Vernon County,
Missouri
Genealogy & History
| VERNON COUNTY was organized
Feb. 17, 1851, and named in honor of Miles Vernon of Laclede County, a
state senator from 1850 to 1860. NEVADA, county seat of Vernon County, was platted in 1855 on the land of Thomas H. Austin and Benjamin Baugh. The name was given by DeWitt C. Hunter, the county and circuit clerk, after that of Nevada, California, where he had been a miner. Nevada is a Spanish word meaning "snow clad". BELLAMY was named for Thomas Bellamy, the first trader at the place. BRONAUGH was platted in 1866 and named for W. C. Bronaugh, owner of the land. DEERFIELD was originally REDFIELD P.O. and was platted by Judge David Redfield, and named by him because it was a favorite hunting ground for the army officers at Ft. Scott. Redfield settled there around 1838. HALLEYS BLUFF was named for Anselm Halley. HARWOOD was platted in 1882 by John T. Birdseye for Charles E. Brown of St. Louis, the owner of the site. MONTEVALLO was originally laid out on land owned by Joseph Martin in 1850. It was given its name by Rev. Thomas German, first school commissioner of Vernon county, and was derived from two Spanish words, "Monte Vallo" meaning "hill" and "valley". The present town was platted by Samuel Mariatt in 1881 on land one and one half miles southeast of the former site. MOUNDVILLE takes its name from mounds on which it was laid out by Harvey Karnes in 1860. SCHELL CITY was laid out in 1871 and named for one of the original proprietors, Augustus Schell, of New York City. SHELDON was given the Christian name of Sheldon A. Wright. WALKER was platted in 1870 and named for Hiram F. Walker, an early resident |
|
