Ghost Towns of Missouri, A

Ghost Town USA’s

Guide to the Ghost Towns, Mining Camps,

and Other Formerly Inhabited Places in

MISSOURI.

Locations beginning with A

PLEASE NOTE:

Unless noted otherwise, most of these listings are quoted from postings to Rootsweb’s Missouri Ghost Town discussion forum (THE LIST). 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.

Unless noted otherwise, indicated population figures are from the 1990 census. (In the next year these should be updated to the 2000 census.) If the population is listed as 0*, the asterisk indicates “assumed”, based on other facts.

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 types of locations had small communities grow up around the main business.
When a current town that is not listed in this work went by a different name, or a name markedly different than its present name, it is indicated by the DEAD NAME entry. These are noted due to the fact that these names MAY be discovered in research, and by listing them here, it makes it easier for the researcher to discover the current name.
In all the listings below, personal comments will be noted with either names or initials, like (MF) {Mike Flannigan}, or (GBS) {Me}. In some cases, I didn’t write down the name, but only an e-mail address, so I left them in. If you know of any Missouri ghost town location not listed on these pages, please contact THE LIST if you are a member, or me if not. I will pass on the information to THE LIST.
Highways are marked thus...

CR – County Roads
SH – State Highway
US – US Highway
I – Interstate Highway

Locations marked with a $ indicate an admission fee is charged to visit the site.
Locations with part of the name HIGHLIGHTED are linked to a page listing “all” locations of the same type such as those listed below. Many times these type of locations acted as a magnet for a small community that later faded away. Some of these locations included: Ferries, Mills (These include flouring, grist and logging mills.), Mines (and the associated mining camps), Rural Post Offices (These were usually small “post offices” located in a farmer’s home or out building. They served folks in outlying farming areas, and often acted as a community center or gathering place to catch up on the latest gossip or commodity prices.), Way Stations (These include railroad & stage stations, rural stores, taverns, or other stopping points along transportation routes.).
See also our Ghost Town Index, listed by County.

Without further ado, let’s visit some of Missouri’s many hundreds of ghost towns!

-A-

ABATTIS Warren Co.

Location not determined. (GBS)

ABELLS Ralls Co.

This settlement and post office was located in Center Township, near St. Paul’s Church. The post office was discontinued in November 1858. It was named for the storekeeper.

This is a very interesting area. The cemetery is quite large, and probably still in use. (Mike Flannigan)

ACID Franklin Co.

A switch on the Frisco Railroad in Meramec Township that goes to the Ripley Mines.

This is probably Stanton, but may be just west of Stanton. (MF)

ADAIR Adair Co. Rural

Lat 40°15' 08" N, Long 092° 22' 35" W – Elevation: 920'

ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN Daviess Co. 0

This c1838 era Mormon settlement founded by Joseph Smith and his followers is located on Highway 13, about three miles south of Jameson and about four miles north of Gallatin. It is on the north side of and overlooks the Grand River. Signs mark this historic site.

ADAMS MILL Jasper Co.

Adams Mill was a pioneer mill named for its builder.

ADAMSBURG Gasconade Co.

Location not determined

AIR Johnson Co.

Air was a rural post office at the residence of James Borthick in Hazel Hill Township. The office was removed to Fayetteville after the founding of that town.

ALBANY Franklin Co. 0

A town located about one mile west of New Haven on the Missouri River. It was platted in 1855 and abandoned by 1857.

ALDERNEY St. Louis Co.

Located north of Normandy, which is just northwest of the St. Louis city limits.

ALEXANDER & RIEDS MILL Lincoln Co.

...SEE Ried & Alexanders Mill

ALEXANDRIA Callaway Co.

This place was once located on the northern bank of the Missouri River. It was a boat landing in the 1800's.

ALEXANDRIA Lincoln Co.

Alexandria is the site on which Hines was later located. Alexandria was laid out in 1822 and became the county seat in 1823. In 1822 the St. Louis and Hannibal Railroad bypassed the town and it died out by 1829. Both of these towns are officially dead, but still have residents. They were located near the intersection of CR KK and SH 61.

ALLEN FORD Barry Co.

Location not determined. (GBS)

ALLEY SPRING MILL Shannon Co.

On Jacks Fork, at or near the town of Alley Spring, this was a 19^th Century gristmill. It still stands, along with a reconstructed schoolhouse.

ALSTON Barton Co.

Location not determined. (GBS)

ALTON FERRY LANDING St. Charles Co.

Located on the Mississippi River opposite Alton

APPLE CREEK Cape Girardeau Co.

My records show an Apple Creek in Cape Girardeau Co., that no longer exists. It's at the junction of CR KK and Highway 503, near the Zion church and cemetery, about 1.6 miles southwest of Appleton. There isn't much there (except for) Zion Church and cemetery. Schultz Hill Cave is very close by. (Mike Flannigan, Jul 14, 2001)

APPLE CREEK Perry Co. rural

AKA – Schnurbusch

The current Apple Creek is up in Perry County. (Mike Flannigan)

APPLE CREEK MILL Cape Girardeau Co.

The Apple Creek mill formerly located on Apple Creek within the town of Appleton, MO, along with an old steel structure bridge were destroyed by a severe flood on Apple Creek in the early 80s. I believe it was 1982, but not sure.

Contributed by Rick Zelle, Dec 05, 2005

APPLETON Cape Girardeau Co.

In 1990, this tiny incorporated town had 82 people, up two from 1980 when it had 80.

APPLETON MINE Franklin Co. 0

This early lead mine was located in Sec 5, T40N, R1W, Meramec Township. Prior to 1888, it produced about 1000 tons of lead. It was part of what later became known as the Thomas Mines, a consolidation of a number of smaller mines. (GBS)

ARGO Franklin Co. -

Listed in the 1888 Goodspeed’s History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford & Gasconade Counties, Missouri as one of the “other towns and post offices in Franklin County.” No other information available. In GNIS, there is an Argo School listed and shown on the map in the far southwestern corner of the county about 1.5 miles from both the western and southern county lines. Sec 2, T40N, R4W, Boone (?) Township. (GBS)

ARNETT McDonald Co.

Location not determined. (GBS)

ARROW ROCK Saline Co. 70

This incorporated town is located on SH 41, west of the Missouri River, 13 miles north of I-70, 15 miles east of Marshall. It was the third county seat for Saline County. The seat was again moved and placed in Marshall, where it remains. The State Historic Park contains a one-room jail, the old courthouse, the home of artist George Caleb Bingham and an Old Tavern (GBS)

Lat: 39.0697466, Long: -92.9465808

Lat: 390411N, Long: 0925648W - elevation 705’

ARROYO Phelps Co. -

Location not determined.

ASH LANDING St. Francois Co.

A St. Francois County Electric Railroad (train) car stop located at Paca Ashburn’s residence.

There is an Ashburn Cemetery southwest of French Village, but it might have little to do with this. (MF)

ASH MILL Barry Co.

Was torn down long before 1933, was located ½ mile from Seligman, and named for the owner.

ATHENS Gentry Co.

DEAD NAME – original name for Albany the county seat. (GBS)

ATHERTON St. Louis Co.

...SEE Etherton

AUDRAINS MILL St. Charles Co.

...SEE Bulls Hell Mill

AUGUSTA Franklin Co.

…SEE Boles

AUGUSTA Lewis Co.

Location not determined. (GBS)

AUGUSTA Oregon Co.

DEAD NAME – Thayer was once called Augusta. (Mike Flannigan)

In 1990, Thayer had a population of 1996, so it is NOT a ghost. (GBS)

AUGUSTA FERRY Franklin Co.

Located across from Augusta in Boles Township.

This is probably the town of Boles. (MF)

Boles had 30 people in 1990, and had a variant name of Augusta and Augusta Station. (GBS)

AUGUSTA STATION Franklin Co.

…SEE Boles

AUSTIN CITY Henry Co.

AKA – Deepwater (Don’t confuse with present town of Deepwater with a 1990 population of 441 – GBS)

Austin City was located in southern Walker Township. It was started by Dr. A. Jones and J. H. Austin, after whom the town was named. The post office was called Deepwater. The town was relocated to Germantown about 1864.

Present day Deepwater is south of Clinton, about 16.2 miles east, and a little south, of the location description for Austin City. I'm not sure, but I suspect either Deepwater was moved east, or the residents of Austin city got their mail from far away. The other option is that the Walker township description is wrong. (Mike Flannigan)

AUSTINS MILL Vernon Co.

…SEE Little Osage

AUSTRIA Phelps Co. -

Location not determined.

AVERY SETTLEMENT Henry Co.

Avery Settlement was located in northwestern Tebe Township. It was named for a family who settled here.

AVOCA Jefferson Co.

A settlement made on Joachim Creek in Valle Township about 1830.

Located near the intersection of Papin Road and CR V, per Dave Hallemann. (Mike Flannigan)

AVON MINES Ste. Genevieve Co. 0

Located on Mineral Fork, this onetime lead mining and milling center was once one of the most active in the county. It is located in the southern tip of the county about 12 miles east-southeast of Farmington (St. Francois Co.). (GBS)

Lat: 37.7558856, Long: -90.2045632

Lat: 37º45’21”N, Long: 090º12’16”W

AVORY Maries Co.

This town was in southern Johnson Township. An Avory family is known to have lived in Johnson Township, but the location of the town is UNKNOWN and the origin of the name uncertain.

Light and Veto are also in this area. Could be one of those. (Mike Flannigan)

AVORY Phelps Co. -

Appears on the line between Rolla & Miller Townships in Campbell's Atlas. (MF)

* * *

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 | McLellan Springs | Rivermines

Listings of related groups of locations

FERRIES | MILLS | MINES | RURAL POST OFFICES | WAY STATIONS

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First Posted: July 07, 2001

Last Updated: April 04, 2009

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