged with the South Callaway R-11 District in Mokane in 1957.  There was also a blacksmith shop in those early years.

As of July, 1983, Steedman consists of the following:  The Steedman Bank, chartered in 1915; The Lawrence & Co. Store, built in 1893; A Post Office, first location in back of the Store in 1894, changing locations several times until the Post Office was built on the site where the first blacksmith shop once stood; and a church. Read the full history here.

TEBBETTS

In the early 1890’s, Martin L. Sentman gave the right-of-way for the Missouri, Kansas, Texas Railroad to build its main line through the Missouri River bottom in southern Callaway County. During the early years, Tebbets contained numerous businesses. The name “Tebbets” belonged to an officer of the construction company that built the railroad. Read the full history report here.

WILLIAMSBURG

The earliest settlement in the area seems to have been "Fruits," which had a post office established January 4, 1828. The Fruits post office closed September 27, 1935 and a new office opened under the designation of Williamsburg. Courthouse records date the plat to December 1, 1836. Tradition holds that B.G.D. Moxley, a partner of Harvey Williams, and a man named Compton laid out the town and in 1834. They also operated the first store. Williamsburg's became an important provisioning point for travelers. In 1921, B.R. Crane of Mineola purchased the T.V. Ham General Store. When US Hwy 40 was relocated in 1926 the Crane’s built their new store in Williamsburg. Today, the fourth generation of the Crane family continues to provision locals and travelers. Read the full history report here.