Sunday, July 6, 2014

Civil War- Athens, Missouri (pronounced Aythens)

A cannon went through the parlor and left out the back door without harming anyone.  The hole that remained is preserved.

The mill's foundation

A comfy spot to be a chrysalis

I love this "town".  And i have posted it's story before.  Battle of Athens-2012
This is the site of the northernmost Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi and once-thriving town of Athens.
On our way up to Iowa, we listened to an audio book that took place during the Civil War, The Mostly True Adventures Of Homer P Figg, by Rodman Philbrick.  We stopped to hike and when we were getting ready to leave, a ranger pulled up and asked if we wanted a tour.  What a treat!  And afterward, she took us to see some artifacts found on the grounds.

John Boon of Kentucky was the first settler around 1831.  Shortly after, it boasted a post office, churches, large hotel, wagon factory, meat packing plant, and more than 50 businesses.
Colton mill was built in 1858 and had thirty feet of stone foundation topped with 4 floors plus the attic.  It produced cornmeal, flour, lumber, and cotton/woolen products.

But after the Civil War, bitter feelings between neighbors and the shift to railroad transportation, caused the town to vanish.  By 1900, it was nearly gone.

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