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     The Missouri Legislature defined boundaries of Highland County during the session of 1842-43, but there was not suffecient population to permit full organization so it remained attached to Linn County for Civil and Military purporses. By 1844 the State Census showed enough population to fully form the county. E.M.C. Morelock, a representative from Highland County, which was still attached to Linn County, had an act approved on February 14, 1845 organizing Sullivan County. The County was named for Revolutionary War Soldier, General Sullivan.
     Many of our local communities were formed between 1845 and 1900, several of the earliest homes in the county still stand today and many of the earliest records from the County's beginning are archived in our County Courthouse. The County Seat is centrally located in Milan, which boasts one of the oldest, original town squares in the area, with some of the buildings being nearly 140 years old.

Located about ½ way between McCullough Station and Browning, showing on land owned (in 1877) by John Mairs. It is shown in the 1877 plat map in Section 21, Township 61, Range 20

Situated in the southwest quarter of Section 6, Township 63, Range 20. Proprietor Miles B. Baird - November 1859.
Bairdstown never grew to any size. A store was kept there by Thomas Lane and Miles Baird. (Baird and Lane) In 1883 the Bairdstown Methodist Church occupied the spot where the store stood.
This town was mentioned in the 1877 Atlas as Barrdstown, stating the town did not grow.

Bairdstown served as a P.O. from 1858-1884, 1893-1903 according to (Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Not much is known of this town other than it served as a P.O. as Birdseye from 1865-1869 and again in 1876-1880, being changed to Birdseye in 1880. It was located in Section 8, Township 62, Range 18 on the Ichabod Comstock Farm. Drawing of the Comstock Farm (Atlas 1877) We also know the Birdseye Grange Association had a store next to Ichabod Comstock's home.

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Shown in the 1877 plat map of Sullivan County as Bownaneville, about 1 ½ miles East of the Grundy County line. It is located in the Southeast quarter of Section 11, Township 62, Range 22. The plat contains four blocks and an aggregate of thirty lots. About twelve houses were the most ever within its boundary. It was surveyed September 11, 1858. It did not prosper, with a few years no trace of the town could be found. Joseph Bowman was proprietor.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

Boynton, eight miles north of Milan on the B. and S.W.R.R., is a flourishing business place. It's growth is very rapid and it is destined to do a good trade in the near future. It has now a post ofice, three general stores, one blacksmith shop, one drugstore. Population 100. (Atlas 1877)

The first business house was built in 1876 by Andy Stewart, E.W. VanWye built a store and house in 1879. The first blacksmith shop was built in 1879. The first physician was A.C. Roberts, the first preaching was by Re. Mr. Nickerson of the United Brethern Church. Rev. Nickerson performed the first marriage ceremony, the of Nile Creason Jr. to Miss McCloud. The first death was that of Clarence VanWye, son of E.W. VanWye.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

Located in Buchanan Township SW of Pennville and SE of Pollock in T64, R19, NE ¼ of SW ¼ S12, Brown was a Post Office from 5-18-1898 to 3-6-1903.

Most records show Byron Brown declined and Joseph W. Childers was Post Master from 6-20-1898 to 3-6-1903. Byron Brown may have served for a month from 5-18-1898 to 6-20-1898 or the Post Office may have been inactive for that period.

The 1877 Atlas shows this property owned by W. B. Shipley.

The 1897 Plat Book shows Anna Childers, with a house in SE ¼ of NE ¼ of SW ¼ .

In 1930 it was owned by H. Bachman and in 2000 Premium Standard Farms.

From M. through Pollock past B. to sharp right (South) to short left (East) to Gentry Dr. [M makes a sharp right (South) again and Gentry goes left (North)] Take Gentry ½ mile North to first right (East) and follow to end. This should be Kempwood Dr. Brown would have been to the NE about ¼ to ½ a mile.

There is no indication Brown was more than a Post Office.

Located on the Linn County line it was said in the Atlas of 1877 that it "will soon rival Milan and Linneus in trade, and in fact today it commands much of the best business.

Linn Co. Proprietors: Francis E. Stone, Mary Stone, William R. Robinson, Dorcas M. Robinson, John C. Stone, Anna J. Stone, Benjamin F. Stone, Mary B. Stone. Filed Dec. 4 1872

The town was named for Mrs. Browning of Burlington, Iowa, bu Justin Clark, who was a member of the Burlington and South Western R.R. Co.: the land upon which the town was built belonged to Lot Lantz, an early Judge in Linn Co. The first house built was for B.F. Northcott. John Gable was the first carpenter. The first store was kept by John Edwards. Following this was a store operated by J. Biswell, another by W.J. Kennedy, all in 1873. Kennedy also kept the first hotel. William Armstrong opened a blacksmith shop in 1873 and Dr. Lewis Patterson a drugstore in 1875. The first marriae was that of N.O. Meacham to Mrs. Matilda Smith, a daughter of F.E. Stone. The fist child was born to William and Rebecca Armstrong in 1873. It lived but a short time and its death was the first in Browning. The first school was taught in the spring or summer of 1874 by W.T. Wogan. In 1881 the first school was built at a cost of $600. It was blown down and a brick structure was erected in 1884 at a cost of about $3500. The first practicing physician was Dr. Patterson, the Dr. William Witte, the first resident physician was Dr. William Robinson. Rev. J.J. Cox preached the first sermon in Browning. Three churches wwere established, Methodist, Christians and Baptists. The Browning Bank was established in 1884, captial stock $10,000. The officers were B.D. Bolling, President, C.D. Deadrick, Cashier, Directors were: Joseph Schrock, W.W. Anderson, and Perry McCollum. The newspaper, Browning Record, was started Sept. 1, 1886.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

Located in Morris Township, T61, R18, S8 SW ¼ , SW ¼ Bute served as a post office from 3-17-1894 to 3-11-1905.

William D. Fisher was Post Master from 3-11-1894 to 6-10-1896.

Frank W. Burris was the Post Master from 6-10-1896 until service was discontinued and transferred to Cora on 3-11-1905.

The first known Survey Book which was completed over an 11 year period from 1833 to 1844 shows there is a filed in SW ¼ but no house. There are four families listed in T61, R18. Aldridge house and field in Section 6, Mr. Bunch's home and field in Section 18, Fanning's house, stables and field in Section 20, Hoffman house and field Section 29. Section 7 shows a house with no name and 2 fields.

The 1877 Atlas shows the land owned by J. Bunch. Also shown is a cemetery across "Hill" on corner of Hill and Table, and a School in the center of Section 8 on J. Lewis' property.

The 1897 Plat Book shows "Bute P.O." on A. Anderson's property.

In 2000 the land is owned by Joseph Crumpacker.

Located about a mile from Kiddville in Section 14, Township 63, Range 19, this community only lists Dan Martin as Proprietor.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

Located in Township 63, Range 21, Section 34, Clearview served as P.O. from 1871-1881. Clearview was situated in a part of Sullivan County known as "Little Ireland" or the "Sterling Settlement" just south and west of the Sterling School. It was listed in the (Atlas 1877) as a "Thing of the past".

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Located just south of Newtown, Colfax is shown as a P.O. on the (Atlas 1877). Located South of Newtown in Section 24, Township 64, Range 22. Colfax served as a P.O. from 1868-1887

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

It strikes us as very interesting that some of the GPS maps available on the internet show Cookman more than 105 years after it was closed as a Post Office. There is no evidence that Cookman was ever more than a Post Office located in Liberty Township T63, R21, S21.

Cookman, opened as a Post Office 4-17-1895 with Parker Cookman as the only Post Master. Service was discontinued 12-26-1902 and transferred to the Milan Post Office. Cookman is located near the corner of E and W just south of the Asbury Church and Cemetery.

The 1877 Atlas shows the owner of the land as W. B. Murray.

In 1897 the land was owned by Parker Cookman and the Plat Book's Patrons from Cookman were listed as J. P. Baker, Alexander Clevenger, Parker Cookman, G. W. King, and William T. Smiley.

In 1904 it was shown as RFD from Milan to Bairdstown to Cookman.

By 1930 the land had transferred to John Shones and in 2000 it was owned by Janet Calihan.

McCullough: (Forerunner of Cora), was in the southeast corner of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter, and in the west side of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 3, Township 61, Range 20, Sullivan Co., Mo. 29th day Oct. 1877. Proprietors: John Hollon, Adaline Hollon, his wife, and Sharon McCullough. L.T.Hatfield, N.P.

It was located on the Chicago Burlington and Kansas City Railroad. It was about seven miles south of Milan. The post office was called Cora after the daughter of John J. Smith. The early merchants were. G.W. Morris, D.T. Ransom, G.H.Sheckells. The first store was opened in 1877 and run by Robert E. Boswell. Ketchum Bros. kept store for a time. Blacksmiths have been Oscar Brown, John Dodson & Son, David Tyree, and Peter Cassady. Industries in Cora have been hoopmaking by J.D. Hollingshead, who employes about six men. There was a tie industry (railway) steam grist and saw mill owned by Joseph McPherson. The mill could grind about 125 bushells of corn a day and the saw could saw about 8,000 feet of lumber a day. Tie making was an important industry.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

Cora served as a P.O. from 1877-1957
(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Know all men by these presents that I, Joseph Cavanee, of Sullivan County, Missouri, Hereby Remise, Release and Convey and Quit claim the streets and alleys of the town of Egin as appears by the plat annexed in said county as provided by law for the laying out of and platting of Town and Town lots, said town being laid out on the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 34, Township 63, Range 19. In witness whereof I hereto set my hand and seal this 15th day August, 1881.

Samuel Mellar, Surveyor. Filed Aug. 16, 1881. Joseph Cavanee. H.T. McClanahan, Clerk. H.T. McClanahan, Recorder.

It is also know that Elgin served served as a P.O. from 1880-1886

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Located just West of Locust Creek, south of where Reger now stands, Samuel Fields owned a Grist and Saw Mill. As people would bring raw products to the mill, Samuel would let them camp near the mill. As per "The Complete History Of Sullivan County Missouri Volume 1 1836-1900" On February 15, 1861 Samuel R. Fields and Martha, his wife, had laid off a community called Fieldsburg. While searching at the County Courthouse records were found as early as 1857 for lots sold in Fieldsburg for $5.00 each.

The Fields Mill also served as a P.O. from 1847-1849

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Part of southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 12, Township 63, Range 21. 1 Block, 1 lot to Levi Courtney, Wilson Baldridge, surveyor. February 2, 1855. Jno. W. Winters and wife.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

Gath was the predecessor to Parsons and Hamilton.

Fifteen miles east of Milan, the town was laid out by I.E. Wood, Victor Dodge, and E.E. Prindle, in 1857. It conatained a post office, three general stores, one drugstore, three hotels, one agricultural implement store, one church, one school house, one furniture store, one harness shop. Population about 250. (from the 1877 Atlas)

Green Castle was incorporated Aug. 8, 1881 upon the petition of W.W. Shearer, William Brantner, G.B. Burton, and others to the number of sixty three. Trustees were appointed as follows: William Brantner, Charles Hart, W.L. Taylor, G.B. Burton, and H.T. Jones. J.E. Shearer was appointed clerk. The town was located on the Quincy, Missouri and Pacific Railway, fourteen miles east of Milan. The original town containing six blocks, and two half blocks, eight lots to the block, each lot 60x120 ft. in size; the streets running east and west were Front, Union, and Walnut; those running north and south were Broadway, Chestnut, Urvin, and George. The first house built on the present site of Green Castle was a double log building, by Marion Sanders, about 1853 in the east part of town. It was afterwards occupied by I.E. Wood.

The first post office was kept in this same log house by I.E. Wood. R.S. Thompson built the first general store. T.C. Harris built the first grist mill in 1879 but sold his business in 1881 to J.L. White who remodeled it and put in a roller system. In 1885 J.A. Green established a creamery. It produced about 1,500 pounds of butter a week.

The Green Castle Independent was founded in 1881 by W.T. Graves, in 1883 it was transferred to Dr. W.L. Taylor and F.P. Murray. In 1888 there were four dry goods stores, two drugstores, one barber shop, one meat market, three blacksmith shops, one harness shop, one 5, 10, and 25 cent counter, two millenery stores, two liveries, one flouring mill, one lumber yard, one creamery, three hotels, three physicians, two churches, Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Episcopal South.

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

Green Castle is the second oldest continuous Post Office in the County. It has served from 1856-Present

(Missouri Postal History Society, St. Louis, Missouri.)

     Webmaster has had the good fortune of corresponding with one of the descendants of the founder of Green City. Mr. Jim Pfeiffer who grew up in the area, has even written a book "Hey, The Street Lights Are On" about his life growing up there. I must say it is a wonderful book, full of fun memories, stories, and pranks. I appreciate greatly his willingness to share the book, and the following information regarding the history of Green City.

     Information Jim sent regarding the history of Green City is as follows.

     Henry Pfeiffer owned a section of land, consisting of one 40-acre and two 160-acre tracts, with a total assessed valuation, according the 1886 tax rolls, of $3,095 - $8.60 per acre. He commissioned surveyor T. J. Docker on April 30, 1880, to lay out Green City on what at that time was one of Henry's cornfields. The plat of Green City contained 50 lots, each 60 by 130 feet. Running east ans west were First, Second, Third and Fourth street; running north and sourth were West, Grant, Green, Lincoln and Sherman. A public square was laid out bounded by Second, Lincoln, Third and Green streets. ...More?

Laura J. Stringer, Sarah Stringer, James M. and Rachel Stringer laid off the town of Haley City on May 2, 1881. Haley City was situated on the Quincy, Missouri and Pacific Railway about 11 miles southwest of Milan. The original town contained seventeen blocks. Sometime between Jan. and May of 1882 the name of Haley City was changed to Humphreys.

When the survey was made there were no buildings within the limits of Haley City, as it was a cornfield. The first building erected was on the northeast part of the plat, by James Moberly, but was not in the business district. The first erected in the business district was built by James M. Stringer, a one story frame 22x40 feet in size and stood on the south side of the square. It was completed about June 1881. A. Jones built a second store, J.M. Sullivan a drugstore, Jones and Moberly a hardware store about Aug 1, 1881. Dell and Moberly opened a dry goods and grocery, Oct 1, Glaze and Allen had a millenery, Dec. 1, J.M. Stringer a drugstore, and Berg and Black a general store. The first blacksmith was William Abernathy followed by John Hooker. A harness shop was run by J.N. Bundridge, a furniture store by J.C. Henry, and two hotels were opened. The American and The Grand Central, built by Sarah and Catherine Stringer. A.W. Hudson built the Hudson House and William Hughes opened the Park Hotel.

The Humphreys Milling Company was organized in 1882, a mill was built about one fourth mile west of town, a three story basement structure that could mill twenty-five barrels of flour a day. The first physicians were Drs. Brown, F.M. Reid, J.M. Sullivan, D.K. Stringer, L. Dell and W.J. Mairs. The town had three churches, Baptist, Christian and Methodist.

The insurance agents were D.M. Crouch, J.C. Henry, G.W. Cowgill, G. Allen and John St. Clair. The first lumber yard was established by Sandifer and Fisher, later sold to Browning and Seaman. Livery stables were owned by Grance brothers and William J. Ingerham. The railroad station opened Aug 1, 1881. Pupulation in 1888 about 450.

(Complete History of Sullivan County Vol I)

The Humphreys College and Business Institute was founded in 1884 and operated until about 1896.

(Memories of Humphreys 1881-1981)

Hamilton was preceded by Gath and Parsons

The following information was recieved by email from Linda Cook Chandler and her grandson. Thank You both!
     Harris, Missouri was established in 1887 by Mr. Anderson W. Harris. It is located 20 miles northwest of Milan, 30 miles northeast of Trenton, and 50 miles west of Kirksville. It had a depot, Methodist Church, Christian Church, Baptist Church, post office, bank, drug store, blackshop, barber shop, grocery store, lumber yard, livery stable, garage, service station, elevator, college, school, opera house, fair grounds, and many other businesses. The only buildings still standing are the Baptist Church, Christian Church, garage, and the service station. The town burnt down in 1970 and in 1982.
     There are many families that live in Harris including, Anderson, Auxier, Barnes, Barnett, Barton, Baugher, Boatman, Bragg, Brown, Burton, Bumgarner, Watson, Butcher, Carter, Clark, Clem, Cochran, Collins, Cook, Durman, Farley, Fassett, Fish, Fisher, Foster, King, Haley, Harris, Henderson, Jobe, Leonard, McClaran, McCULLOUGH, McLAUGHLIN, McGEE, Martin, Miller, Purdy, Putnam, Reger, Roach, Rhoades, Rush, Triplett, Tipton, Todd, Walker, Wise, and many more.
     The Baptist and Christian church are in bad shape. I was wondering if you could inform people to keep them up and running or just to keep Harris running, because the Baptist church was built in 1888, and the Christian church in 1890. I'm sure if the churches were to have services again, they would get a good group of members. The Asbury church is the same way and it was built in 1887.
Sincerely, Clint Johnson.
     This was written by my grandson who is 13 years old and extremely interested in Harris and surrounding areas. I was born in Wintersville, Mo , now live in Holt, Mo , We still have a farm there , the house I was born in, Clint loves it as much as I do. My great grandfather ran a general store in Wintersville. His name was DK Cook. On the other side of my family, I am a decedent of the Haley's who were the 2nd settlers in Sullivan County. Thank You, Linda Cook Chandler

Highpoint appears to have been more of a location or community than a town, trading post or post office. There is no record of there ever being a post office there. Located in T62, R21, S8 it was mentioned in the 1877 Atlas as a point where a town had been started at an early date but was numbered among "things of the past".

Campbell pg 615 - describes Highpoint as "In a heavy growth of timber, upon one of the highest ridges in Northern Missouri, 10 miles West of Milan, is one of the old landmarks of the county."

No record of a Post Office, or trading post but the 1877 Atlas and Campbells would lead you to think there may have something there. There was a school (1877) in T62, R21, S8 in the NE corner of SW ¼ on property owned by Uriah Humphreys. This area was most likely served by the Medicine Post Office being only 1 mile away.

The first known Survey Book which was completed over an 11 year period from 1833 to 1844 shows only 2 families in T62, R21. The Harlins in sections 25 and 36 believed to be a father and son.

The 1897 shows this land owned by Jacob Shobe and still owned by him in 1930. The 2000 Plat Book shows it owned by Herbert Kingery.

See Haley City

Located in the Southwest Quarter of Township 63 Range 20 Section 2, it was recorded on January 20, 1858 by Branson Jackson. The railroad left this little town inland, leaving the residents no choice but to move on. The Jackson's themselves moving to Boynton where they conducted business.