Florida

The Town of Florida, Missouri

"Florida, Missouri, was a small village in the early thirties smaller than it is now, perhaps, though in that day it had more promise, even if less celebrity. The West was unassembled then, undigested, comparatively unknown. Two States, Louisiana and Missouri, with less than half a million white persons, were all that lay beyond the great river. St. Louis, with its boasted ten thousand inhabitants and its river trade with the South, was the single metropolis in all that vast uncharted region. There was no telegraph; there were no railroads, no stage lines of any consequence - scarcely any maps. For all that one could see or guess, one place was as promising as another, especially a settlement like Florida, located at the forks of a pretty stream. Salt River, which those early settlers believed might one day become navigable and carry the merchandise of that region down to the mighty Mississippi, thence to the world outside."

"Florida is situated upon a high point of land between the Middle and North Forks of Salt River, near their junction in the eastern part of Monroe county. This seems to have been selected as a suitable place for a settlement even by the aborigines and the mound builders, as numerous piles, in a perfect state of preservation to this day, fully attest. The hills, covered with a heavy growth of timber, protected them from the bleak winds of winter and furnished, also, a hiding-place for deer and turkeys, upon which, to a great extent, they must have subsisted. The shoals, too, upon which the mills are built, supplied them an excellent place for spearing fish; for the water in those days, before the ground was broken by the plow, was clear. 

The two mills, which formed the first starting points of the town, were built about the same time, in 1827. The mill on the South fork was erected by Peter Stice, a jolly Dutchman; that on the North fork by Richard Cave. Stice's mill was purchased by Hugh A. Hickman during the fall of 1830 and operated by him for nearly 40 consecutive years. Perhaps no mill in the State was ever run so long by the same individual, nor was ever a business more faithfully managed than was this loved calling by the old Captain, as he was familiarly called... Large quantities of flour were hauled regularly to Hannibal and Mexico (Missouri), and shipped from thence to St. Louis, until the Hickman flour was well known at one time in the city. Hugh A. Hickman ran out several boats loaded with flour to Louisiana, on the Mississippi, at the mouth of Salt river, and brought back one boat lightly loaded with sugar, coffee and other articles of merchandise. 

Florida was declared the head of navigation on Salt river, and was thought by those brave and ambitious pioneers to be a favorable point for the founding of a great commercial town. The town was accordingly laid off by Maj. Wm. N. Penn, Hugh A. Hickman and others, and although the bright dreams which swelled the hearts of these noble pioneers were not realized, Florida has always held the rank of a respectable and enterprising village. The first store in the vicinity was kept by Maj. Penn for a man named Roundtree, at Stice's mill, and was in operation there in 1831.”

"During the years 1829-30 emigration came in rapidly. The inconvenience of being so remote from the county seat, New London, and the hope of more rapid settlement, induced the pioneers during the latter part of the year 1830 to take steps to secure the organization of a new county. The subject was laid before the General Assembly of the State, was favorably considered" and on 6 January 1831, Monroe County was formed.

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Source: Original source unknown but this town description was extracted from the “Ivie Chronicles” by Len Evans. LPP

Florida is situated upon a high point of land between the Middle and North Forks of Salt River, near their junction, in the eastern part of Monroe Co. This seems to have been the site selected by the aborigines and mound builders, as several mounds were found there. The two mills, which formed the starting point of the town, were built about the same time, in 1827.  The mill upon the South Fork was erected by Peter Stice. The mill on the North Fork by Richard Cave. The mills changed owners several times. The business done by the mills from 1845 to 1860, was perhaps the largest milling business ever done in the county. Florida was declared the head of navigation on Salt River, and was thought to be a favorable point for the founding of a great commercial town. The town was accordingly laid off by Maj. Wm. Penn, Hugh A. Hickmann and others. The house Mark Twain was born in was standing in 1854 and was used as a printing office. The first store in the vicinity was kept by Maj. Penn, for a man named Roundtree, at Stice's Mill, and was in operation there in 1831. The first house in Florida was built by Judge Damrell. Dr. Wm. Proctor and Dr. Walton were the pioneer physicians. R. H. Buchanan was the first tailor. Willard Buck, a one-legged man, was the first shoe-maker. The town was incorporated in May, 1883.

--Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, Past and Present, of Monroe Co., Mo. , 1884 p. 152, 153, 154.    

 (submitted by Robin Gatson)