Carter County, Missouri

Overview

• Population: 5,941 (Change since 1990: +7.7%)
• Created: March 10, 1859
• County seat: Van Buren
• Largest town: Van Buren (Pop. 845)
• Name origin: Zimri A. Carter

Populated Places

• Barren (Historical)
  • Located south of Eastwood along Big Barren Creek near the Ripley County line, probably along County Road C-246
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°49'41" N, 91°00'51" W
  • Survey: T. 25 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 13
  • Elevation: 475
  • Civil township: Kelly
  • USGS Quad: Handy (Not shown)
  • Maps: 1895 McNally, 1904 McNally, 1920 Clason, and 1923 McNally
• Brame (Historical)
  • Located northeast of Van Buren
  • Latitude & Longitude: 37°02'19" N, 90°57'15" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 1 E., Sec. 4
  • Elevation: 600
  • Civil township: Carter
  • USGS Quad: Garwood (Shows Brame Cemetery)
  • Named Peter Brame, the first pioneer to settle in this area
  • Source: Moser
• Cates (Historical)
  • Located southwest of Leeper in the northeast corner of the county
  • Civil township: Jackson
  • Named for Jesse Cates, who owned a store and operated the post office here
  • Map: 1920 Clason
  • Source: Moser
• Chilton (Unincorporated)
  • Located on a county road beyond the end of Route T along Current River
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°55'59" N, 90°55'17" W
  • Survey: T. 26 N., R. 1 E., Sec. 2
  • Elevation: 433
  • Civil township: Kelly
  • School district: East Carter County R-2
  • USGS Quad: Big Spring
  • Station on the Current River Line between Hunter and Chicopee
  • Named for the Chilton family, local settlers
  • Founded: December 31, 1887 by George H. Nettleton
  • Map: MoDOT
  • Source: Moser
• Clear Spring (Historical)
  • Previously known as: Hen Peck
  • Located on Route D north of Van Buren
  • Latitude & Longitude: 37°03'37" N, 91°00'59" W
  • Survey: T. 28 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 36
  • Elevation: 556
  • Civil township: Carter
  • USGS Quad: Van Buren North
  • Maps: 1866 (Henpeck), 1873 (Henpeck), 1878 (Henpeck), and 1944 (Clear Spring)
  • Source: Moser
• Club House (Historical)
  • Located southeast of Chilton, probably in Copper Mine Hollow
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°55'17" N, 90°53'35" W
  • Survey: T. 26 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 7
  • Elevation: 425
  • Civil township: Johnson
  • USGS Quad: Big Spring (Not shown)
  • Flag stop on the Current River Line between Chilton and Hunter
  • Map: 1920 Clason
• Colemanville (Historical)
  • Alternate name: Colemansville
  • Located between Van Buren and Mill Spring
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 3
  • Civil township: North Jackson
  • Named for William Coleman, who opened a grist mill here
  • Maps: 1880 (Shown on road between Van Buren and Mill Spring) and 1889 Polk
  • Source: Moser
• Copper Mines (Historical)
  • Located near Chilton
  • Station on the Current River Line
  • Map: 1889 Polk
  • Source: Moser
• Crites (Historical)
  • Previously known as: Crits
  • Post office located west of Ellsinore
  • Named for the Crites family
  • Maps: 1886 (Crits) and 1889 Polk
  • Source: Moser
• Crites Corner (Unincorporated)
  • Located at the intersection of Old US 60 and CR 60-330 northwest of Ellsinore
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°57'01" N, 90°49'21" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 35
  • Elevation: 886
  • Civil township: Jackson
  • School district: East Carter County R-2
  • USGS Quad: Hunter
  • Named for Donald Crites, who opened a store here in 1927
  • Founded: 1927 by Donald Crites
  • Source: Moser
• Cummings (Historical)
  • Alternate name: Cumings
  • Located east of Fremont along the old railroad grade
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°58'25" N, 91°04'30" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 28
  • Elevation: 521
  • Civil township: Pike
  • USGS Quad: Van Buren South (Benchmark shown)
  • Station on Current River Line between Fremont and Van Buren
  • Maps: 1902 and 1920 Clason (Shows as Cumings)
  • Source: Moser
• Eastwood (Unincorporated)
  • Located at the intersection of Route C and Route F
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°53'27" N, 91°01'58" W
  • Survey: T. 26 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 26
  • Elevation: 918
  • Civil township: Kelly
  • USGS Quad: Van Buren South
  • Named for H. H. Eastwood, co-founder of a timber company with William Helm.
  • Founded: August 23, 1910, by Edna and William Helm
  • Maps: 1920 Clason and 1944
  • Source: Moser
• Ellsinore (Fourth-class city)
  • Population: 363 (Change since 1990: -10.4%)
  • Located in the vicinity of US 60, Route A, Route N, Route V, and Route DD
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°56'04" N, 90°44'47" W
  • Name origin: Uncertain
  • Founded: February 21, 1899 by Charles and Millie Herrin
  • Post office: Nov. 8, 1887 - Now
• Evens (Historical)
  • Previously known as: Owl Roost Mill
  • Alternate name: Evans
  • Located north of Ellsinore
  • Possibly named for a Mr. Evans, co-founder of the Owl Roost sawmill located here
  • Map: 1897 Galbraith
  • Source: Moser
• Freeland (Historical)
  • Located east of Ellsinore
  • Civil township: Johnson
  • Post office: Aug. 13, 1872 - Jul. 30, 1898
  • Maps: 1880, 1886, 1895 McNally, 1897 Galbraith, and 1902
• Fremont (Unincorporated)
  • Previously known as: Holland, Peggy, , and McDonald
  • Located on US 60 near the intersection of Route Y
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°57'08" N, 91°09'51" W
  • Elevation: 621
  • Civil township: Pike
  • USGS Quad: Fremont
  • Station on the Current River Branch
  • The origin of the name is uncertain. One theory argues that Fremont was named for John C. Fremont, but another holds that the town was named after Jackie Freeman, owner of a mill.
  • Maps: 1895 McNally (Peggy), 1902 (McDonald), 1904 McNally (McDonald or Peggy P.O.), 1911 (McDonald), 1920 Clason (Shows Fremont), and MoDOT (Shown as incorporated with 1970 pop. of 107)
  • Source: Moser
• Grandin (Fourth-class city)
  • Population: 236 (Change since 1990: +1.3%)
  • Located on MO 21 near Routes O and B.
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°49'47" N, 90°49'24" W
  • Name origin: E. B. and George Grandin
  • Founded: September 20, 1910 by the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co.
• Grandin Junction (Historical)
  • Alternate name: Junction Switch
  • Located west of Ellsinore
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°55'24" N, 90°47'60" W
  • Survey: T. 26 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 12
  • Civil township: Johnson
  • USGS Quad: Hunter (Not shown)
  • Junction between the Hunter Branch and Grandin Line railroads
• Hill Top (Historical)
  • Alternate name: Hill Top Switch
  • Located along Route A east of Ellsinore
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°56'04" N, 90°43'24" W
  • Survey: T. 26 N., R. 3 E., Sec. 3
  • Civil township: Johnson
  • USGS Quad: Ellsinore
  • Highest point on the Hunter Branch railroad between Ellsinore and Williamsville
  • Map: 1928 Frisco
• Homestead (Historical)
  • Located southeast of Grandin along Route K, south of the intersection with Route B
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°49'08" N, 90°43'08" W
  • Survey: T. 25 N., R. 3 E., Sec. 15
  • Elevation: 676
  • Civil township: Johnson
  • USGS Quad: Hogan Hollow (Benchmark shown)
  • Map: 1897 Galbraith
• House Creek (Unincorporated)
  • Located on Route M northwest of Van Buren
  • Latitude & Longitude: 37°01'03" N, 91°03'45" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 9
  • Civil township: Carter
  • USGS Quad: Van Buren North
• Hunter (Unincorporated)
  • Located at the intersection MO 21 and Route E north of Grandin
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°53'26" N, 90°50'56" W
  • Survey: T. 26 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 21
  • Elevation: 724
  • Civil township: Johnson
  • School district: East Carter County R-2
  • USGS Quad: Hunter
  • Named after L. L. Hunter, secretary of the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co.
  • Founded: May 8, 1891 by the Missouri Lumber and Mining Co.
  • Map: MoDOT (Incorporated with 1970 population of 129)
• Jerome (Historical)
  • Post office during the 1880's
  • Located about 5 miles southwest of Van Buren
  • Named for Jerome F. Kintz, postmaster
  • Source: Moser
• Leach (Historical)
  • Located south of Ellsinore
  • Named after James Leach, landowner and neighbor of the postmaster
  • Map: 1886
• Lee (Historical)
  • Post office located on route between Van Buren and Doniphan. Replaced in 1887 by Grandin Post Office
  • Located about a mile northeast of Grandin
  • Named for Daniel Lee, a merchant in Doniphan, by postmaster Andew Patterson
  • Maps: 1886 McNally and 1889 Polk (Grandin and Lee)
  • Source: Moser
• Midco (Historical)
  • Located north of Fremont
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°58'56" N, 91°09'07" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 2 W., Sec. 27
  • Elevation: 633
  • Civil township: Pike
  • USGS Quad: Fremont (Labeled as "Site of Old Midco Iron Works")
  • Midco was the company town for the Mid-Continent Iron Company which built an iron mine and chemical plant here from 1918 to 1921.
  • Source: Moser
• Montag (Historical)
  • Post office located somewhere near Eastwood ca. 1911. Might be an old name for Eastwood. Possibly spelled "Montay".
  • Source: Moser
• Norwood (Historical)
  • Located north of Van Buren
  • Map: 1878 McNally
  • Source: Moser
• Orchard (Historical)
  • Alternate name: Orchard Switch
  • Located northeast of Ellsinore
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°57'08" N, 90°42'09" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 3 E., Sec. 35
  • Civil township: Jackson
  • USGS Quad: Ellsinore
  • Switch on the Hunter Branch near Hill Top
  • Named for the nearby apple orchard established by L. Benton Henson
  • Source: Moser
• Pike Creek (Historical)
  • Located along Pike Creek west of Van Buren
  • Maps: 1865, 1866, 1872, and 1873
• Short (Historical)
  • Located southeast of Van Buren
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°56'32" N, 90°57'36" W
  • Elevation: 430
  • Civil township: Kelly
  • USGS Quad: Big Spring (Not shown)
  • Flag station on the Current River Line
  • Named for William Short, landowner
  • Maps: 1895 McNally and 1902
  • Source: Moser
• South Van Buren (Unincorporated)
  • Alternate name: Southtown
  • Located along MO 103 just off US 60 south of Van Buren
  • Latitude & Longitude: 36°59'17" N, 91°00'49" W
  • Survey: T. 27 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 25-26
  • Civil township: Carter
  • USGS Quad: Van Buren South
  • Map: MoDOT
• Van Buren (Fourth-class city)
  • Population: 845 (Change since 1990: -5.4%)
  • Located along US 60 on the east bank of Current River
  • Latitude & Longitude: 37°00'13" N, 91°00'55" W
  • Name origin: Martin Van Buren
  • Founded: 1830
• Waymeyer (Unincorporated)
  • Road signs at the intersection of US 60 and Route M indicate that "Waymeyer" is 10 miles away on Route M. This placename, however, doesn't show up on any map that I've seen.
  • Located at or near the end of Route M northwest of Van Buren

History

Name origin

Named after Zimri A. Carter, local pioneer.

Demographics