Barton County

Barton County, in the south-western part of the State, is bounded north by Vernon County, east by Cedar and Dade, south by Jasper County, and west by Kansas, and contains 378,100 acres.

Population
In 1860, 1817; in 1870, 5,087; of whom 5,068 were white and 19 colored; 2,698 male, and 2,389 female; 4,931 native (1,518 born in Missouri) and 156 foreign.

History
This county was organized from the northern part of Jasper, December 12th, 1855. During the late Civil War it suffered much, and was almost entirely depopulated, but has rapidly recuperated.

Physical Features
The surface of this county is generally high table lands, sufficiently undulating to be well drained, yet level enough for all agricultural purposes. These lands are principally prairie, interspersed with extensive groves of timber-linn, hickory, oak, locust, walnut, sycamore, cedar, cottonwood and elm, of which, if properly preserved, there is sufficient for all practical purposes. Muddy, or the North Fork of Spring River, in the south-eastern part of the county, is the principal stream. Coon Creek, in the southeast, North and West Forks, in the south-west, the two Drywoods in the north-west, and Horse Creek in the north-east of the county, each with their tributaries furnish an abundance of water for stock. Numerous springs are found throughout the county. Large bodies of fertile valley lands lie contiguous to all the larger streams. The soil of the prairies is a dark, sandy loam, rich and very productive. Nearly every section of the county is susceptible of profitable cultivation.

The Agricultural Productions are wheat, corn, oats and rye. Barley and buckwheat and potatoes do well. Apples, pears, peaches, plums and grapes, yield abundantly. Flax, cotton, tobacco and the castor bean, are successfully raised on a small scale. Barton has about 65,000 acres of cultivated lands. Improved farms average about $15 per acre; unimproved lands $4 to $5 per acre.

Mineral Resources
Coal underlies the whole county, but has only been developed so far as needed for home consumption, sufficiently, however, to prove its existence in immense quantities. Iron and lead have been discovered but not developed.

Wealth
Valuation of the county per census of 1870, $3,000,000.*

Educational
There are in the county 49 sub-districts, about 38 good frame school houses, and about 45 schools in session every year. The common school fund belonging to the county is $75,000. Lamar has a graded school of four departments.

Barton County Places in 1875

Baker's Grove (Fairbanks) is a post office 10 miles north north west of Lamar.

Barton City is a post-office 13 miles nothwest of Lamar.

Caput is a post-office 7 miles west northwest of Lamar.

Coon Creek (Midway-Dublin), 10 miles south of Lamar, contains 2 general stores, 1 wagon shop and a lime-kiln.

Dublin.-See Coon Creek.

Doylesport is a post-office 10 miles north northeast of Lamar.

Fairbanks.-See Baker's Grove.

Golden City, 14 miles south east of Lamar, contains 4 general stores.

Horse Creek (Newport), 10 miles east northeast of Lamar, has a store and saw mill.

LAMAR, the county seat, centrally located on the east bank of the North Fork of Spring River, was incorporated in 1858, and at the commencement of the Civil War contained a population of about 300, but was entirely destroyed by the contending factions. It has, however, been rebuilt on its old site, and is thriving. Nevada, its nearest station on the M., K. & T. Rail Road, is 24 miles north; and Carthage, on the M., C. & N. W. Rail Road, is 25 miles south, and Fort Scott about 35 miles west. It contains 3 churches-Baptist, Catholic and Methodist. In 1870 a graded school was completed at a cost of $12,000. It contains a bank, 2 hotels, 1 flouring and saw mill, and about a dozen stores.

Le Roy is a post-office 20 miles northwest of Lamar.

Midway, See Coon Creek.

Milford, 10 miles northeast of Lamar contains 2 stores.

Nashville, 18 miles southwest of Lamar, has 1 general store.

Newport.-See Horse Creek.


*Assessed valuation in 1873, $1,883,939. Taxation, $1.35 per $100. Bonded debt, $27,000. Floating debt, $7,500.


Source: Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, Revised Edition, by R. A. Campbell, Published by R. A. Campbell,
St. Louis, Missouri, 1875