Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/444

 384 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST JNIISSOURI Naylor Naylor is a village in Thomas township in Ripley county. It is on the main line of the Iron Mountain Railroad and is the western terminus of the Doniphan branch. Its pop- ulation is 406. There are two churches, a school and about ten business establishments of various kinds. The Bank of Naylor was chartered in 1903 and has a capital stock of $10,000. Other villages in Ripley county are Fair- dealing, Ponder, Gatewood, Pine and Poyner. Flat River The largest cit.y in St. Francois county is Flat River. Settlement was made here early in the history of the county and lead mines opened just before the war. The lead inter- ests were not greatly developed until after the building of the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railroad. The mines were developed rapidly then and they are so extensive and so rich as to cause the growth of a large com- munity supported in large part by them. There are farming interests also, but they are of much less importance than the mines. The town now has another railroad — the Illinois Southern — which passes through extending between Bismarck and Ste. Gene- vieve. Flat River is the northern terminus of the St. Francois county interui-ban line. Its transportation facilities are thus unusu- ally good and the prosperity of the town greatly enhanced by them. There are about 100 business establishments including stores, mills, mines, wagon shops and minor estab- lishments. The Bank of Flat River was char- tered in 1907 and has a capital of $15,000. The Miners & IMerchants Bank was chartered in 1899 and its capital is also $15,000. The school system is one of the best in this part of the state. The town is a typical mining community, differing from all others of South- east iIissouri outside the Lead Belt. DesLoge DesLoge is an unincorporated village of St. Francois county. It has a large and con- stantly growing population due to its large mining interests, but has never assumed a municipal organization. The Bank of Des- Loge was clmrtered in 1902 and has a capital of $10,000. The Citizens Bank dates from 1907 and its capital is also $10,000. The town has recently erected a fine new school build- ing, one of the best and most modei'n in South- east Missouri. It maintains a good system of schools and is a progressive and thriving com- munity. Leadwood Leadwood is another unincorporated village of the Lead Belt in St. Francois county. Its population is large though no municipal gov- ernment has been organized. The village of Iron Mountain is in Iron township in St. Francois county. It is situated at the foot of Iron Mountain and is fourteen miles south- west of Farmington. The town is owned in large part by the mining company which owns Iron Mountain. There are stores, churches, a school and a population of 180. At one time it was a large community having more than 1,000 people, but with the cessa- tion for many .years of active work on the iron mines the population dwindled away. Elvins Another of the great mining communities is Elvins. It forms practically a part of Flat River, being situated but a little further south and west. It is organized as a separate mu- nicipality, however, and has a population of