Midwest Gazetteer | Poplar Bluff, Missouri

Overview

Named for the many poplar trees that grew along a bluff overlooking the Black River where the town was founded.

Ashcroft Addition (Neighborhood in Poplar Bluff)
- Previously known as: Ashcroft-Macon Addition
- Alternate name: Dog Town
- Located in the southeast part of town near the Ashcroft Mill.
- Latitude & Longitude: 36°44'39" N, 90°23'22" W
- Elevation: 323
- Name origin: Named for Joseph Ashcroft, co-founder of the Ashcroft Mill, a major employer in this part of town
- Joseph Ashcroft, mill owner, and John and Henry Macon, landowners, platted the addition on 40 acres of land in 1913.
Kelly Town (Neighborhood in Poplar Bluff)
- Located on the south side of Poplar Bluff, west of the Iron Mountain railroad
- Latitude & Longitude: 36°45'02" N, 90°24'09" W
- Elevation: 350
- Name origin: Named for Joe Kelly, real estate developer
Vinegar Hill (Neighborhood in Poplar Bluff)
- Previously known as: Molasses Run and Victory Hill
- Located in the southwest part of town
- Latitude & Longitude: 36°44'33" N, 90°24'05" W
- Elevation: 333
- Name origin: According to one story, farmer Horace Horton spilled a load of vinegar and molasses from his wagon when climbing the hill. The names Vinegar Hill and Molasses Run stuck. Later, the area also became known as Victory Hill after the residents declared victory against the Tornado of 1927 by quickly rebuilding their houses.