Ghost Town USA’s

Guide to the Ghost Towns of

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

MISSOURI

 

Montgomery County is located in the east-central part of the state about 75 miles northwest of St. Louis.  The county seat is Montgomery City.

 

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INTRODUCTION

 

Unless noted otherwise, information on this web page is from original research by Gary B. Speck.  However, much information in these ghost town listings is quoted from postings to the Rootsweb Missouri Ghost Town discussion forum (MO-GT), and that information is indicated as follows.  Specific information and/or personal comments will be appropriately credited with either names or initials, like (MF) {Mike Flannigan}, or (GBS) {Me}. In some cases, I didn’t save the name, so those will be indicated as MO-GT. 

 

If you know of any Missouri ghost town location not listed on these pages, please contact the MO-GT discussion forum, if you are a member.  If you are not a member, please contact me and I’ll pass on the information to the group.  If you are interested in Missouri ghost towns and would like to join the group, let me know and I’ll tell you how to join the forum. 

 

Please note that some minor editing for editorial consistency and spelling WAS made, as well as spelling out of directions (N, SE, NNW, etc), and numbers less than ten.

 

Highways are marked thus...

  • CR – County Roads
  • SH – State Highway
  • USUS Highway
  • IInterstate Highway

 

Locations marked with a $ indicate an admission fee is charged to visit the site.

Unless noted otherwise, all indicated population figures are from the 1990 census. 

GNIS stands for the US Geologic Survey’s Geographic Names Information System. 

 

Many of these listed locations may be just rural post offices, country churches, schools, forts, stage stations, crossroads stores, mills or river fords, rather than what we normally consider towns.  The reason for that is that many of these smaller locations had small communities that grew up around the main business. 

 

Memories of the past glory of these one-time active communities still float like dust in the wind over Missouri’s hillsides and prairie.  The winds of time that created these ghosts reach deep into America's Heartland and those gentle zephyrs take those past memories and deposit them in front of you.  Reach out and grab them!  Without further ado, let’s visit some of Missouri’s many hundreds of ghost towns!

 

PLEASE NOTE: 

Where photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page.  More photos will be added over time.

 

THE GHOSTS

 

 

SITE NAME

 

POPULATION

1990

U.N.O.

 

DESCRIPTION & LOCATION

BAKERS MILL

 

This mill was located in southwestern Danville Township, on the east bank of the Loutre River. It was a water-powered mill built about 1840 - 1844 and operated by Sylvester and Captain John Baker, after whom it was probably named.

It was probably located near Big Spring. (Mike Flannigan)

BELLEVILLE STORE

AKA – Half-Way House

 

This discontinued Post Office and store were located on Little Bear Creek, in eastern Bear Creek Township. It was established by a Mr. Hoss and named for his oldest daughter, Belle. It was also known also as Half-Way House, due to its location midway on the Truxton-Jonesburg mail route. (Mike Flannigan)

BESTS BOTTOM POST OFFICE

 

This boat landing (Kallmeyers Landing) was on bottomland along the Missouri River in south-central Loutre Township.  John Best, a Kentuckian, located here in 1808 and built a fort.  Bests Bottom Post Office was also located here. The boat landing was named for Garrett Kallmeyer, owner of the landing, and here. It looks like this was across the river from Gasconade, MO.  There are still a few homes in the area. 

(Mike Flannigan)

CARROLLS MILL

 

This was a water-powered mill in northern Loutre Township, near Big Spring. It was built and operated by Charles Carroll.  (Mike Flannigan)

COBBTOWN

 

Founded as early as 1823, this early settlement was located in southwestern Montgomery Township.  It was established by Samuel Cobb, Sr., and his three sons, Samuel Jr, Adam, and Philip, and later by relatives of the Cobbs. Hence the name.  (Mike Flannigan)

DANVILLE

75

This town is located five miles south of Montgomery City. 

DRYDEN & SHARPS STORE

 

This store was in southern Bear Creek Township. It was built in 1853 and operated by F H Dryden and Benjamin Sharp and named for them. A post office, (since relocated) to High Hill, was located here for a short time.  (Mike Flannigan)

DRYDENS MILL

 

This mill was in northeast Danville Township, two miles west of New Florence.  It was a horse-powered mill built by Thomas Dryden, who came from Virginia in 1828 or 1830 and for whom the mill was named.  (Mike Flannigan)

ERBSLOW & MONNIGS MILL

 

This old mill was located in Loutre Township. It was built by a Mr. Erbslow and partly financed by Hugo Monnig. It was later operated only by Mr. Monnig.  (Mike Flannigan)

JONES LANDING

 

This early Missouri River landing was located in Loutre Township and named for the owner, W P H Jones.  (Mike Flannigan)

KALLMEYERS LANDING

& BEST’S BOTTOM POST OFFICE

 

This boat landing was on bottomland along the Missouri River in south-central Loutre Township.  John Best, a Kentuckian, located here in 1808 and built a fort.  Bests Bottom Post Office was also located here. The boat landing was named for Garrett Kallmeyer, owner of the landing, and here. It looks like this was across the river from Gasconade, MO. Very interesting area.  There are still a few homes in the area. 

(Mike Flannigan)

KINGS MILLS

 

This was a water-powered mill in eastern Bear Creek Township, operated by Isaac King, for whom it was named.  May be located near Bellflower?  (Mike Flannigan)

LEWISTON

0

This is an extinct village in southwestern Bear Creek Township, near the present site of High Hill (1990 population – 204 - GBS).  It was founded in 1825 and became the second county seat of Montgomery Co., from 1826 until it was moved to Danville in 1834.  It was evidently named for General Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark expedition, whose trek westward in the early 19th century brought them fame. (GNIS)

Hard to believe this one is lost!  (Mike Flannigan)

LIEGE

 

AKA – New Bellflower

 

This village was named for Liege, Belgium, and was also known as New Bellflower, from the older adjoining town by the same name (only the railroad separated them).  Because of the similarity of names, the name was changed to Liege.  It was laid out in July, 1903. (Mike Flannigan)

LIVING SPRING

 

Anybody heard of Living Spring?  (Mike Flannigan)

LOUTRE ISLAND

0

This (populated place) was in southeastern Loutre Township, and was the first settlement of the county, dating back probably to 1798 and begun by Hale and Christopher Talbot. The Post Office here was moved to McKittrick in 1895. It was named from its location on Loutre Island. (GNIS)

Somebody has hopefully recorded the history of this area, because it is a very interesting area.  (Mike Flannigan)

Loutre Island was about where the Warren/Montgomery County line meets the Missouri River.  GNIS also lists a Loutre Island in Warren County.  (GBS)

LOUTRE LICK

AKA – Van Bibbers Lick

 

This was one of the earliest settlements of the county, settled between 1808 and 1810 and so named because of its location near a salt lick on Loutre River.  It was also known as Van Bibbers Lick, for Major Isaac Van Bibber, who migrated to MO in 1800 from KY. Here he erected a hotel, some cabins, and stables.  He tried unsuccessfully to operate a salt mill.  (GNIS)

Fascinating.  I need to check this one out myself someday.  (Mike Flannigan)

MINEOLA

60

This tiny town is located in the western part of the county, just a couple miles west-southwest of Danville. 

MINEOLA SPRING

 

Anybody heard of Mineola Springs?  (Mike Flannigan)

NETTLES FORD

 

This ford is in Danville Township, along the Loutre River, and on the cross-state stagecoach route.  Nettle was a pioneer settler here.  (Mike Flannigan)

NEUE HOLLE

 

This short-lived, late 19th Century communal settlement in Danville Township was established by twenty families of German Radicals. The name, German for New Hell, was chosen in a spirit of defiance.  (Mike Flannigan)

OWINGS STORE

 

This store was in southern Bear Creek Township, and was operated by and named for David R. Owings. The High Hill post office operated here for a short time after its removal from the present site of Jonesburg.  (Mike Flannigan)

PERSINGERS MILL

 

This was an early horse-powered mill in southern Loutre Township. It was named for the owner, Alexander Persinger.  (Mike Flannigan)

PINCKNEY

0

Located along the Missouri River.  In 1818, when the county was formed, Pinckney served as the first county seat.  In 1826, it was moved to Lewiston. Exact location not determined.  (GBS)

SUGARTOWN

 

This was a rural settlement in southern Loutre Township, west of Rhineland. It was named for the many sugar trees in the vicinity. (Mike Flannigan)

WINTERS MILL

 

This mill was in northwestern Danville Township, on Whetstone Creek.  It was built by Sterling Winter in the early 1870's.  (Mike Flannigan)

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

 

Historians estimate that there may be as many as 50,000 ghost towns scattered across the United States of America. During the next five years, Gary B. Speck Publications will be publishing unique state, regional, and county guides called

The Ghost Town Guru's Guide

to the Ghost Towns of ***

These original guides are designed for anybody interested in

ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind them, they will be a welcome addition to any ghost towner's library.

Thank you, and we'll see you out on the Ghost Town Trail!

 

For more information on the ghost towns of MISSOURI,

contact us at

Ghost Town USA.

 

E-mailers, PLEASE NOTE:

Due to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer open any e-mails with unsolicited attachments, or messages on the subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help Please”, “???”, or blank subject lines, etc.  If you do send an E-mail asking for information, or sharing information, PLEASE indicate the appropriate location AND state name, or other topic on the “subject” line.  THANK YOU!  :o)

IMPORTANT

 

These listings and historical vignettes of ghost towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in MISSOURI above are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites.

 

If the reader of this guide is a metal detector user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic hunting, it is the READER'S responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners. Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or local laws restricting the same.

When you are exploring the ghost towns of MISSOURI, please abide by the

 Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics.

 

 

Also visit:

 

Ghost Town USA’s Ghost Towns of Missouri

 
Missouri Ghost Town locations with names beginning:

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | PQ | R | S | T | UV | W | XYZ

 

Detailed information on individual locations:

BLYTHEDALE | Haran | McLellan Spings | Rivermines

 

Listings of related groups of locations

FERRIES | MILLS | RURAL POST OFFICES | WAY STATIONS

 

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Also visit: Ghost Town USA’s

 

Home Page | Site Map | Ghost Town Listings | Photo Gallery | Treasure Legends

CURRENT Ghost Town of the Month | PAST Ghost Towns of the Month

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics | Publications | Genealogy | License Plate Collecting

 

A few LINKS to outside webpages:

Ghost Towns | Treasure Hunting | License Plate Collecting | Genealogy

 

 

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FIRST POSTED: Jan 17, 2004

LAST UPDATE: Dec 31, 2005

 

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This entire website, and all individual web pages is
copyright © 1998-2010
by Gary B Speck Publications

 

 

ON THIS PAGE, copyright is not claimed for information quoted from the Missouri Ghost Town discussion group, which is marked as noted in the introduction above.  All other unmarked information falls under Gary B. Speck Publication’s copyright protection.

 

The MO GT DISCUSSION FORUM information is posted as a public service for all “subscribers” to the group and is posted with their permission.  It is not to be used for commercial gain without the express written consent of the individuals who make up this discussion forum.

If you have any questions regarding this disclaimer, please contact me at GHOST TOWN USA

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