Avilla, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Avilla is a rural village in Jasper County
, Missouri, United States. The population was 125 at the 2010 census
. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
on MO Route 96 and four miles west of the Lawrence County, Missouri line. The village is surrounded by pasture
and farmland, small forested areas and branching spring-fed streams. White Oak Creek is the nearest to the south and east, and Dry Fork & Deer Creek to the north. Spring River
runs past about three miles to the south which is eventually fed by these headwater
streams.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
today, founded in 1856 & platted and laid out for public use July 23, 1858 by Andrew L. Love and David S. Holman. Mr. Love was the Justice of the Peace, and Mr. Holman was the first merchant and Postmaster, also establishing the Post Office in 1856.
This had been the hunting grounds of the Osage Indians that were known to have camped at nearby Spring River
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south. Their lands to the east had been previously purchased by the government in 1808 (Treaty of Fort Clark
) and other tribes had been moved to this location as well, and then later all were moved again to the Osage Nation areas elsewhere. Notwithstanding, a few that possibly returned or had simply refused to leave could still be seen trading in Avilla and the nearby towns throughout the Antebellum
Period.
By the start of the American Civil War
in 1861 there were several small river mill settlements, some mining camps and about nine or ten towns (seven platted) in Jasper County, Missouri. Avilla was newly formed and "bustling" with over one hundred citizens (compare with the county seat of Carthage, Missouri
that had an estimated population between four and five hundred at that time).
As in all of the border state towns, families in Avilla were split in agreement with the boiling question of Missouri secession
, and some were slave owners. Dr. Jaquillian M. Stemmons actually owned eight inherited slaves himself; however, he and the other town leaders were Unconditional Unionists
and remained aligned with newly elected president Abraham Lincoln
. Dr. J.M. Stemmons never bought or sold slaves and was known to have retained his family inherited slaves simply for their very own safety, and he was a slave owner who supported the abolition of slavery in the United States. Avilla's political alignment was in sharp contrast to neighboring Sarcoxie to the south where the first regional Confederate flag was raised. The rebel "Stars & Bars" also flew over Carthage 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west in 1861, following an early Confederate victory at the Battle of Carthage
on July 5. At a distance of only two counties away, Arkansas
had already become the ninth state to secede, and on October 28, 1861 Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson
met with the Missouri General Assembly
in Neosho
and declared Missouri
as the twelfth state to join the Confederate States of America. In spite of being engulfed by the Confederacy, the United States flag continued to fly over Avilla, boldly hoist to the top of a flagpole in the town center park and guarded by the townsmen. Schoolhouses were closed and many families evacuated their women and small children to safer areas in other states.
s. In 1861 this town militia
, also known as the "Avilla Home Guard", was one of the first in the area and consisted predominantly of the oldest citizens, as most of the younger men were leaving to join regular military forces. This action was strongly opposed by local secessionists, and it was even rumored that a price had been placed on the Doctor's head. By March 1862 the town militia had been tipped off about an impending assault and General James G. Blunt at Fort Scott, Kansas
had pledged reinforcements, but they had not yet arrived. After nightfall on March 8, 1862 a group of over a hundred pro-Confederate
guerrillas believed to have been led by William T. Anderson
attacked northeast of Avilla, routed perimeter sentries and engaged defenders at Dr. Stemmon’s home. Defending were about twenty-five town militiamen and some men from Carthage who were there attending a meeting about the organization of a county-wide patrol. A US Cavalry officer named Captain Tanner was also there recruiting men for the Union Army. The rebels surrounded the two-story log home and were met with heavy gunfire, but the Doctor and three of his sons Bud, Pole and Jimmie were trapped inside with many of the men. After numerous attempts to penetrate the defense, amidst flying buckshot and bullets the attackers managed to ignite the cabin and it eventually burned to the ground. Dr. Stemmons and Lathan Duncan, an Avilla militiaman were killed, several others shot and burned, and two were taken prisoner (the number of guerrilla casualties were not recorded). After the house was lost to flames, the heavily out-numbered militia withdrew and scattered in the darkness. They reformed near the north edge of Avilla and braced for another onslaught, but it did not occur. The guerrilla force instead ended the attack and rode east toward Springfield, Missouri
where the two elderly prisoners were later "given stern warnings to leave the state" and released.
Dr. J.M. Stemmons had been considered an "influential area figure against secession", and this was thought to be a big motive for the attack and his murder. Nevertheless, the "defiant and heroic actions" of Dr. Stemmons, Mr. Duncan and the town militia's "bold resistance" undoubtedly repelled further violence and probably prevented the burning of Avilla on that or ensuing dates. Names that are known of the courageous militiamen and allies defending on that night also included: Miles Overton, George Moose, Jap Moody, Ben Key, Cavalry Chapman, Robert Seymour, Orange Clark, Humphrey Robinson, Tom Driver, James S. Carter, Reuben Fishburn, William Club (seriously wounded), Nelson Knight (taken prisoner), Rabe Paul and Coleman Paul, Isaac Schooler, "Dutch" Brown (taken prisoner), Nip Walker, Peter Baker, Renard Napper and Cpt. Tanner from Fort Scott
(The Captain was a Union Army Recruiting Officer and reportedly continued to fight after taking a shotgun blast to the face).
The rebel attack on the Stemmons home was intended to terrorize and diffuse but essentially had the opposite effect, infuriating the townsmen and altering the defensive efforts to offensive as everyone in Avilla took up arms. The Union Army gained possession of Missouri in 1862, but the terrain encompassing Avilla remained plagued with bushwhackers and occasionally small bands of Confederate
regulars or guerrilla raiders on horseback. The town militia inherently became the earliest county militia for a period, headquartered in Avilla (this was before the formation of the Missouri County Militias in 1864). The patrol areas were then extended within eastern Jasper and western Lawrence Counties. Patrols of mounted militiamen were augmented by a few Union soldiers of the US Cavalry and continued to protect the town and countryside in several local skirmishes. Many bushwackers were tracked down and shot, and within a short time the rest of them grew to fear the deadly Avilla "pioneer marksmen". In one account a rebel’s skeleton was found just south of town with a bullet hole in the skull and his name was never identified. He had apparently been killed during a previous skirmish with militiamen, but his remains were not found until they were in an advanced state of decomposition
. The skull was then hung from the "Death Tree" in Avilla, suspended from a tree limb for over a year near the road at the Dunlap apple orchard "as a warning to all other bushwhackers".
By 1863 Avilla was a Union Army garrison manned by the Enrolled Missouri Militia
and the new soldiers stationed in Avilla were under the command of Major Morgan. Tents were erected and storehouses, barns and homes were converted to temporary Army barracks & headquarters which housed hundreds of soldiers at various times, and a number of refugees. The town became known to the Missouri Militiamen informally as "Camp Avilla'", and by 1864 many of the original town militiamen continued to assist the new Missouri Militia functioning as patrol leaders in the newly organized Jasper County Militia. Avilla supported anti-guerrilla operations in the region while under Lieutenant-Colonel T.T. Crittenden
of the Missouri State Militia's 7th Cavalry
, and facilitated as a way station when needed in the transportation of Confederate Prisoners of War. Being situated in open grassland Avilla was able to maintain a formidable and effective defense and became a sanctuary for refugees of nearby burned-out towns such as Carthage, but the county remained dangerous until the end and even for some time after the war.
, the closest railroad shipping point to Avilla. Much of Jasper County lay in ruins, and local merchants and businessmen grew wealthy during the rebuilding of Carthage, Sarcoxie, and other nearby war-damaged communities. Many old time residents later claimed that Avilla had actually been the largest operating town in Jasper County after hostilities ended, for a short time. Commerce even came from as far away as Kansas, by farmers traveling to Avilla to buy seed, building supplies and provisions. Captain Thomas Jefferson Stemmons, a Union commander and son of the late Dr. J.M. Stemmons, returned home to Avilla and started a mercantile with partner D. B. Rives, which was the first new business established after the Civil War. The first hotel was called The Avilla House and was erected two years later in 1868 by Justice Hall. Through the 1870s and 1880s there were two general stores (dry goods & clothing), two grocery stores, one or more doctor's offices, one "notion" (sewing) store, two boot & shoe stores, one livery & feed stable, three churches, a drug store, a Grand Army of the Republic
post (GAR) and two "secret societies": the Freemasons Lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellow
s Lodge (IOOF) and houses sprang up everywhere. Located at what is now named "School Street", the first Avilla school in town was built in the 1880s and taught grades 1–12 (called lower, upper and high school). Sources disagree, but some documents cite the town's population at over five hundred during these years, not including families on the farms encircling just beyond the town limits. Despite the initial spurt after the Civil War, growth of the town was stunted because the railroad was not built through Avilla. Farmland was the primary natural resource and without industry the population never increased after this time, and regular stage lines were eventually discontinued.
After the battleship USS Maine
exploded at Havana, Cuba in February 1898, a “war fever” against Spain swept through America with the cry: “Remember the Maine!” On March 4, 1898, a highly charged war rally was held at the Avilla Methodist Church. Three attorneys gave rousing speeches to the packed house, fueled with patriotic songs from a ladies choir. As a result fifty-three young men immediately volunteered for military service in a new company that would be known as the Avilla Zouaves. These units were characterized by colorful uniforms and/or precision drilling patterned after the French Zouaves, and were very stylish in the 19th century military. The Avilla youth would be designated in the US Army as Company G, 5th Missouri Infantry Regiment. Two months later, the new Avilla unit was escorted by flag-bearing GAR
members to the Carthage Train Depot, and with music from the Light Guard Band were ceremoniously sent off for battle in the Spanish American War. The fighting in Cuba was over quickly and the 5th Missouri Infantry was mustered out on November 9, 1898, before the Avilla Zouaves saw any action. Although they did not fight in the war, this event illustrates the raw patriotic spirit of Avilla, Missouri still present in 1898.
of the 1930s, though records are incomplete. This in itself is quite remarkable as almost half of the banks in America closed down in the early '30s. The productive farms surrounding the town had established Avilla as a valuable agricultural and livestock raising community. The Bank of Avilla operated into the 1940s but as transportation in the vicinity significantly improved, the need for a local bank diminished and at some point its assets were transferred to the Bank of Carthage
. The property was leased by the government April 1, 1952 to house the old US Post Office which was in need of a new location by that time, and it has remained a Post Office ever since.
The trail that went through the center of Avilla east & west was known as "Old Carthage Road", and it was paved and became part of U.S. Route 66
in the late 1920s. This kept business flowing as the little town became one of the stops on "The Mother Road
", the main highway through the heart of America in those years. Population growth had already apexed before the 20th century but the town continued to make modern improvements such as a volunteer fire department, a hardware store & lumber yard (owned by Raymond Ziler, burned in 1971) , a barbershop, a beauty salon, (Florida Melugin's or "Old Flo's") tavern, The Avilla Cafe (Jack & Nadine "Sours" Couch), several auto service stations (in town and close proximity) and repair shops for farm equipment and automobiles, a farm implement sales (Chapman-Follmers), a seed mill, a Boy Scout meeting hall (Scoutmaster Joseph A. Norris Sr.) and in later years even an arena grounds was constructed for the Avilla Rodeo
(Avilla Saddle Club) 1 miles (1.6 km) west of town. A larger school building was also built, and the old one room school houses which were still operating and spread out in that part of Jasper County were consolidated and centralized in Avilla. The original country schoolhouse teachers were brought together to form the elementary/middle school Avilla R-13 School District, the Avilla Panthers which is the present day school for grades K-8. High school level students thereafter were sent to neighboring Carthage, Sarcoxie
, Jasper
, Miller
or Golden City, Missouri
for continued studies.
(the Interstate Highway System
). The lost commerce due to the diverted traffic caused many of the remaining businesses to fail or to be relocated in the 1970s. A large fire also broke out at the Avilla lumberyard which destroyed several buildings including most of the lumber company, the Boy Scout Meeting Hall and some private residences. The lumberyard was rebuilt but by the late 1970s deteriorating town shops had been sold & resold, and finally deserted. The only trades that survived were the ones that could be sustained by the dwindling local population and area farming operations. Most of the earliest buildings are now gone, replaced by noticeable empty spaces and vacant lots. US Route 66 was redesignated MO Route 96 in 1985 but by then Avilla was already a small, quiet rural community not unlike what is witnessed there today. Few abandoned structures remain within the present village as silent reminders of the towns heyday.
Today Avilla is considered one of the living "Ghost Towns of Old Route 66". It was never completely abandoned and retains its village status today. Many antique country home' and farmhouses can be seen dotted about the Avilla countryside and long established family traditions in livestock raising and agriculture continue in the area. The rural community with local 4-H clubs & the Harvest Community Church are currently restoring the Avilla Saddle Club Arena. A few examples of period architecture can still be viewed such as the iconic 19th century Avilla (United) Methodist Church which was the first church established in Avilla, located in the northeast part of town. A Civil War era mercantile edifice (Stemmons & Rives) also endures near the old park at the west village entrance. 21st century visitors and residents can enjoy the nostalgic and well-preserved 1915 bank building, complete with the old time teller windows, vault and vintage postal equipment as it continues to fly Old Glory
and serve as Avilla's US Post Office.
. He grew up on a farm near Avilla, Missouri, and graduated class of 1956 at Carthage High School.
James Craven A state representative of Missouri in Avilla, Missouri. James was born in Indiana in 1831 and became a livestock dealer in California and Oregon in the 1850s. He moved to Avilla, Missouri and went into politics in 1866.
documentation, but who selected the name and why remains a mystery. The town was founded by Andrew L. Love and David S. Holman, merchant-landowners who basically wanted to sell goods and property at the edge of the frontier in the mid-1850s, but little information was recorded by them, and even less about them. An authentic explanation for the name may exist in an old document or letter, but it has yet to be discovered or made public, and the knowledge may have died with the founders. In the United States, the list of similarly named places includes: a small town in Noble County, Indiana
, a township in Comanche County, Kansas
and an unincorporated community in Saline County, Arkansas
.
The American pioneers at that time and location had a range of European language skills and some had extensive educations, which broadens the field of speculation on the birth of the name. With Latin
roots, the name Avilla could have been derived from several Romance Language sources such as a Galician-Portuguese
variant of'Avila, or from the ancient Spanish city Ávila de los Caballeros or the Spanish surname, from French or even Italian (Avilla, Italy is located within the Province of Teramo
in the Abruzzo
region). In 1875 Judge Edwin Randal claimed to have coined the name for his Indiana town Avilla from the French villas but this was nearly two decades later (he never mentioned having knowledge of earlier Avilla, Missouri).
The current unincorporated
community of Avilla, Arkansas exists as a town on the 1895 Arkansas map of Saline County but it does not appear on the 1855 map. In addition, the ghost town
of Avilla, Kansas had been founded in 1884 (chartered
1885) on Salt Creek but was vacated by 1903 and the name remains there today only as Avilla township in Comanche County, Kansas
. Although both Avilla ghost towns in Arkansas and Kansas appear to have been established after Avilla, Missouri there could still be a connection with the names that was not revealed during this research.
Back in Jasper County Missouri, the county seat of Carthage was named for the ancient North African city Carthage
(of Hannibal fame) in 1842, and assuming these were like-minded gentlemen this makes the use of the ancient Spanish city name for Avilla even more plausible, but nothing is certain. Golden City, Missouri
, which is a close neighbor of Avilla just north across the Barton County line has a Spanish-influenced name. Early settlers there found old diggings that they attributed to Spanish conquistador
s mining for gold and named it Golden Grove, which was later used for the town name. The Spanish did come through the Ozark region in the 17th century searching for gold, but the Golden City diggings were later determined to be from native American Indians extracting flint for arrowheads and tools. The notion of Spanish gold was popular with the pioneers and the naming of Golden Grove occurred roughly the same time that the land near Avilla was being settled. From this one could imagine a similar Spanish origin for Avilla's name from hypothetical discoveries such as "odd diggings" or "Spanish-type" artifacts for example, all being pure conjecture of course. In the Roman age of classical antiquity
"a villa
" was an "independent rural settlement of some consequence", which is a fitting description of historical Avilla, Missouri.
A myth that Avilla, Missouri was named after Avilla, Indiana
was started in 1930 when it was published in the M.A. thesis from Robert Lee Meyers, University of Missouri-Columbia "Place Names In The Southwest Counties Of Missouri". Although early settlers did come to Avilla, Missouri from Indiana, the Indiana town was documented to have been named seventeen years after the Missouri town, by Judge Edwin Randal in 1875. Before that time, Avilla, Indiana was known as “Hill Town” until 1875.
On a side note, Avilla, Missouri and Avilla, Indiana were never official sister cities. This rumor originated because in addition to having the same name, the middle schools of both towns share an identical mascot and colors: blue and white panthers, but this appears to be coincidence.
There were 53 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 117.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,750, and the median income for a family was $25,000. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,673. There were 13.3% of families and 18.9% of the population living below the poverty line, including 33.3% of under eighteens and 16.7% of those over 64.
The old village streets, abandoned buildings and fields surrounding Avilla are said to be known haunts of the “Shadow Folk
”, who are dark shadowy types of ghosts or shadow-beings. Many “Shadow Folk” or “Shadow People
” have been seen “walking around” in the town center park, standing under abandoned store awnings, in windows and even “entering” (passing through) the locked doors of the US Post Office, among other places. They seem to be busy with their own routines and pay little attention to living onlookers, although they generally vanish while in close proximity or when viewed directly by the living. One of the Shadow Folk (appropriately nicknamed “Otis” of The Andy Griffith Show
fame) appears to be the town drunk and can be seen stumbling from the old tavern building after hours, and even “passing-out” on the street.
This phenomenon has been theorized by Paranormal
Researchers to be Thoughtform
s or psychic impressions left by past residents during periods of very high stress and/or trauma. A very likely time may have been when life in Avilla was completely disrupted during the Civil War, though a few shadow people such as Otis or the Post Office shadow patron seem to have originated from a later era (the current tavern did not exist during the Civil War and the present Post Office building was not built until 1915). Local folklore suggests that these were the souls of residents who died or were killed elsewhere and not realizing that they were dead, returned to their homes to continue on with their “lives” (in death), being merely shadows of personalities long gone.
These shadow-like entities are mainly seen with peripheral vision and can be spotted anytime (day or night) but are most visible during illuminated late nights/early mornings (full moon with snow is said to be best) and they are extremely difficult to photograph for obvious reasons. Filming of the Avilla Shadow Folk has not been published or made public to date, and sightings have become less frequent as more of the old buildings have been demolished. The Shadow Folk are not considered frightening and witnesses have described them as “creepy but oddly calming to view and they never bother anybody”.
that haunts the Death Tree itself (believed to be a very old Osage-orange tree at the edge of a now defunct apple orchard near the outskirts of Avilla). The morbid Civil War event of the hanging human skull in Avilla (see history section 1861–1865) was the origin of the Death Tree Legend, an enduring Avilla ghost story describing various hauntings involving an old tree charged with dark or evil energy.
Jasper County, Missouri
Jasper County is a county located in the US state of Missouri. It is included in the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2010 total population of Jasper County was 117,404. It is the ninth most populous county in Missouri. Its county seat is Carthage, making it one of the few...
, Missouri, United States. The population was 125 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Area
The Joplin Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties – Jasper and Newton – in southwest Missouri, anchored by the city of Joplin...
.
Geography
Avilla is located at 37°11′38"N 94°7′44"W (37.193821, −94.128991), ten miles east of Carthage, MissouriCarthage, Missouri
Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 14,378 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."...
on MO Route 96 and four miles west of the Lawrence County, Missouri line. The village is surrounded by pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
and farmland, small forested areas and branching spring-fed streams. White Oak Creek is the nearest to the south and east, and Dry Fork & Deer Creek to the north. Spring River
Spring River (Missouri)
The Spring River is a waterway located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. It begins in northern Barry County, Missouri south of Aurora, flows north of Verona and turns west across Lawrence and Jasper counties, passing through Carthage, before crossing into...
runs past about three miles to the south which is eventually fed by these headwater
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
streams.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
History
Avilla, Mo. is the fourth oldest town in Jasper County, MissouriJasper County, Missouri
Jasper County is a county located in the US state of Missouri. It is included in the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2010 total population of Jasper County was 117,404. It is the ninth most populous county in Missouri. Its county seat is Carthage, making it one of the few...
today, founded in 1856 & platted and laid out for public use July 23, 1858 by Andrew L. Love and David S. Holman. Mr. Love was the Justice of the Peace, and Mr. Holman was the first merchant and Postmaster, also establishing the Post Office in 1856.
1831–1861
Pioneers who came to this region in the 1830s & '40s saw a "beautiful prairie land, interspersed with timbered belts along winding streams". Settlement of the grasslands presented more challenges than other types of terrain and for this reason northeastern Jasper County developed slower than the rest. Split-log homes were built near wooded locations and rock & sod were also used in early constructions. Although families were many miles apart they still called each other neighbor. Some of the earliest settlers near present day Avilla were John K. Gibson in 1831 (just across the Lawrence County line), James Blackwell in '35 and John Fishburn on White Oak Creek in 1836. Nelson Knight was the first settler on the prairie north of Avilla, building a cabin & farm in 1837, and Jasper County itself was established in 1841. Thomas Buck came all the way from Indiana in a wagon drawn by a team of horses in the '40s and built a farm just east of the future town site. The first schoolhouse in the Avilla area was a one-room dirt-floor log cabin also founded in the 1840s called White Oak School, located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast near White Oak Creek. Arriving with his family in 1853, Dr. Jaquillian M. Stemmons was the first Physician to practice medicine in the Avilla area, doing so from his 400 acre farm. A Dr Young later came just before the Civil War and established an office within the town limits.This had been the hunting grounds of the Osage Indians that were known to have camped at nearby Spring River
Spring River (Missouri)
The Spring River is a waterway located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. It begins in northern Barry County, Missouri south of Aurora, flows north of Verona and turns west across Lawrence and Jasper counties, passing through Carthage, before crossing into...
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south. Their lands to the east had been previously purchased by the government in 1808 (Treaty of Fort Clark
Treaty of Fort Clark
The Treaty of Fort Clark was signed at Fort Osage on November 10, 1808 in which the Osage Nation ceded all the land east of the fort in Missouri and Arkansas north of the Arkansas River to the United States. The Fort Clark treaty and the Treaty of St...
) and other tribes had been moved to this location as well, and then later all were moved again to the Osage Nation areas elsewhere. Notwithstanding, a few that possibly returned or had simply refused to leave could still be seen trading in Avilla and the nearby towns throughout the Antebellum
History of the United States (1789–1849)
With the election of George Washington as the first president in 1789, the new government acted quickly to rebuild the nation's financial structure. Enacting the program of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, the government assumed the Revolutionary war debts of the state and the national...
Period.
By the start of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1861 there were several small river mill settlements, some mining camps and about nine or ten towns (seven platted) in Jasper County, Missouri. Avilla was newly formed and "bustling" with over one hundred citizens (compare with the county seat of Carthage, Missouri
Carthage, Missouri
Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 14,378 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."...
that had an estimated population between four and five hundred at that time).
Main towns and cities in Jasper County, Missouri established prior to the Civil War
| Current Town Name | Accepted Date Founded | Official Date of Plat Plat A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan.... |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarcoxie Sarcoxie, Missouri Sarcoxie is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :... |
1833 | 1840 | The first settlement in Jasper County Missouri, initially known as Centerville. The first settler was Thackeray Vivion in 1831. |
| (Old) Jasper | 1840 | 1842 | Was located southeast of Carthage and no longer exists. The town of Midway, Missouri was later renamed as the present day Jasper, Missouri Jasper, Missouri Jasper is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population within the city limits was 931 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Jasper is located at .... , which is a different town north of Carthage. |
| Carthage Carthage, Missouri Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 14,378 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."... |
1841 | 1842 | Historic Carthage was planned from the start with the purpose of being the Jasper County seat and was promptly rebuilt after being destroyed during the Civil War. |
| (Old) Sherwood | 1846 | 1856 | First called Rural and was located near present day Webb City Webb City, Missouri Webb City is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,996 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Webb City is located at .... . It was not rebuilt after being destroyed during the Civil War and no longer exists. |
| Oronogo Oronogo, Missouri Oronogo is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,381 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Name:... |
1848 | 1856 | Known as Minersville around the time of the Civil War, it evolved from early mining camps and had other names such as Leadville Hollow. The Post Office had also used the name Center Mines. |
| (Old) Medoc | 1848 | After the Civil War | Started as an old Indian trading post near the Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... state line, it was destroyed during the Civil War and later resettled, but the plat was abandoned by the 20th century and the town no longer exists. |
| Avilla | 1856 | 1858 | Founded by merchant-landowners as a business center on the edge of the frontier in the mid-1850s. The citizens of Avilla formed a town militia for defense at the beginning of the Civil War and the site later served as a Union Army garrison (Enrolled Missouri Militia Enrolled Missouri Militia The Enrolled Missouri Militia was a state militia organization of Missouri in 1862 during the American Civil War. It was a part-time force whose primary purpose was to serve as garrison and infrastructure guards, both to augment the Unionist Missouri State Militia in defense versus raids and to... ), subsequently prevailing intact and undamaged after the war. The town's growth was ultimately stunted after being bypassed by the railroad in the latter 19th century and it remains a small village in the 21st century today. |
| Fidelity Fidelity, Missouri Fidelity is a village in Jasper County, Missouri, in the United States. The population was 257 at the 2010 census, at which time it was a town. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:... |
1856 | After the Civil War | Considered to have been founded by William Cloe about the same time as Avilla for similar reasons (mirroring it in some ways), Fidelity was not platted until after the Civil War. |
| Waco Waco, Missouri Waco is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 87 at the 2010 census, at which time it was a town. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Waco is located at .... |
1857 | After the Civil War, 1878 | Started as an old trading post first known as Loshick |
| (Old) Preston | 1859 | 1860 | A village northwest of Carthage, plat abandoned and town no longer exists. |
As in all of the border state towns, families in Avilla were split in agreement with the boiling question of Missouri secession
Missouri secession
During the American Civil War, the secession of Missouri was controversial because of the disputed status of the state of Missouri . During the war, Missouri was claimed by both the Union and the Confederacy, had two competing state governments, and sent representatives to both the United States...
, and some were slave owners. Dr. Jaquillian M. Stemmons actually owned eight inherited slaves himself; however, he and the other town leaders were Unconditional Unionists
Unconditional Union Party
The Unconditional Union Party was a loosely organized political entity during the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. First established in 1861 in Missouri, where secession talk was strong, the party fully supported the preservation of the Union at all costs...
and remained aligned with newly elected president Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. Dr. J.M. Stemmons never bought or sold slaves and was known to have retained his family inherited slaves simply for their very own safety, and he was a slave owner who supported the abolition of slavery in the United States. Avilla's political alignment was in sharp contrast to neighboring Sarcoxie to the south where the first regional Confederate flag was raised. The rebel "Stars & Bars" also flew over Carthage 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west in 1861, following an early Confederate victory at the Battle of Carthage
Battle of Carthage (1861)
-References:* Lee, Guy Carlton, and Francis Newtun Thorpe, editors. The History of North America. Philadelphia: George Barrie and Sons, 1905.* Monhegan, Jay. Civil War on the Western Border: 1854-1865. Boston: Little, Brown, 1956.*...
on July 5. At a distance of only two counties away, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
had already become the ninth state to secede, and on October 28, 1861 Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson
Claiborne Fox Jackson
Claiborne Fox Jackson was a lawyer, soldier, and Democratic politician from Missouri. He was the 15th Governor of Missouri in 1861, then governor-in-exile for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
met with the Missouri General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
in Neosho
Neosho, Missouri
Neosho is the most populous city in and the county seat of Newton County, Missouri, United States. Neosho is an integral part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and declared Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
as the twelfth state to join the Confederate States of America. In spite of being engulfed by the Confederacy, the United States flag continued to fly over Avilla, boldly hoist to the top of a flagpole in the town center park and guarded by the townsmen. Schoolhouses were closed and many families evacuated their women and small children to safer areas in other states.
1861–1865
Dr. Jaquillian M. Stemmons, an early settler, town leader and staunch Union man organized a company of local men and neighbors in Avilla for the protection of their own homes from roaming bands of bushwhackerBushwhacker
Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there are large areas of contested land and few Governmental Resources to control these tracts...
s. In 1861 this town militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, also known as the "Avilla Home Guard", was one of the first in the area and consisted predominantly of the oldest citizens, as most of the younger men were leaving to join regular military forces. This action was strongly opposed by local secessionists, and it was even rumored that a price had been placed on the Doctor's head. By March 1862 the town militia had been tipped off about an impending assault and General James G. Blunt at Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States, south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National...
had pledged reinforcements, but they had not yet arrived. After nightfall on March 8, 1862 a group of over a hundred pro-Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
guerrillas believed to have been led by William T. Anderson
William T. Anderson
William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson was a pro-Confederate guerrilla leader in the American Civil War.Anderson was known for his brutality towards Union soldiers, and pro Union partisans, who were called Jayhawkers. Anderson participated in Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21, 1863...
attacked northeast of Avilla, routed perimeter sentries and engaged defenders at Dr. Stemmon’s home. Defending were about twenty-five town militiamen and some men from Carthage who were there attending a meeting about the organization of a county-wide patrol. A US Cavalry officer named Captain Tanner was also there recruiting men for the Union Army. The rebels surrounded the two-story log home and were met with heavy gunfire, but the Doctor and three of his sons Bud, Pole and Jimmie were trapped inside with many of the men. After numerous attempts to penetrate the defense, amidst flying buckshot and bullets the attackers managed to ignite the cabin and it eventually burned to the ground. Dr. Stemmons and Lathan Duncan, an Avilla militiaman were killed, several others shot and burned, and two were taken prisoner (the number of guerrilla casualties were not recorded). After the house was lost to flames, the heavily out-numbered militia withdrew and scattered in the darkness. They reformed near the north edge of Avilla and braced for another onslaught, but it did not occur. The guerrilla force instead ended the attack and rode east toward Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
where the two elderly prisoners were later "given stern warnings to leave the state" and released.
Dr. J.M. Stemmons had been considered an "influential area figure against secession", and this was thought to be a big motive for the attack and his murder. Nevertheless, the "defiant and heroic actions" of Dr. Stemmons, Mr. Duncan and the town militia's "bold resistance" undoubtedly repelled further violence and probably prevented the burning of Avilla on that or ensuing dates. Names that are known of the courageous militiamen and allies defending on that night also included: Miles Overton, George Moose, Jap Moody, Ben Key, Cavalry Chapman, Robert Seymour, Orange Clark, Humphrey Robinson, Tom Driver, James S. Carter, Reuben Fishburn, William Club (seriously wounded), Nelson Knight (taken prisoner), Rabe Paul and Coleman Paul, Isaac Schooler, "Dutch" Brown (taken prisoner), Nip Walker, Peter Baker, Renard Napper and Cpt. Tanner from Fort Scott
Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States, south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National...
(The Captain was a Union Army Recruiting Officer and reportedly continued to fight after taking a shotgun blast to the face).
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
regulars or guerrilla raiders on horseback. The town militia inherently became the earliest county militia for a period, headquartered in Avilla (this was before the formation of the Missouri County Militias in 1864). The patrol areas were then extended within eastern Jasper and western Lawrence Counties. Patrols of mounted militiamen were augmented by a few Union soldiers of the US Cavalry and continued to protect the town and countryside in several local skirmishes. Many bushwackers were tracked down and shot, and within a short time the rest of them grew to fear the deadly Avilla "pioneer marksmen". In one account a rebel’s skeleton was found just south of town with a bullet hole in the skull and his name was never identified. He had apparently been killed during a previous skirmish with militiamen, but his remains were not found until they were in an advanced state of decomposition
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
. The skull was then hung from the "Death Tree" in Avilla, suspended from a tree limb for over a year near the road at the Dunlap apple orchard "as a warning to all other bushwhackers".
By 1863 Avilla was a Union Army garrison manned by the Enrolled Missouri Militia
Enrolled Missouri Militia
The Enrolled Missouri Militia was a state militia organization of Missouri in 1862 during the American Civil War. It was a part-time force whose primary purpose was to serve as garrison and infrastructure guards, both to augment the Unionist Missouri State Militia in defense versus raids and to...
and the new soldiers stationed in Avilla were under the command of Major Morgan. Tents were erected and storehouses, barns and homes were converted to temporary Army barracks & headquarters which housed hundreds of soldiers at various times, and a number of refugees. The town became known to the Missouri Militiamen informally as "Camp Avilla'", and by 1864 many of the original town militiamen continued to assist the new Missouri Militia functioning as patrol leaders in the newly organized Jasper County Militia. Avilla supported anti-guerrilla operations in the region while under Lieutenant-Colonel T.T. Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden was a United States colonel during the American Civil War, and served as the 24th Governor of Missouri from 1881 to 1885.-Early life and education:...
of the Missouri State Militia's 7th Cavalry
Missouri State Militia (Union)
The Missouri State Militia was a federally funded state militia organization of Missouri conceived in 1861 and beginning service in 1862 during the American Civil War...
, and facilitated as a way station when needed in the transportation of Confederate Prisoners of War. Being situated in open grassland Avilla was able to maintain a formidable and effective defense and became a sanctuary for refugees of nearby burned-out towns such as Carthage, but the county remained dangerous until the end and even for some time after the war.
1865–1900
Avilla fended off and avoided destruction during the Civil War, and was an overnight boom town during the Reconstruction Era at wars end. Merchandise and construction materials were hauled by wagon train from Sedalia, MissouriSedalia, Missouri
Sedalia is a city located about south of the Missouri River in Pettis County, Missouri. U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 65 intersect in the city. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 20,669. It is the county seat of Pettis County. The Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of...
, the closest railroad shipping point to Avilla. Much of Jasper County lay in ruins, and local merchants and businessmen grew wealthy during the rebuilding of Carthage, Sarcoxie, and other nearby war-damaged communities. Many old time residents later claimed that Avilla had actually been the largest operating town in Jasper County after hostilities ended, for a short time. Commerce even came from as far away as Kansas, by farmers traveling to Avilla to buy seed, building supplies and provisions. Captain Thomas Jefferson Stemmons, a Union commander and son of the late Dr. J.M. Stemmons, returned home to Avilla and started a mercantile with partner D. B. Rives, which was the first new business established after the Civil War. The first hotel was called The Avilla House and was erected two years later in 1868 by Justice Hall. Through the 1870s and 1880s there were two general stores (dry goods & clothing), two grocery stores, one or more doctor's offices, one "notion" (sewing) store, two boot & shoe stores, one livery & feed stable, three churches, a drug store, a Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
post (GAR) and two "secret societies": the Freemasons Lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellow
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
s Lodge (IOOF) and houses sprang up everywhere. Located at what is now named "School Street", the first Avilla school in town was built in the 1880s and taught grades 1–12 (called lower, upper and high school). Sources disagree, but some documents cite the town's population at over five hundred during these years, not including families on the farms encircling just beyond the town limits. Despite the initial spurt after the Civil War, growth of the town was stunted because the railroad was not built through Avilla. Farmland was the primary natural resource and without industry the population never increased after this time, and regular stage lines were eventually discontinued.
After the battleship USS Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
exploded at Havana, Cuba in February 1898, a “war fever” against Spain swept through America with the cry: “Remember the Maine!” On March 4, 1898, a highly charged war rally was held at the Avilla Methodist Church. Three attorneys gave rousing speeches to the packed house, fueled with patriotic songs from a ladies choir. As a result fifty-three young men immediately volunteered for military service in a new company that would be known as the Avilla Zouaves. These units were characterized by colorful uniforms and/or precision drilling patterned after the French Zouaves, and were very stylish in the 19th century military. The Avilla youth would be designated in the US Army as Company G, 5th Missouri Infantry Regiment. Two months later, the new Avilla unit was escorted by flag-bearing GAR
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
members to the Carthage Train Depot, and with music from the Light Guard Band were ceremoniously sent off for battle in the Spanish American War. The fighting in Cuba was over quickly and the 5th Missouri Infantry was mustered out on November 9, 1898, before the Avilla Zouaves saw any action. Although they did not fight in the war, this event illustrates the raw patriotic spirit of Avilla, Missouri still present in 1898.
1900–1970
The Bank of Avilla was established September 18, 1914 with Samuel Salyer as majority stockholder and cashier, and the building was completed in 1915 (the title "cashier" was applied to bank officers & managers). Ivy E. Russell became majority stockholder and cashier in 1919 and remained for its duration (the stock ledger goes to 1944). Small in size and largely handling farm loans, the bank remained profitable even through the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s, though records are incomplete. This in itself is quite remarkable as almost half of the banks in America closed down in the early '30s. The productive farms surrounding the town had established Avilla as a valuable agricultural and livestock raising community. The Bank of Avilla operated into the 1940s but as transportation in the vicinity significantly improved, the need for a local bank diminished and at some point its assets were transferred to the Bank of Carthage
Bank of Carthage (Missouri)
The Bank of Carthage was a local bank in Carthage, Missouri. It traced its history to 1868 and called itself the "oldest bank in southwest Missouri."...
. The property was leased by the government April 1, 1952 to house the old US Post Office which was in need of a new location by that time, and it has remained a Post Office ever since.
The trail that went through the center of Avilla east & west was known as "Old Carthage Road", and it was paved and became part of U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
in the late 1920s. This kept business flowing as the little town became one of the stops on "The Mother Road
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
", the main highway through the heart of America in those years. Population growth had already apexed before the 20th century but the town continued to make modern improvements such as a volunteer fire department, a hardware store & lumber yard (owned by Raymond Ziler, burned in 1971) , a barbershop, a beauty salon, (Florida Melugin's or "Old Flo's") tavern, The Avilla Cafe (Jack & Nadine "Sours" Couch), several auto service stations (in town and close proximity) and repair shops for farm equipment and automobiles, a farm implement sales (Chapman-Follmers), a seed mill, a Boy Scout meeting hall (Scoutmaster Joseph A. Norris Sr.) and in later years even an arena grounds was constructed for the Avilla Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
(Avilla Saddle Club) 1 miles (1.6 km) west of town. A larger school building was also built, and the old one room school houses which were still operating and spread out in that part of Jasper County were consolidated and centralized in Avilla. The original country schoolhouse teachers were brought together to form the elementary/middle school Avilla R-13 School District, the Avilla Panthers which is the present day school for grades K-8. High school level students thereafter were sent to neighboring Carthage, Sarcoxie
Sarcoxie, Missouri
Sarcoxie is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Jasper
Jasper, Missouri
Jasper is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population within the city limits was 931 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Jasper is located at ....
, Miller
Miller, Missouri
Miller is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 699.-Geography:Miller is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...
or Golden City, Missouri
Golden City, Missouri
Golden City is a city in Golden City Township, Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 884 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Golden City is located at ....
for continued studies.
1970 – present
Avilla had actually started to decline in the 1940s after World War II, when greater numbers of people (especially young adults) from the already small community began moving to larger industrial cities for employment opportunities. The final turning point was in the 1960s, when US Route 66 was bypassed with I-44Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
(the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
). The lost commerce due to the diverted traffic caused many of the remaining businesses to fail or to be relocated in the 1970s. A large fire also broke out at the Avilla lumberyard which destroyed several buildings including most of the lumber company, the Boy Scout Meeting Hall and some private residences. The lumberyard was rebuilt but by the late 1970s deteriorating town shops had been sold & resold, and finally deserted. The only trades that survived were the ones that could be sustained by the dwindling local population and area farming operations. Most of the earliest buildings are now gone, replaced by noticeable empty spaces and vacant lots. US Route 66 was redesignated MO Route 96 in 1985 but by then Avilla was already a small, quiet rural community not unlike what is witnessed there today. Few abandoned structures remain within the present village as silent reminders of the towns heyday.
Today Avilla is considered one of the living "Ghost Towns of Old Route 66". It was never completely abandoned and retains its village status today. Many antique country home' and farmhouses can be seen dotted about the Avilla countryside and long established family traditions in livestock raising and agriculture continue in the area. The rural community with local 4-H clubs & the Harvest Community Church are currently restoring the Avilla Saddle Club Arena. A few examples of period architecture can still be viewed such as the iconic 19th century Avilla (United) Methodist Church which was the first church established in Avilla, located in the northeast part of town. A Civil War era mercantile edifice (Stemmons & Rives) also endures near the old park at the west village entrance. 21st century visitors and residents can enjoy the nostalgic and well-preserved 1915 bank building, complete with the old time teller windows, vault and vintage postal equipment as it continues to fly Old Glory
Old Glory
Old Glory is a common nickname for the flag of the United States, bestowed by William Driver, an early nineteenth century American sea captain....
and serve as Avilla's US Post Office.
Notable natives
Homer L. Hall Award-winning American journalist, educator and widely published author of teaching & students textbooks including the critically acclaimed High School Journalism. Inducted into the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association Hall of Fame and the National Scholastic Journalism Hall of FameNational Scholastic Press Association
The National Scholastic Press Association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 for high school and secondary school publications in the United States. The association is membership-based and annually hosts high school journalism conventions across the country...
. He grew up on a farm near Avilla, Missouri, and graduated class of 1956 at Carthage High School.
James Craven A state representative of Missouri in Avilla, Missouri. James was born in Indiana in 1831 and became a livestock dealer in California and Oregon in the 1850s. He moved to Avilla, Missouri and went into politics in 1866.
Etymology
It is verified that Avilla, Missouri was named on or before 1858 because of the platPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
documentation, but who selected the name and why remains a mystery. The town was founded by Andrew L. Love and David S. Holman, merchant-landowners who basically wanted to sell goods and property at the edge of the frontier in the mid-1850s, but little information was recorded by them, and even less about them. An authentic explanation for the name may exist in an old document or letter, but it has yet to be discovered or made public, and the knowledge may have died with the founders. In the United States, the list of similarly named places includes: a small town in Noble County, Indiana
Avilla, Indiana
Avilla is a town in Allen Township, Noble County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,401 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Avilla is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of ....
, a township in Comanche County, Kansas
Avilla Township, Comanche County, Kansas
Avilla Township is a township in Comanche County, Kansas, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 58.-Geography:Avilla Township covers an area of and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the USGS, it contains one cemetery, Avilla....
and an unincorporated community in Saline County, Arkansas
Avilla, Arkansas
Avilla is a census-designated place in Saline County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 896 as of the 2010 census....
.
The American pioneers at that time and location had a range of European language skills and some had extensive educations, which broadens the field of speculation on the birth of the name. With Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
roots, the name Avilla could have been derived from several Romance Language sources such as a Galician-Portuguese
Galician-Portuguese
Galician-Portuguese or Old Portuguese was a West Iberian Romance language spoken in the Middle Ages, in the northwest area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was first spoken in the area bounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River in the south but it was later extended south...
variant of'Avila, or from the ancient Spanish city Ávila de los Caballeros or the Spanish surname, from French or even Italian (Avilla, Italy is located within the Province of Teramo
Province of Teramo
The Province of Teramo is located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Teramo. The province has an area of 1,948 km², a population of 296,063 , and is subdivided into 47 comunes , see Comunes of the Province of Teramo...
in the Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
region). In 1875 Judge Edwin Randal claimed to have coined the name for his Indiana town Avilla from the French villas but this was nearly two decades later (he never mentioned having knowledge of earlier Avilla, Missouri).
The current unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community of Avilla, Arkansas exists as a town on the 1895 Arkansas map of Saline County but it does not appear on the 1855 map. In addition, the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Avilla, Kansas had been founded in 1884 (chartered
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
1885) on Salt Creek but was vacated by 1903 and the name remains there today only as Avilla township in Comanche County, Kansas
Comanche County, Kansas
Comanche County is a county located in Southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 1,891...
. Although both Avilla ghost towns in Arkansas and Kansas appear to have been established after Avilla, Missouri there could still be a connection with the names that was not revealed during this research.
Back in Jasper County Missouri, the county seat of Carthage was named for the ancient North African city Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
(of Hannibal fame) in 1842, and assuming these were like-minded gentlemen this makes the use of the ancient Spanish city name for Avilla even more plausible, but nothing is certain. Golden City, Missouri
Golden City, Missouri
Golden City is a city in Golden City Township, Barton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 884 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Golden City is located at ....
, which is a close neighbor of Avilla just north across the Barton County line has a Spanish-influenced name. Early settlers there found old diggings that they attributed to Spanish conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s mining for gold and named it Golden Grove, which was later used for the town name. The Spanish did come through the Ozark region in the 17th century searching for gold, but the Golden City diggings were later determined to be from native American Indians extracting flint for arrowheads and tools. The notion of Spanish gold was popular with the pioneers and the naming of Golden Grove occurred roughly the same time that the land near Avilla was being settled. From this one could imagine a similar Spanish origin for Avilla's name from hypothetical discoveries such as "odd diggings" or "Spanish-type" artifacts for example, all being pure conjecture of course. In the Roman age of classical antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
"a villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
" was an "independent rural settlement of some consequence", which is a fitting description of historical Avilla, Missouri.
A myth that Avilla, Missouri was named after Avilla, Indiana
Avilla, Indiana
Avilla is a town in Allen Township, Noble County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,401 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Avilla is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of ....
was started in 1930 when it was published in the M.A. thesis from Robert Lee Meyers, University of Missouri-Columbia "Place Names In The Southwest Counties Of Missouri". Although early settlers did come to Avilla, Missouri from Indiana, the Indiana town was documented to have been named seventeen years after the Missouri town, by Judge Edwin Randal in 1875. Before that time, Avilla, Indiana was known as “Hill Town” until 1875.
On a side note, Avilla, Missouri and Avilla, Indiana were never official sister cities. This rumor originated because in addition to having the same name, the middle schools of both towns share an identical mascot and colors: blue and white panthers, but this appears to be coincidence.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 137 people, 53 households, and 41 families residing in the town. The population density was 680.9 people per square mile (264.5/km²). There were 56 housing units at an average density of 278.3 per square mile (108.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.54% White, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.There were 53 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 117.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $21,750, and the median income for a family was $25,000. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,673. There were 13.3% of families and 18.9% of the population living below the poverty line, including 33.3% of under eighteens and 16.7% of those over 64.
The Avilla Shadow Folk
Shadow people
Shadow people are supernatural shadow-like humanoid figures that, according to believers, are seen mostly in peripheral vision and move quickly...
”, who are dark shadowy types of ghosts or shadow-beings. Many “Shadow Folk” or “Shadow People
Shadow people
Shadow people are supernatural shadow-like humanoid figures that, according to believers, are seen mostly in peripheral vision and move quickly...
” have been seen “walking around” in the town center park, standing under abandoned store awnings, in windows and even “entering” (passing through) the locked doors of the US Post Office, among other places. They seem to be busy with their own routines and pay little attention to living onlookers, although they generally vanish while in close proximity or when viewed directly by the living. One of the Shadow Folk (appropriately nicknamed “Otis” of The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
fame) appears to be the town drunk and can be seen stumbling from the old tavern building after hours, and even “passing-out” on the street.
This phenomenon has been theorized by Paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
Researchers to be Thoughtform
Thoughtform
A thoughtform is a manifestation of mental energy, also known as a tulpa in Tibetan mysticism. Its concept is related to the Western philosophy and practice of magic. links mantras and yantras to thoughtforms:...
s or psychic impressions left by past residents during periods of very high stress and/or trauma. A very likely time may have been when life in Avilla was completely disrupted during the Civil War, though a few shadow people such as Otis or the Post Office shadow patron seem to have originated from a later era (the current tavern did not exist during the Civil War and the present Post Office building was not built until 1915). Local folklore suggests that these were the souls of residents who died or were killed elsewhere and not realizing that they were dead, returned to their homes to continue on with their “lives” (in death), being merely shadows of personalities long gone.
These shadow-like entities are mainly seen with peripheral vision and can be spotted anytime (day or night) but are most visible during illuminated late nights/early mornings (full moon with snow is said to be best) and they are extremely difficult to photograph for obvious reasons. Filming of the Avilla Shadow Folk has not been published or made public to date, and sightings have become less frequent as more of the old buildings have been demolished. The Shadow Folk are not considered frightening and witnesses have described them as “creepy but oddly calming to view and they never bother anybody”.
Legend of the Avilla Death Tree
Sightings of the Avilla Shadow Folk should not be confused with the “Avilla Phantom” of theDeath Tree Legend, who is described as a similar shadowy figure but is not a true shadow person. He is a fearfully different type of troubled night apparition and is most likely a class of incorporeal Revenant or rare type of semi-visible PoltergeistPoltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
that haunts the Death Tree itself (believed to be a very old Osage-orange tree at the edge of a now defunct apple orchard near the outskirts of Avilla). The morbid Civil War event of the hanging human skull in Avilla (see history section 1861–1865) was the origin of the Death Tree Legend, an enduring Avilla ghost story describing various hauntings involving an old tree charged with dark or evil energy.