Ely Carter established the village of Albany in 1854. He made application for a post-office. But Albany was already in use in Gentry County. Ada, the name of Ely Carter's wife was proposed and accepted, but the village retained the name of Albany. Mr. Carter was the first postmaster. Also called Ashton, originally.

It was located one mile northeast of Orrick. It had seven business houses, one school, one flour mill, and one church. Once Orrick grew along the railroad and the Albany stores and churches gradually moved a mile south to the new town.

Albany was incorporated in 1871. Daniel Turner served as first mayor

It was located out of Hardin southeast about ¾ mile. There was a grocery store, a saloon, and a blacksmith shop near Buffalo. There were no bridges across Crooked River. When the town of Hardin was platted, around 1868, most people promptly moved there, and Buffalo City decayed.

Elk Horn

OT

One of the first settlers in Egypt was Joseph Ray, a French trapper

According to the late Mrs. Thurman (Julia) Dudgeon, Egypt acquired its name in 1895 following a flood after Mr. Ray had taken his belongings to the site of South Point by raft for safety. When the waters receded and Mr. Ray was asked what he was going to do he said that he was "going back to Egypt," thus comparing the fertility of the soil to that of the Delta of the Nile in ancient Egypt ... (--Ray County, p. 90.)

Located on the road east and a little north of Morton about three miles. I can not find any evidence of the town ever having come into any further existence than just the platting.

see Henrietta

This town was platted in September 1869 just after the Civil War by Emilius Wood. It was to be located between Richmond and Henrietta, in the northeast quarter of Section 9, Township 51, Range 27 West.

Was located east-northeast of the present day Excelsior Springs Golf Course. One of the five battles, or skirmishes, of the Civil War in Ray County occurred here. In 1842, the post office was re-established and known as New Garden.

Georgeville was founded in the 1880's. It was first named Grange Hall, for the first structure built at the site a "Grange Hall." About three miles north of the present site a settlement was established called Georgeville in honor of the George family on whose land it was built.

This was mentioned several times in early family stories, but only that it was at a cross-roads. Grape Grove established a post office May 29, 1838. Grape Grove's name was changed to Millville June 27, 1847.

Moser

Hardin Links

post office

1914 Standard Atlas of Ray County

River boat landing

According to the 1877 Ray County Atlas, about five miles west-northwest of Orrick.

The first postmaster of Knoxville was Moses F. Rainwater who was appointed January 24, 1838.

For over seventy years from 1880's to 1952 when the last mine closed this mining village, located about 3 ½ mile northeast of Hardin, was very active. Heisinger Lake, which once lay to the southeast of the town, was the source of the name. Coal which so richly underlies most of Ray County was the source of employment foremost of the people in the village, as it was in many other Ray County towns of that period. The last store closed in 1948, and when the remaining mine stopped when the demand for coal declined due to natural gas and electricity coming into easy supply, Lakeview's reason for existing was gone and so was the town.

In May 1900, a post office was established giving its location in the SE ¼, Section 32 Township 54 North, Range 26 West or roughly in the center of a triangle formed by Fox, Regal and Ovid.

In 1836 a caravan of ox teams with the recently widowed Mrs. Rachel (Riley) McBee and her 4 married sons stopped and settled just east of Hardin where the Red Brick School was later located. But floods, very severe that year, forced them to uproot themselves and move on up into the bluff country in 1837 and they finally settled in the area past Millville where New Hope M.E. church is today.

By 1935 there were enough settlers in the northwest part of present day Ray County to require a log schoolhouse. The "Battle of Crooked River" a day's skirmish between Mormons of adjoining Caldwell County and a militia of Ray County, took place in 1838, in a valley one mile south of that school. Upstream a short distance from where the battle took place, a Mr. McClain began operating a water-powered grist mill near the Ed Knutter ford over Crooked River; this being only a short distance southeast of present-day Elmira. The post office there was established in 1858 and ran until 1860, but then the name was changed to Pleasant View.

Originally called Bucksnort, the name was changed to Millville in 1865. It has also been referred to as "The Wee Village". The last grocery store closed in 1971.

Located Route K about 11 miles northeast of Richmond on the east fork of Crooked River.

Moser

Known as Mineral City or Frog Eye. In the summer of 1903, just around the bend of Crooked River and Fire Creek, Stephen Mullin and some of his neighbors decided to drill a well on his land because there had been a severe water shortage, and Fire Creek was insufficient to supply everyone's needs in the emergency. The water from the well proved to be a strong soda-saline type similar to that of the defunct St. Cloud, and this revived hopes again of prosperity from the health giving water. Through the years following, Mullin's well became famous. In 1908, according to the records at the courthouse, Stephen M. and Louisa Mullin and Peter J. Carchas of St. Joseph, a lawyer whom Mullin had consulted about legal matters, filed a plat of the proposed Mineral City. The water became so famous it was shipped in barrels to other states. Finally, at the death of Mullin, debts were so out standing that his family moved away, the well was capped, and the well house torn down, and today a few bits of foundations here and there are all that remain of this bit of Ray County history.

post office

This location is near the western border of Ray County, about 4 miles east and a little south of Excelsior Springs. In this area in 1842 the New Garden Primitive Baptist Church was organized with 15 members, all with letters from Big Pigeon Baptist Church, Cocke County, Tennessee. There is a legend to account for the fact that for many years it was known as the Church of the Lost Child.

left bank of Missouri River, opposite Lexington

Sometimes called Foote Station, as a post office it is said to have been near or at the residence of William H. McGaugh. When a railroad was built from North Lexington to St. Joseph, the post office at Otsego was moved to Old Foot Station (this was evidently just before Haller, now Rayville, was platted in 1871).

During the years 1899 and 1900 there was a post office. It's location is in the area between Orrick and Elkhorn somewhere.

Jason N. Baker was the first postmaster beginning May, 1851. This location was, according to information from the National Archives, seven miles west of Knoxville, and one mile north of Rocky Ford Creek. James F. Blackwell was the last listed postmaster, the office being discontinued in 1871, giving way to the location of Old Foot along the newly built railroad line.

About 5 miles northeast of Millville was this little settlement. There was not school, and the nearest church was West Antioch Church.

Located a short way north of the Crooked River bridge which is on Highway 10 just before you reach Hardin.

Richmond Links

This agricultural community northeast of Hardin was founded by families from the Shenandoah Valley, Rockingham County, Virginia, following the ravaging of Sheridan's men during the Civil War. These early settlers were of deep religious convictions and were members of the Church of the Brethren.

by Thomson (Sandals) Cemetery

Known first as the Grange store, then as Sandals Store, it finally was shortened to just Sandals. James Sandals had a grist and saw mill here as well as his store. It was located about 100 feet from the old Plattsburg State Road, but today would be easier placed if I say it was about one mile north and four miles west of Knoxville.

In September 1883, Bartlett Sisk made an application to change the post office from New Garden a distance of ¾ miles to his house and to call it Sis's Mill.

Prairie Map

Located 5 miles northwest of Richmond, this was another little village which came into existence in the 1870's because of the railroad. It was name by Major R.J. Williams in honor of a lady in St. Joseph whose first name was Swanie.

Taitsville Links

Known as Taitsville and Lick Skillet. It was in 1833 that a settlement was first made here. It's demise was helped along by the coming of the railroad in 1887.

Mail via Lawson, no population is shown. (--Rand McNally, 1974.)

From 1892, August, through April, 1895, a post office existed in this area about 21/2 miles south of Elkhorn.