MOUNDVILLE (MOUNDS)

MOUNDVILLE TOWNSHIP

VERNON COUNTY, MISSOURI

 

Moundville township was first organized by the county court March 6, 1867, on petition of Harvey Karnes and others. The original boundary lines were different from those as at present established. The first election was ordered held at Karnes' store house, in Moundville village. The first justice of the peace was Wilson Davenport, who was appointed June 4, 1867.

 

The town of Moundville was laid out by Harvey and Mary Karnes on the 8th of March, 1860. It was named for the mound on which it is situated.

 

The town had a few houses when the war broke out, but it soon decayed. In the summer of 1866 the town started up. For a number of years Moundville comprised one store, a blacksmith shop, and post office and a few dwelling houses, but in 1882 it sprung forward and soon became a village of respectable proportions. The Nevada & Minden Railroad was finished to Moundville and the first cars ran about the middle of May 1886. In 1911, the population of Moundville was about 300.

 

1903 Moundville Township Map

 

Moundville, Missouri 1860-1910  is available for purchase from the author, Dr. Lyndon Irwin. This 250-page soft bound book measures approximately 8 1/2 x 11". It details one of the older towns in Vernon County, Moundville, which pre-dates the Civil War. It is a comprehensive look at the early history of the town. Citizens came and went. Some, such as Harvey Karnes, Mr. Cooper and Professor Miles, left their indelible marks on the town. Schools, churches, hotels, mines, factories and businesses all added to the early successes of the town. More than six years was devoted to researching Moundville, the early folks who founded it, and those who contributed to its success. Included are forgotten stories such as the Whiskey Wars, the Wray Murder, town fires, post office robberies and the tick tacking incident. Additionally, there are records from the Moundville Lutheran and Methodist Churches, from Cooper College and from the old Moundville Cemetery. The book is thoroughly documented with footnotes, and illustrations by Barbara Irwin are found throughout the book.

 

Postmasters, Moundville Post Office, Vernon County, Missouri

Name	Title	Date Appointed
Name originally established as "Mounds"
Theophilus L. Ashbaugh	Postmaster	May 5, 1870
F. D. Neblick	Postmaster	November 20, 1871
Edmund M. Brizendine	Postmaster	January 24, 1879
Lee H. Orndorff	Postmaster	January 25, 1882
Abram Hubbs	Postmaster	April 17, 1882
Levi H. Orndorff	Postmaster	May 5, 1885
Name changed from "Mounds" to "Moundville" on April 19, 1886
Levi H. Orndorff	Postmaster	April 19, 1886
Smith G. Welborn	Postmaster	December 3, 1887
William T. Phillips	Postmaster	December 17, 1888
Robert D. Jarboe	Postmaster	April 12, 1893
Thomas S. Jarboe	Postmaster	September 12, 1895
Merrell R. Landon	Postmaster	November 24, 1896
William S. Phillips	Postmaster	March 2, 1898
George F. Tylar	Postmaster	January 21, 1915
Albert Campbell	Postmaster	February 8, 1923
Mrs. Iva W. Shaw	Acting Postmaster	September 1, 1942
Mrs. Agnes L. Thomas	Postmaster	March 30, 1943
Mrs. Iva W. Shaw	Acting Postmaster	February 28, 1946
Leasel Merl Janes	Postmaster	November 18, 1947
Myrtle L. Lent	Officer-In-Charge	February 14, 1976
Charles G. Cole	Postmaster	June 4, 1977
Charlene Wilson	Officer-In-Charge	December 1, 1978
Ronald W. Worthington	Postmaster	March 10, 1979
Sharon Kay Osburn	Officer-In-Charge	March 26, 1999
Kristi Lee Atkins	Postmaster	June 19, 1999
Heather B. Mitchem	Officer-In-Charge	May 30, 2002
Heather B. Mitchem	Postmaster	March 8, 2003

Information provided by the Moundville Postmaster, December 2005

 

1903 Moundville town plat

In addition to several houses, the town plat shows the Train Depot, Christian Church, Post Office, Creamery, M.E. Church South, Public School, Hotel, Livery, Blacksmith's Shop, and M.E. Church.

 

Local historian Lyndon Irwin has many Moundville pictures and additional information at this link.

 

 

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