Once called "Garden City", in the northeast corner of Hickory County, it is served by the Skyline School District. Incorporated in 1971, its post office was established in 1847. The post office interior still maintains the oak front - something rarely seen in current times. Located on US 65, it is readily accessible to Warsaw to the north, Camdenton to the east and Springfield to the south. US Highway 65 is slated for expansion to four lanes in the future. Cross Timbers has Senior Citizen housing. The town square is intact and has a picnic facility with a Veteran's Memorial.

The Hickory County Historical Preservation Society hosts the annual Harvest Days just north of Cross Timbers. It's a chance to capture a glimpse of the past where people knew what hard work really was. View antique machinery in actual use, watch horses and mules as they step through their paces to mill sorghum and till the soil.

Hermitage

The County Seat of Hickory County is Hermitage. Hermitage is named after President Andrew Jackson's home in Tennessee. Located on US Highway 54, Hermitage has a good start on an industrial park and has a manufacturing facility that was relocated from a metro area to the industrial park.

Hermitage has historic sites with an antebellum home on the National Historic Register. There are several other structures from the 1800's still used in Hermitage - one being the 1896 courthouse. Hermitage has services that include health care with minor emergency and ambulance transportation.

The city of Hermitage is a forward-thinking community, developing a master plan for growth and continually upgrading its paved streets. There are newer housing developments to support growth as needed for staff and employees of area businesses.

The Old Hickory County Jail

This stone building has stood on the northwest corner of the Courthouse Square for over 130 years. Old records show that the county court employed Phillip Schilefer of Polk County to construct a cut-stone building to be used as a jailhouse. Construction was begun in the winter of 1870-71. James A. Brakebill was construction foreman. Total cost of the building was listed as $4,500.00.

Old timers used to tell how the stones were trundled to the site suspended under the running gears of carts pulled by oxen. The stones were quarried in the old quarry just west of town and North of Highway 54. There is an old tale that a Civil War cannonball was placed between each stone. This story is also told in several other areas over the state.

In the beginning, the building was two-storied, the upper floor being used as an exercise area. Several escapes were made by pushing off the metal roofing and climbing down a large tree which overspread the roof. In 1899, after a prisoner set a fire, which destroyed the roof beams and joists, the cement ceiling was installed and escapes became infrequent. The steel cells were also added at this time. Most of the prisoners were local persons usually serving time for petty offenses, and security at times was rather lax. Until the 1940's it was not unusual for prisoners to have a degree of freedom around the square.

Time marches on and the old jail has been replaced by a modern facility across the square. A lot of history has been made in the 144 years this building has stood in Hermitage. The old jail building is being preserved as a memorial to bygone times and can be viewed by all visitors to the Courthouse Square in Hermitage.

Pittsburg
By Beverly Boucher

Pittsburg, Missouri is a booming resort area for the center of Lake Pomme de Terre. There are more than 3,000 residents in the postal mailing area. Pittsburg was first settled in the mid 1800s by the Pitts family. Mimi Pits organized the first church, preaching the Christian doctrine in 1843. There is a memorial post for Mim on Highway J, west of Pittsburg. W.E. Dorman had a trading post housed in a log cabin in Pittsburg until 1845. When Hermitage became the county seat, he moved the log cabin to Hermitage. The Opera House was located on the northeast center of the square in Pittsburg, and was used in many different ways through the years. During the 1920s it served as the high school, and in the 1930s it was a mattress factory. It was sometimes used as a Methodist Church and as a Community Center where the Woodsman of America met on their lodge night. The building was torn down in the 1940s after years of neglect.

The buildings on the west side of Highway 64 were built in early 1900, and at one time housed the Farmers State Bank of Pittsburg, Mallonee's Variety Store, Fowler's and Miller's Store, and a beer joint. There was a roller rink for a short time in 1933. A small house on the west side was built as a hardware store and became the post office and home to Edith Pitts. Buildings on the east side of the highway were mostly built in 1923 or '24 after fire destroyed several town buildings. These buildings included two general merchandise stores, a blacksmith's shop, and a big house that was used as the Creed Hotel. In a vacant area next to the hotel, old time medicine shows were held. A filing station was built in 1930.

There was a gambling spot called Happy Rock, close to where the mine was. James Bastion, from Indiana, opened the lead and zinc mine in 1909, but it did not pay off so was soon closed. The mine brought lots of people to the area, hoping to make a living for their families. After the mine closed, some stayed because the area was rich in natural resources. Trees provided wood for saw mills, the rivers and forests provided fish and wildlife for food. The area also had land for farming. It was a good place to raise a family.

The first house to have running water was built in 1922 and is called the Edgemont. Today it still stands on the southwest corner of Highway 64 and Highway J. The house was built by Doc Cooper. Water was brought to the house by a windmill before there was electricity in the area, which came to Pittsburg in the 1950s.

There were several one-room schoolhouses in the area. The old Pittsburg school is now the Pittsburg Community Center. Children either walked to school or rode a horse. After eight grade they went to the Hermitage, Wheatland, Flemington, or Preston high schools.

In 1947 the Corps of Engineers began plans to develop Pomme de Terre Lake. Construction began in 1957 and was completed in 1961. Water covered much of the farm land in the area and life was forever changed for Pittsburg residents. The lake population is still growing and people find Pittsburg a wonderful place to retire. Come visit us soon, but plan to stay a while. You will enjoy our little place here at Lake Pomme de Terre.

Preston

Known as "Black Jack" in early days, Preston is located east of Hermitage and lies at the junction of US Highways 54 and 65. US 65 is scheduled for expansion in the future, which will probably affect Preston's growth and tax base. There are convenience stores and several services available within the Preston community. Students K-12 in the Preston area attend the Skyline School district south of town. Most small communities in the lake area celebrate their heritage at annual celebrations - Preston Days is an event none should miss.

Urbana

Urbana is the east gateway to Lake Pomme de Terre located one hour north of Springfield on Highway 65 and 10 minutes south of the junction of Highway 65 & 54. Urbana has a population of over 400. Urbana was originally named Andersonville in honor of the town's doctor. The town's name was changed in 1865 to Urbana when postal operations began. Urbana is located in the Hickory County R-1 school district. Skyline has approximately 800 students K-12 in the district.

Urbana is home to antique stores, restaurants, a new car dealership, grocery store, medical clinic, auto parts store, livestock auction, convenience store, bank, senior housing, assisted living facilities and other mercantile establishments to serve your needs. City Hall is located on Main Street. Urbana sponsors community activities throughout the year. Each spring an Easter Egg Hunt is held at the Bobbie Davis Williams City Park with prizes and lots of fun. A fireworks display with food and games is held at the city park the Saturday before the annual Pomme de Terre Lake Area Chamber of Commerce fireworks display at the lake. In September the city hosts "Funfest" at the park. Funfest has games for kids of all ages and a greased pig contest for the kids. Hot dogs and hamburgers are available. October brings the annual costume judging contest at the park with candy and prizes for the kids. The event includes other fun activities as well as grilled hot dogs. The annual Urbana Christmas Parade is held the first Saturday of December with floats and marching bands from the area along with a visit from Santa! Stop by and visit!

Wheatland

Wheatland is known for it's Settlers Village, which is a collection of log buildings from the surrounding area, reassembled on the town square. Wheatland offers K-12 grade education. The raceway in Wheatland is attracting quite an audience for the many participants. Built in 2000 it has provided a source of entertainment for locals and encouraged tourism in the area.

Settlers Village - "Bringing Back the Past"

Thirteen authentic log cabins were located in Hickory County and the surrounding area. The buildings were disassembled and then reassembled one-by-one on the Wheatland town square. This was not an easy task. Each piece of every structure and every log had to be numbered as the buildings were being taken apart. This numbering system enabled the workers to reassembled the cabins to their original design. These thirteen log cabins created what is known as the Settlers Village in Wheatland. The Hickory County Economic Development Council, Inc., a non-profit organization, and a group of volunteers began construction on this project in 1992.

The Settlers Village has a replica of a stage coach relay station. The relay station was built from a photograph of an original relay station. The Butterfield Overland Mail ran from Tipton, MO through Wheatland, MO, and on to San Francisco, California, a route of 2,790 miles. This mail run took place from 1858 to 1860. By 1995, the Settlers Village had houses, barns and corncribs, a blacksmith shop and two guest cabins in place in addition to the mail relay station. All the cabin buildings were donated to the Wheatland Settlers Village.

The Settlers Village represents the proud local and national heritage. Those who settled on this raw country with only a broadax, cross-cut saw and their hand tools built their homes, and raised their families here in these homes and others like them. Some of the descendants from those families still remain in Hickory County. Those who have left the area can return to see the pride we still hold for these strong spirited settlers. Reflecting on our past provides us with added courage to go on today.

The Settlers Village celebrates with a special Christmas Lighting ceremony that takes place the first part of December. The log cabins are ready to take you back through time one block south of Highway 54 in Wheatland. Visitor's hours are 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. daily. Groups are asked to call ahead to 417-282-6552.

Weaubleau

Weaubleau apparently got its name from the Osage Indians, who named it "Wabelo", the Indian name for crooked stream. It is widely believed that the French spelled it this way to mean Weau (water) bleau (blue). Weaubleau is the only town in America with this name, and is located on US Highway 54.

There are several stores, such as a candle shop, antique shops, convenience stores, a farm store, insurance agency and a fabric store which ships quilt fabric to locations all over the United States. You will find a museum that will take you back to your childhood days with old bicycles and toys. Bring a picnic lunch or pick one up at one of the convenience stores and enjoy an afternoon at the city park where you will find a train caboose for your enjoyment. Just a few miles out of town on Highway 123 the Martin Dairy Farm has a working dairy farm where you can see milk being processed and ice cream packaged to be delivered to many stores in the area. Call ahead for tour information. Charming older homes around town are obtainable for renovation. Contact one of our real estate agencies for more information.

Home