File prepared and submitted for USGenWeb/MOGenWeb Lincoln County Missouri History Page by Patricia SummersSmith, 1998.  Link change or update: 4 Dec 1999

From The History of Lincoln County, Missouri, (Chicago : Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1888), p. 453.

WINFIELD.

Winfield is situated on the St Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad, forty-eight miles from the city of St. Louis. The business portion and some of the residences of the town lie on a level plateau at the foot of the bluffs, on the western side of the Mississippi bottoms, while the finetst residences are located on the bluffs nearly 100 feet higher. From these bluffs a grand view of the valley, and of the towering heights and rounded hills on the Illinois side of the great river, is obtained. The town was surveyed and platted in October, 1879. John WISE, the first merchant in Winfield, began business in general merchandising in 1880, and after continuing for a time, retired. Next came Col. PARKER with a general store, and also Baxter CRAWFORD, with a stock of furniture and a supply of lumber. About 1885 Col. PARKER quit business and left the place. After these business houses had been established, the large frame flouring mill, with a stone engine-house attached, was erected in 1883, by a joint stock company known as the Winfield Milling Company, with a capital stock of $10,000. For several years after this mill was erected it did a good business, and a large quantity of flour and meal was shipped both north and south from it, but not having the roller apparatus connected with its machinery, it had to suspend operations when that method of making flour came into general use. There is prospect, however, that the roller apparatus will be put in and the mill again put into operation. About the year 1884 the STOREY Bros. opened a drug store in Winfield. They were succeeded by HEWITT & Son, who were burned out by the destructive fires in the winter of 1884-85. They soon rebuilt and continued their business. After this drug store was established, DePUE & THOMASSON opened a general store. Soon thereafter they took in as a partner D. T. KILLAM, and the firm then became DePUE, THOMASSON & Co. Some time after this house was established, BIRKHEAD Bros. opened a grocery store. They soon sold out to BIRKHEAD & ARGENT, they to MAGRUDER & Bro., who were victims of the fire and did not afterward resume business. Next in order after DePUE, THOMASSON & Co. came W. A. WOODSON & Co., who opened a general store and also handled farm implements.

In addition to the foregoing there were, in 1885, the following business houses:   Hardware, T. D. HARDESTY; saddles and harness, John KUMBERA; millinery and dressmaking, Mesdames NEVILLE, THOMPSON and STEELE; hotel, C. W. RICKS; saloons, Patrick HYLAND and GUION & ARCHER; livery, GUION & ARCHER; barber, C. N. FORBUSH; restaurant, same; wagon-maker, H. J. MUTH.

The following is a directory of the business of Winfield at the present writing (1888): General stores, A. C. De PUE and C. H. STEPHENSON; drug store, F. HEWITT & Bro.; drugs and groceries, T. B. MARTIN; farm implements, F. W. ROHLAND; blacksmith and wagon-maker, H. SCHIERBAUM and H. J. MUTH; dealer in grain, D. F. KILLAM, who has a grain-elevater attached to the flouring mill; dealer in live stock, John W. THOMPSON; hardware, F. D. HARDESTY; millinery, Mrs. M. F. NEVELLE; furniture and lumber, B. CRAWFORD; restaurant, Mrs. Fannie SANDERS; farm implements, Gus. THOMASSON; hotel, Mrs. Mary COOK; physicians, R. H. TALBOTT and D. E. HEWITT. The town also contains two church edifices, Missionary Baptist and Methodist Episcopal South; also a frame schoolhouse containing three rooms. Winfield was incorporated February 14, 1882, under the corporate name of "The Inhabitants of the Town of Winfield."  Its first board of trustees were F. D. HARDESTY, A. C. De PUE, B. CRAWFORD, D. T. KILLAM and J. A. MUDD. The town has a population of nearly 300. It is a prosperous village, and will continue to grow as the country improves.

A few years ago a party of St. Louis gentlemen constructed a commodious club-house on the margin of King's Lake, near Winfield. It has become famous as a summer resort for the city gentry and their families. Boat-riding and fishing are the principal sports indulged in.

File prepared and submitted for USGenWeb/MOGenWeb Lincoln County Missouri History Page by Patricia SummersSmith, 1998.  Link change or update: 4 Dec 1999

USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material.   These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or their legal representative, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.

Return to USGW/MOGW Lincoln County, Missouri
History Page  |  Home Page

You are the [an error occurred while processing this directive] visitor since 10/16/98.
Thanks for dropping in to visit our Lincoln County History Page!